Alt Bike Culture - Abandonned Bikes

Boardrunner is something new, it's part bike and part scooter.

http://reviews.overstock.com/9876/688361/reviews.htm

Anyway, there is one of these sittting at the bike rack in back of the Library (where I'm at right now). It was there yesterday, and it's still there, unlocked.

I guess it is inspired by an eliptical running machine.

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There is also a Mongoose BMX bike locked at the same bike rack, been there two weeks now, with a rusted chain that's not even on the sprocket (cheap combination cable lock).

I get the feeling people are dumping unwanted bikes at this Library bike rack. (Glen Cove Library, at the North end of rt 107 in Nassau County).

It's getting to be a problem because some days the rack is full.

I would say, ask the library if they would consider a clear-out. They could put up signs around the bike rack and in the library saying that they need their rack clear for people who are actually using the library, and if bikes aren't cleared out or accounted for by such-and-such a date, they'll be taken away.

One of the co-ops here in Toronto is encouraging apartment building managers to do that, and donate any unclaimed bikes to the co-op. ;)

You could also talk to campus security. At a lot of colleges they go around with bolt cutters collecting bikes that sit for a month or more and then sell them off at surplus auctions.

I would say, ask the library if they would consider a clear-out. They could put up signs around the bike rack and in the library saying that they need their rack clear for people who are actually using the library, and if bikes aren't cleared out or accounted for by such-and-such a date, they'll be taken away.

One of the co-ops here in Toronto is encouraging apartment building managers to do that, and donate any unclaimed bikes to the co-op. ;)
I have found apartment "desertions" to be a good source of spares/rebuilds for my little semi-capitalistic (without the dramatic profit gouging) resale operation:
I inquire with the Managers; and then do a registry search to ensure that the Bike in question is not "hot".

One of the co-ops here in Toronto is encouraging apartment building managers to do that, and donate any unclaimed bikes to the co-op. ;)

be them the bike pirates? those folks are awesome. i might have to wear my bike pirates shirt tomorrow.

yeah, talk to the library, or the city. a lot of cities have some kind of municipal bike roundup once or more per year, depending on need. the way it works here in boulder is that the police/city workers canvas a neighborhood, putting notices on the bikes saying something to the effect of "we think this bike has been abandoned. it will be confiscated on such and such date, unless removed." the confiscation date is usually like 30 days later or something...just to give people time to come get their bikes.

our coop has received up to 500 bikes this way, from our local police dept and the local university. some places will auction off the bikes.

Why would you just leave a bike at the library? Alien abductions?