Special note: If you have children's bicycles to donate, there are two options: you can take them to Sir Guy Carleton High School at 55 Centrepointe Drive where they will be refurbished by their students, or to our friends at Recyclore.
Buying from re-Cycles
Donating to re-Cycles
Buying from re-Cycles
We have two categories of bicycles for sale, which are accordingly priced:
Overhauled bikes, which get completely taken apart and rebuilt.
As-Is bikes, which are safety-checked and made ready to ride.
From time to time, we also donate some of the bikes we've repaired to charitable institutions such as shelters and overseas volunteer organizations.
We also recycle quite a few children's bikes. These get safety-checked and donated to local family shelters, or sold.
We have a decent selection of used parts, mainly shifting and braking components, and usually lots of knobby mtn. bike tires. While our spare parts are often used to refurbish our bicycles, we usually do have a surplus for sale. Check out the photos on our Do-It-Yourself page.
Overhauled bikes
Overhauled bikes are completely taken apart, cleaned and greased, and then reassembled. Every part and assembly is itemized and checked on a worksheet.
The checklist includes:
Wheels - hubs, tires, tubes, truing
Brakes - levers, pads, cables
Shifters - levers, cables
Derailleurs
Chain
Bottom bracket and chainrings
Seat and seatpost
Fork, headset, stem, and handlebar
Whole frame - inspected for cracks, damage and wear
While we mainly use second-hand parts, we strive to ensure these parts are in good shape. Once overhauled, bikes are road-tested by a Head Mechanic and placed in the For Sale rack. We attach the worksheet that lists the work done on each bike, and each one has a limited warranty. Prices for overhauled bikes start around $90.
As-Is Bikes
Our As Is bikes are assessed by one of our Head Mechanics, with a check sheet that shows the condition of various major components. These bikes are made safe and ready to ride, and are of course the cheapest, averaging between $30 and $75. These bikes are great for those who are on a tight budget or want a bike that works just fine, even though it's not "perfect".
Donating to re-Cycles
NOTE: Please only bring in donations during our open hours, or those of our partner, Cycle Salvation, when they are using our shop. Please do NOT leave items in our doorway.
In the case of one or two bikes, we regret that we currently cannot come and pick up your donation. In the case of a large quantity (say, from an apartment building getting rid of abandoned bikes) we may be able to make arrangements to have a van pick these up.
All the bikes and parts that we sell have been donated to us. We are happy to accept the following:
Bikes in any condition - none are turned away. A bike that is not fixable gets stripped of any useable parts, and all the metal remains get sent to Bakermet. (See this offsite page about one of those trips.)
Any useable parts, like wheels, tires, seats, even tools. Your old chain might be too stretched, but we have a source that will turn it into jewelry!
Also always needed:
Your old toothbrushes; no really, we do want them - they are great for cleaning parts!
Clean rags (old cotton t-shirts and sheets are best, jeans are not, and please wash them first!).
We cannot accept:
Old helmets, child seats, Camelbaks and other water storage devices and bottles. These are all personal or safety items that should not be reused, and we won't re-sell them.
Worn-out tires and tubes. For old innertubes we have found that if you cut out the valve stems the tubes make for great tie-downs! They don't slip once knotted, and if the knot is too tight you can simply cut it away when done. For tires, Mountain Equipment Coop is now taking old ones, though you may need to be a member (a $5 cost) to use this service.