Yellow Bikes
 

Decatur, Ga. had a Yellow Bike program, but I'm not sure what's become of it. I stopped by a Yellow Bike location on the way home from work. I had seen a sign I had never noticed before, "Yellow Bike," with an arrow pointing down a side street.

I followed the arrows until I found the back of a building with a "Help Wanted" sign on the door and dozens of wheels and many old frames and parts waiting outside. I called a number and left a message. I wonder if the guy who ran it is still involved.

Are there any other Yellow Bike programs around? The Decatur Yellow Bike program involved rebuilding old donated bikes, painting them yellow and allowing anyone in the city to use them free of charge. I heard there was a problem with theft, and I also heard that Yellow Bike started a new program of building bikes and selling them for $25, but I don't know all the facts.

If I hear anything from the man who ran the program (he's a lawyer in the area and I left a message at his advertised number) I'll post the info.

:)

There was one in Missoula MT a few years back - don't know if it's still going or not. They put big steel plates inbetween the tubes with advertisements for sponsors that made the bikes really heavy. That cut down on theft, I think...

>Are there any other Yellow Bike programs around
Ah Yellow Bike...ah sure do miss my (stolen) Yellow Trek 2200! Opps ... off subject. Sorry Pete.

-V

... back on subject. It looks like there are many Yellow bike programs. But the Decatur site no longer exists. See link below:


http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:o...=en&lr=lang_en
http://www.rapidnet.com/~bikerbfk/

Update: today the man who used to run the Yellow Bike program called me at work. I was suprised he got back with me so fast. He even apologized for not responding more quickly, as he had just gotten the message I left after hours that weekend.

He referred me to two guy who were now in charge. I phoned one of them, and he told me they'd be grateful for any help whatsoever. All volunteer. I'd be like a kid in a candy shop.

The gig is this--$25 deposit and you can have a refurbished bike for as long as you want. That's the best deal going, I think. I'm turning in most of my stray bike skeletons and volunteering. I'll probably pay for a bike, too. (Since it's a veritable depository of donated bikes and bike parts, there's no telling what kind of possibilities exist for a really kool rebuild.) Maybe I'll learn a thing or two.

He told me that they've rebuilt about 500 bikes, so far.

This was done twice in Portland, the last time about five or six years ago. The bikes weren't that good to begin with, most of them rather quickly either got 'stolen' or kept, the ones that I still saw on the streets after a few months all had mechanical problems. My guess is that the city's large homeless population ended up being the main beneficiary of the yellow bike program; they now have other options, like the Community Cycling Center's 'Create a Commuter' program.

http://www.communitycyclingcenter.org/

We still have a program in Minnesota: http://www.yellowbikes.org/ but you won't find yellow bikes on the corners for free use. They did that a while back and allot of them were stolen as far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong).

>They did that a while back and allot of them were stolen as far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong).

Sorry to hear that. This idea would have been great for vacationers. It only take a few to foil a really cool idea.

Here, too. The "honor system" seems a bit out of reach for too many people. Hence the $25 deposit.

Well, this is one guy who knows the value of donated bikes!

:D

Just got back from DYB.

Walked away with a very sweet, light, Motobecane Grand Touring bike which needed absolutely no fixing, not even a chain lube. Even the brakes were perfectly adjusted, and this was on a donated bike that hadn't even been worked on yet. (There was a maintenance checklist tied to it with a little box checked, "wash.") All I had to do was raise the seat, loosen the straps and ride. (I think someone tried to make it fit a kid, but the kid didn't take to it.) Very sweet! Ya. :D

I met some interesting folks, too. I can't wait to ride my new bike to work.

There were some other good lightweight bikes there, too, including mountain bikes. There were also some heavier bikes, but all were operational. A slender young man there picked through the yellow bikes and found one he liked. It was an old Raleigh 10 speed. Not bad at all!

The head mechanic had arrived there shortly after me on his yellow commuter, towing some paraphenalia (sp?) He was utilitarian. He wore shorts, sandals and a tank-top, was a little bit dirty, and his personality was "no-nonsense." He grabbed a Kroger pink lemonade from the fridge in the crowded shop, cooled down a bit and went straight to work. By the time I left with my bike, he was still moving through bikes, fixing them and getting them road-worthy.

One provision was that your bike had to be painted yellow. They were really stubborn about that. I complained.

"Do you really have to paint it yellow?" I whined. "It's so pretty as it is."

"Yes."

I haggled. I bargained. I offered. Mr. No-Nonsense offered only one option.

"Either you paint it yellow, or it's $50."

Sold.

:)

(I really had no idea I'd find such a great bike there. Next step: bring them some of my bikes + parts and volunteer.)

Madison had a "Red Bikes" program, and a parallel "Yellow Bikes" program, for many years. Red Bikes were totally free bikes. Grab one when you need one and see one, drop it off where/when you're done with it. Too many wound up in people's private use, bent up beyond repair, or just gone, presumably contributing to the iron content in the lakes. That part of the program is defunct.

Yellow Bikes are "library" bikes. They're free to use, but you pick it up at Budget Bike, and have to put down a substantial (at LEAST what the bike is worth) deposit. You get a lock and a helmet. Use it as long as you like, and you get the deposit back when you return it. The Yellow Bikes program is still going strong. Some of the former Red Bikes are being lent out as part of the Yellow Bikes program, so they're Yellow by name, but with a red paint job.

When both systems were in operation, the ten- or more-speed bikes that were capable of being tuned and used with all their speeds were made into Yellow Bikes. Any bike with shifting problem was converted (crudely, usually by fixing the ders onto one cog/ring combo via the limit screws and cutting the cables) to single-speed and made into Red Bikes.

The clips on my new bike were so awesome.

On closer inspection, I saw the name, "Camagnolo" on the pedals and clips.

Whoever donated this bike must have had heart of gold.

Oh so cool. And don't forget to dig up a car horn for that new bike!

I know this is overkill, but after riding it to work today for the first time, I was amazed at how light, responsive and comfortable this bike is (and fast. A gift from heaven, I think.

Do you know how to get in touch with the Madison yellow bikes program? A friend just moved there from Athens, Georgia, and would like to start riding.

Thanks!

Tell her/him to call Budget Bicycle Center, 251-8413, or 251-1663, or show up at their used bike showroom, 930 Regent Street (at least I THINK that's where they let them out).