Well, of course i'll check them out for myself before I make any firm opinions. I guess I wish they woudn't advertise them selves as a 'co-op' if they aren't exactly. It's more like a bike thrift shop.
by the way, those are some SEXY bikes you pictures. I hope I can get that lucky. Very good scores, my friend. Thanks for the opinions, i like knowing what people think!
Originally Posted by absntr
Truth be told I wouldn't put much stock in that thread - that's one person's opinion. Working Bikes is a good place. There was an article in the Reader about Johnny Payphone who with the help of and as part of Working Bikes went to Ghana to help build utilitarian bikes.
You have to understand - Working Bikes is a simple, dirty (as in literally), operation. They're not a co-op in that sense - you can't go and fix stuff up and whatnot there. You get a bike or donate and bike and you're on your way. I'm not kidding you when I say they have hundreds of bikes. It's a huge space. I've bought 4 bikes there, and many of my friends have scored parts, bikes, etc there too. I also know people who have worked/volunteered there, no shadiness in question.
To give you an idea of what you can score there, here are three of the bikes I bought there and subsequently built (mine - $60, roommate's boyfriend - $30, roommate's - $50). A tip: if there are parts you don't need (derailleur, brakes, handlebars, pedals), ask them to strip them off and they'll keep dropping the price. -