May 2nd to May 9th if free dumping week in Thunder Bay. I always spend the entire week at the Dump scavenging bikes. Last year I got 103 bicycles in a single week. The year before about a dozen. With this in mind, I will spend the next few days keeping a record of what happens at the Dump this week. Each day I will report any finds or unusual incidents. Assuming of course that anyone is interested.

Two years ago it poured rain throughout most of FDW. Not many people took advantage of the freebie thanks to the weather. I did, however, get a really nice modified Peugeot with a Phil Wood Flip-Flop hub and a set of Cinelle Bullhorns. A nice Nishiki Landeau showed up and a couple of Peugeots. Other than that, I can't recall anything else of any worth at all.

Last year was a hoot. 103 bikes in eight days. Not all of them were Ten Speeds since I was also collecting for Bicycles for Humanity. Many of those 103 bikes now do their thing in Africa serving health care workers and the like in their quest to help people with Aids. But there were a few really nice bicycles that came my way including an eighties something Holdsworth, a really nice Peugeot "Course" which I added immediately to my personal collection, a near mint 50cm Fiori, a gorgeous Schwinn Mixte, a cosmetically challenged Miele and a eighties someting Gitane that was again near mint.

Yesterday, armed with a box of crackers, a couple of bananas, an apple and a large bottle of water, I headed off to the Dump for the beginning of free dumping. Though day one of FDW (free dump week) is usually slow, I wanted to go anyway. The only thing that showed up was a very old and horribly dilapidated old roadster from the 40s or 50s.

In the six hours I had to spend at the Dump yesterday not one Ten Speed showed up and this is incredibly unusual. Normally about a dozen or more would have been dropped of each day. More FDW results tomorrow.

Nice. Its funny how that coincides with the departure of students for the summer.

They don't have the equivalent of that around here any more.

yeah two years ago they had trash clean up day here in steelton and I picked up some bikes that were out for the trash. the only thing is I was competeing with scrap metal people. I would see bikes being taking in for scrap that I wish i would of found. I should of followed them and asked them at there next stop if they wanted to sell the bike. I am sure 10 to 20 dollars would be more then what they would get, but I didn't think about it until after the fact.

now in my area people can put them out anytime they want. I need to make some garage men friends and give them a list of what I am looking for. or a list of brands I wouldn't want like sears, huff, and so on.

Nice finds. I really like that Peugeot. Hope you dont come across any bears up there. Take care.

We have a thing here locally called "Clean Up Green Up". We have it a couple of times a year and there is a steel junk collector that gets all of the steel stuff. Last fall I didn't even think about bicycles until it was too late.

This year I'm going to do some pre negotiating just in case there is something of interest.

I thought about putting a wanted add in the paper. and just telling them I enjoy fixing them up and then pass them off to people that need them. now I wouldn't pass them off for free.

you could also become friends with that guy and tell him if he finds bikes you may want to buy them off him.

Last weekend was 'dump day' in my town. Officially, the policy is "No Picking", but as long as you don't get in the way, they usually don't care. The workers make their own piles of stuff they are keeping, and one man is also a 'bike guy', so he gets the best. Still, I snagged a Univega and a kids bike. They let me 'field strip' them, but wanted the basic frames thrown back onto the pile. I was OK with that and added to my collection of usable components.

they were taking them in for scrap metal. if you saw a bike you wanted to keep I am sure they would of sold it to you.

in my area when its out for the trash its free for whoever wants it.

Ive noticed a trend last year, very few bicycles were being brought to the dump, at least comparing from the year before. Everytime I went a few years back I can always expect to find something new. I don't think I brought a single bike home from the dump last year. I found out scrap metal was at its highest worth in years so maybe that had something to do with it. So far this year has been the same trend as theres nothing really there, although in fairness its still too early to tell, plus I don't go as frequently as its hard to find the time between working and riding, I try to make a visit at least once a week.

Keep in mind, though, that some of those Sears bikes were made in Austria, and are not half-bad. It'd be hard to get someone else to fine-tune their picking, though. I just pulled a 1964 Columbia "500" from the big bin at our county landfill, and all it seems to need is a rear inner tube and maybe a chain. More on that find here:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/537454-finally-one-s-older-than-i-am.html

and I really like the OP's move to donate most of the rescued bikes, esp. to Africa. What a great way to extend their lifespan!

Things start slowly during free Dump Week in Thunder Bay. I have to compete with lots of people for bikes but I have a bit of an edge. I have permission to pick bikes up at the Dump thanks in part to my involvement with Bicycles for Humanity.

Tuesday saw an Italian Juventus, a French Peugeot UO8 with bent forks find their way into The Old Shed.

Wednesday produced a very clean Raleigh Record Mixte, 2 Sekines and an eighties something CCM that is not all that bad looking. I also got a lead on a Miele that day with a Shimano 105 grouppo but the fellow wanted too much for the bicycle since it was a bit scruffy.

Today, Thursday saw an increase in bicycle flow as is normally the case. Word of mouth gets around town and the cars line up to get into and out of the Dump. Today's haul saw 42 bikes go to the Bicycles for Humanity cause and two, a nice clean Miyata and a not quite so nice Norco Avanti find shelter at my place.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are traditionally high volume free Dump Days each Spring. Though I really like collecting bikes for B4H, it is always nice to find one decent old road bike (or two) as a reward for spending the whole week out at the Dump.

Sorry about no pictures just now. I am trying to catch up with my own work

In my opinion, the number of bikes being disposed of is not diminishing all that much. I do, however, think that the demand for or scavenging of Dump bicycles has gone up. We find less because others beat us to them. Or something like that.

I've noticed the number of free bikes available on trash day in my neighborhood has gone way down over the last year or so. I think that more people are fixing and riding them, so good for everybody.

Last I was visiting the big city some guys almost got away with my 82 Razesa. It was trash day and I was waiting in the front yard for my wife so we could go on a ride. The bike was leaning against a tree on the other side of which a row of trash cans waited. I stepped behind a bush for a moment, really no more than it takes to do that stuff, and when I emerged a couple of smiling and laughing Hispanics were ready to dump my bike in the back of their pick-up. Soo close.

I had an newer 20" boys bike that I was going to give away for free. (I picked it up from trash clean up days about a year or so earlyer and adjusted the cables and put air in the tires.) I put it out front by my front steps and by the time I went inside to print off a free sine, it was gone. It wasn't even out on the eadge of my sidewalk. I am like gee someone little theif took a free bike. I bet they will end up repainting it and everything not knowning it was going to be free.

So Randy, How do I get to Thunder Bay and where is the dump?

Well, Free Dump Week Thunder Bay 2009 is now history. I spent most of the week at the landfill site and collected about 60 bicycles for Bicycles for Humanity. I also found a total of fifteen to twenty vintage road bicycles but kept the following; two Bianchis, one Jeuventus, one Raleigh Record Mixte, one Peugeot Sprint, one Peugeot Super Sport, One Peugeot Sport, one Vainqueur, one Velo Sport, one CCM Corsa, one CCM Grand Tourisimo, one CCM Corsa, one Supercycle with full Shimano Adamus AX grouppo, one CCM Elite, one BIM leather saddle, one AGDA leather saddle, two Hurett transmissions, one very cool Mustang style bike with springer forks, two motorcycle style bicycles, and I just can't remember the rest off hand.

Nothing really special showed up except the two Bianchi bicycles - one a 47cm Strada LX in excellent condition and the other I am not sure of the model but it is fitted with a full Shimano 600 Golden Arrow grouppo (my size too!!!).

Anyway, Free Dumping Week was a hoot and our group has finally decided to make it a group event. Thanks goodness, I am tired of talking to seagulls, ravens and bald eagles, all or which frequent the Dump on a daily basis. So too do the black bears and one always has to keep and eye, and a nose, out for those big rodents.