FREE BIKES are EVERYWHERE! The BICYCLE SURPLUS problem EXPLAINED while STRIPPING a bike for parts

[@thefreebikes4kidschannel279]

I run a community project called Freebikes4kids in the UK. In 5 years I have repaired and rehomed over 3000 bikes for FREE.

[@EastWindCommunity1973]

500 videos, 3000 bikes, this guy is legit! Makes one wonder how some channels blow up and others don't.

[@befer]

you are insane. God's work

[@cdvgear]

The surplus is real! I started tinkering with old bikes this year and unwanted bikes magically started showing up in my garage when friends and neighbors realize I can get them back on the road. Clean, lube, adjust, rinse, repeat! Thanks for the videos!

[@joshh7848]

I have 10! Help! 😂

[@cfmechanic]

I'm at 7 for just me and looking at another next week.

[@661110260]

Here too,8 bikes at the moment but the numbers variety by the week. And that's in the Netherlands! Brougt one bike over to our biggest client in Grenoble in France for me and my collega's to go to the mall for grosseries and stuf. The rest of the bikes go for silly money or sometimes for free over the counter. Just to keep my hobby rollin.....🙂

[@TheQuietPartisLoud]

I gotta be real, I am quickly becoming enamored with your work, and your channel. You have such an honest focus on community aid and organization, and that's just downright inspiring. I think young people really need good role models like you, because this is what being great looks like.

[@HunterAtheist]

Make Bicycling Great Again, or something like that.

[@F3udF1st]

@@HunterAtheist it was always great

[@teacherguy5084]

@@HunterAtheist Make America Bicycle More.

[@jovancaicedo9516]

Great comment

[@billkosses3808]

If he's a good role model it's because he's not trying to be

[@patreilly4293]

I restored a 1973 Schwinn Sports Tourer that I picked up on Facebook Marketplace for $100. Completely disassembled, powder coated in Sunset Orange and polished all the alloy parts. New Brooks saddle. Too much invested to ever get the money back, but a really fun bike to ride. I get compliments everywhere I ride. It apparently sat in someone’s garage for decades. Hand built, fillet brazed CrMo frame. I love old bikes.

[@aricbergren6532]

Today I pedaled my ebike at an event in Minneapolis. It was my first ever ride with a group. At mile 17, my chain broke. I didn’t have an extra, and no master links. I did have a multitool with a chain breaker on it. The day would have been over for me, but I have watched almost all of these videos, and at some point, I heard you talking about scrapping the bad links and then taking a pin most of the way out and reconnecting the chain. Its a couple of links shorter, not sure if first gear would have worked or not but that was good enough to finish out the 43 mile day, crash twice, get dirtier than I’ve been in years, and have a ton of fun. Awesome videos! Thanks!!!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@robertwyland7770]

I help run a Community College Bike Co-op and on the same page as your comments. Bikes are constantly being donated to us... Some fantastic, most crap. Selling bikes ( very cheaply) and parts allows us to continue to be of service to our community . Love your work!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks for sharing!

[@andrewso7497]

I've been watching your channel and I've got to say. Whether or not this channel is about bikes or not, this is one of the most wholesome channels on I've watched. I honestly don't care whether or not you're trying to monetize or not, at least you're honest.

[@bkefrmr]

AND I’m only in it for the money! 🤑

[@bkefrmr]

@@notsureofmuch that too

[@josepha8759]

At the co-op where I have volunteered, a Torelli like this one would have gotten a cleaning, a tune-up, and maybe tubes and tires before being put out in stock form on the For Sale rack to contribute toward the power bill.

[@DogDoc1991]

My first and second fancy Italian road bikes were Torelli’s. The company was started by a couple who were cycling enthusiasts who used to vacation in Italy. They’d befriend frame builders in small shops and contract them to hand build Columbus tube frames which were then sent to them in California where they’d paint them and sell them as either frame sets with forks or build them up to spec. My newer Torelli is a 20th Anniversary model, built by the legendary Antonio Mondonico and his son Mauro. (The frame bears their signatures.).

[@Lukearthwalker]

Bill's Bike Shop in Camarillo?

[@DogDoc1991]

@@Lukearthwalker might have been. The original owners of Torelli were named Bill and Carol. I forget their last name. Unfortunately, Bill got really sick with shingles so they sold Torelli and retired to Arkansas I think.

[@hananas2]

Dude here in Belgium it's completely insane how many people have really nice old steel road bikes! I myself got a free one with Columbus SLX tubing, a Cinelli spoiler BB shell, Campag dropouts, internally routed rear brake and rear derailleur cables and Shimano 600 tricolor. I ended up sinking a chunk of money in it and it's a really great road bike now. Keeps up with the latest carbon bikes just fine.

[@theroadsnearyou...5088]

That’s better than carbon! Steel is real and SLX is even better, because that’s cromoly and that’s an alloy of steel, which must be better than steel!🤪👍

[@КјМЈОНИјГГ]

So true, I was thinking the same thing while watching this video! The second hand market is nuts as well. I have found that you can get a lot of late 90's - early 2000's road bikes in great shape for really little money. Just the other day I got a Giacomelli (local Belgian bike shop and frame builders that closed in '08) alu road bike with 9-speed campy brifter group for a mere 35 euros. Only thing that was missing was the chain and it needed some good cleaning and a new RD cable and barrel adjuster... Rides beautifully now and i only put about 60 euros into it total :)

[@Randombourg]

It's also hard to understand how there is a surplus, but 2 years ago, during Covid there was such a shortage, the only explanation I can think of is that labour cost is too high to be economical. But this is not isolated to bikes.

[@theroadsnearyou...5088]

@@Randombourg The demand destruction event is nearing! Everything you have will be worth nothing, but everything you need will be priced out of your reach! Start stacking!🤪👍

[@Randombourg]

@@theroadsnearyou...5088 you seem to have confused me for a crazy trupster/preper

[@Hoosier_cycling-mz4je]

Andy this video was almost perfect timing. My wife and I started a bicycle charity in our small town. We have struggled with the idea of selling bikes that are shop quality to offset the cost. I want to thank you for some insight on the process for co-op and bike giveaways.

[@starr2mcgee]

Set the expectations and donors will support you! It’s when they think you will fix it up and give it away and that doesn’t happen that ill will happens.

[@Hoosier_cycling-mz4je]

@@starr2mcgee thank you. We always are upfront with people and tell them we do our best but sometimes it’s not cost effective. Most of the donations are department store bikes and when you need to put more than $100 in them they are pretty much a total loss and end up a scrap

[@Randombourg]

Another undervalued benefit is that people have a go at restoring or maintaining a bike is that it creates the confidence to have a go at maintaining or repairing other things, washing machines, fridges then cars, so the knock on effect can be massive Basically almost anything that can be maintained, but is not economically viable to pay someone 100 euro per hour to service, but if you do, it's going to last decades

[@maryharrington8983]

I agree. I have an old 7-day wind-up mantle clock that chimes on the hours and half hours that I bought for $40. I took it to a clock/watch/jewelry repair shop, the owner is Swiss, and he told me for him to service the clock (it needs cleaning and lubing) it would take 2 days and cost $350! Very few will pay that, so what happens to all these old clocks? Now that I have some confidence in tinkering with my bikes, I might take a stab at repairing this clock....

[@joaopedrodefreitaslima2936]

That's exactly what I do here in my town, too. Our non profit organization takes donations, I fully restore the bikes (no cost for the organization, all by me, including new parts) and we use them on social events. Tomorrow, for example, we have an event: every person who donates an used toy in good shape can join the draw and win a fully restored bike. All the toys will be donated to poor kids on Christmas.

[@arnehusby1420]

I am from Norway. Got hold of a Gary Turner from 2013. I refurbished it and put on a Bafang Motor. I have now used it for almost five years without any problems. I paid $50 for a great bike that just needed a little love.

[@davidp6839]

Just recently found your channel. I just wanna say...I love it! Like the music, commentary and of course the bikes and info. You're like the Bob Ross of bike repair/rehab, but a bit funnier and crankier at the same time. Entertaining and relaxing to watch. I was a teenager in the 80s/90s pulling apart the same type bikes in my basement. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@louisgunstone6651]

Nice to see someone who uses the same saddle removal technique as me. It's a fine art.

[@69Harveyb1]

I went by Lake Mills on my way to see family yesterday and returned home today. It got me thinking about what you say means to me. If you weren't good at what you do, and imparting pieces of knowledge through your experiences leading to better and the right questions , I would never make such connections. I sure don't do it for most other channels I watch. There's more I want to say but it'll have to wait for another time.

[@rternowski]

I gotta go back and watch all your videos. I love learning how to fix my bikes. Love your honesty and candid stories! Your killing it!

[@BartAnderson_writer]

Doing the good work. Thanks There's undiscovered value in older road bikes, e g. with downturn shifters. Local bike nonprofit has hundreds of them - they don't sell well. Great opportunity for those of us who appreciate them.

[@JogieGlenMait16]

If someone gave me a free bike when I was a wee lil kid, I'd be super happy. My mother sold our bmx because we were short of cash at the time. Sold for $20. That was a sad day.

[@ATHIP12]

This breaks my heart to hear. I feel bad for your Mom having to make that decision, and I feel bad for you having to sell your possession. I really hope things got better for you.

[@gusnuk68]

Man, i feel bad for you since i've been there too when i was a kid.

[@abacaxiveer]

About the bottom bracket situation, a solution to that is 'threadless' bottom brackets. These do not use the threading in the frame, and can be used if the thread on the frame is damaged, incompatible with available bottom brackets, or just as a straight up replacement. YST makes some affordable ones under the label 'BB-993 threadless bb set', in a range of widths, JIS taper, but hollowtech is also available. There are other manufacturers. These are real problem solvers, and work just fine.

[@nathanpieper4634]

Just asked another guy weighing in on BBs, what to do if I run into problems with my Italian loose all BB, then read this comment. I'm gonna copy paste it into my bike notes sticky note app on my phone THANKS

[@abacaxiveer]

@@nathanpieper4634 Well, glad it helped someone.

[@Happy_Biker]

Sadly left a frame and wheels hanging in a garage that got sold, always meant to rebuild it. Donated a French bike that belonged do my Dad to a charity that provides bikes to people who need transportation. Love the bikes. Still have and ride the early Trek from '81. ☮️❤️🚴🏻‍♂️

[@Thetoad738]

Torelli is an American company. They used small builders in Italy and the raw frames were shipped to the States to be painted with DuPont paint. This looks like a 93 Strada with Columbus SL top tube, seat tube and down tube. Alle chain stays and folks. It’s hard to tell from this distance.

[@bkefrmr]

Nice!

[@AJXOXO-vz1pn]

@@bkefrmr yeah. Tortellini was the house brand for a distributor in USA. I think out in California or Nevada, but I can’t remember. They used to import a lot of Italian cycling products. They contracted with small builder in Italy. Despite not being a Colnago or Pinarello, two of the most famous Italian builders, these Torelli frames were exceptionally well made and on par with the best Italian frames.

[@velvetbikes]

Yeah MEDICI also did the same thing. I have a Medici I'm on the fence about whether to restore or sell off piece by piece.

[@arnehusby1420]

I also worked in a workshop, where we collected bicycles from scrap yards and other places. Refurbished them and sold them cheap. Many of the bikes were incredibly nice and I don't understand why they were thrown away. But now the Municipality has closed the workshop, which was used to give people work training. I learned a lot during the two years I worked as a manager there.

[@RonPike]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

THANK YOU!!

[@SimonParsons-c8c]

Thanks

[@geepeerces]

I had a French touring frame, a circa 1975 Motobecane Grand Record, talk about weird sizes for everything. lovely riding bike, reynolds 531 double butted everything, silk sewups (ok, it came with cottons, but I upgraded), campy shifters (friction 2x5). its beat all to heck, even has a dent across the front of the head tube where I ran into a road cable at twilight, but its still hanging in my garage.

[@GiovaniGatto]

Some insights from guitar repairing/flipping experience. In the instrument world, really old instruments sometimes are found in a garage or a closet and can quickly come back to life with a day or two of tinkering. In my experience, sometimes the hassle (or fear) of fixing a rusted or really caked up bike is something that makes people feel unsafe. I know that after dealing with every bicycle issue you kinda don't fear it anymore, but it is a longer process than just tightening some bolts on an electric guitar. Cheers and keep up the good work!

[@phillipdaulton9861]

Nice lugged frame on that critter. My first road bike was an Orbea-Eibar 10 speed. Weird Spanish bike but beautiful lugged frame. Didn’t know what I had when I bought it for $50 (in 1974). Rode it awhile and gave it away.

[@Jordanmilo]

Look for a Columbus dove stamped into the steerer tube. And Italian bottom brackets are different in that both sides are right-hand thread, so the left side can unwind while you’re riding-brilliant!

[@bkefrmr]

I’ve always wondered why English BBs are threaded so they will loosen clockwise like while pedaling forward. The someone explained it to me. Can you?

[@HunterAtheist]

​@@bkefrmrSupposedly the actual ball bearings spin in the opposite direction, creating a tightening of the BB. It's kinda counter intuitive, but it works in practice.

[@bkefrmr]

@@HunterAtheist HIRED!!!

[@bkefrmr]

@@HunterAtheist I’m sorry, I know I could never afford you!

[@rosomak8244]

@@bkefrmr Think about the drag when things rotate. Every bearing has some kind of drag. Now BSA is designed to tighten in, because the cups can be dealt with by applying proper force when time comes to undo them. Pedals on the other hand are threaded in a way such they don't over tighten to prevent the aluminium threads from getting slowly but surely stripped.

[@notanomad9320]

Andy, my understanding was that it was a major sponsor of fb4k's that did not want to sell any of the high end bikes even though those bikes wouldn't be a good fit for what the program was designed for. Now sponsorship has changed and we are trying to offer these bikes 1st to volunteers as incentive for their work. That money can be rolled back into the program as they always need supplies like tires and tubes. People donate so much bike stuff like studded tires, tubular tires, bike racks, saddle bags, etc, etc, etc. Now if we don't find a good home for it, it gets packed up in storage every year which just cost the program money. Ideally fb4k's needs to realize that inventy like any business has a carrying cost. Talk about a surplus of bikes, someone dropped off a mint Klein Kirsten bike at my local shop. They just dropped off in the bike like many people do. Only issue with it was the STI levers were gummed up due to infrequent use. The heat gun trick brought them back to life. Back in the 70's we would occasionally tap a french or english BB that had stripped threads to Italian as its a slightly bigger diameter thus saving the frame. Take care.

[@bkefrmr]

Rule #1 of running a nonprofit: donors don’t make the rules

[@uniquenamegoeshere2263]

I have 10 old bikes. I just had an old Bob Jackson upgraded by my LBS with nice Shimano 105 parts. Most of my old steel frames have been restored into daily riders by my local shop. I picked up a few 1970s Raleighs for next to nothing and they were excellent bikes with a little TLC.

[@adorensinghoff5605]

Danke!

[@daniellarson3068]

I just finished a bike ride on my #2 bike, a $25 Schwinn. It's become a Schwinn Amazon model. Lots of stuff out there with remaining utility. You do good when you help those poor kids. They probably get better bikes than some of the new bicycles.

[@judymc4213]

I had a 1984 Trek 520. I traded it in. At least it was a Specialized that I still ride! I regret trading that bike in as it was the best bike ever. Well, life goes on and I still ride. Yes, free bikes are everywhere.

[@JohnWindberg]

I just restored a Torelli that looks very much like this one. Such a nice bike.

[@tommyb2129]

Right on about getting the good word out to redistribute old serviceable bikes into communities. I volunteer as a mechanic for a non-profit bike group in a church that accepts donations, cleans and restores the decent ones, and donates them to charities in the region. We also sell the good ones to fund parts and cleaning supplies somewhat. A lot of junk bikes are recycled, but we make and sell bike wheel snowmen at christmas and recycle the rest. Less in landfills. Thinking about an eBay parts site, but it's a lot of effort vs. the return. Thx for spreading the word!

[@t1murik]

About “unwanted”- very accurately. I am becoming a vintage bike collector too. Just buying them cheap and restore for myself,because everybody wants fancy and disk ish bikes which i personally avoid. I can ride on bike which is older than me, i just ride and enjoy the oldschool frame feeling. Its not so gummy as modern cheap AL 6061 crap.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

I'm glad i gave my 90's 10-speed racer to a friend who got good life with it. I miss him.

[@montrose252]

Yes! Bicycles have the potential to tranform this world. You said it! Cheers.

[@psychodiagnostik]

Great chat. Love those Modolo levers, make me think of the Mavic group they were spec'd with, with the "starfish" crank.

[@isolani]

Admire your edits. Bike poetry. I do gummies then watch them. Can´t stop. You rock.

[@H457ur]

Oooh I used to have a custom Mondonico - he was a small builder in Italy who made frames for Torelli and sometimes sold frames under his own brand. What a bike that was.

[@geezers10]

Still have my Mondonico, Claudio personally measured and built it for me.

[@jtolech]

Nice shout out to Working Bikes, I am from Chicago and moved out years ago. Anytime I am back I try to pay them a visit.

[@latrace1986]

I was walking around the bike co-op in Chicago the other day and they had a minty lugged Trek 950 they built up, a couple of very nice Bridgestone MB-2s, a Paramount PDG mountain bike, a gorgeous full Dura Ace Basso and others all for cheap. And the irony is that those were all donations to them. And that's just what they had in stock at that moment, much less all of the other amazing stuff they've flipped or donated over the last 20-25 years. EDIT: I left the comment before getting through the entire video and Andy highlights Working Bikes around the 10:40 point. They get some *insane* bikes donated to them and sell for cheap.

[@misterhaan]

i'm not interested in the profit side of things at all (or trying to find someone to give a bike to), so volunteering to fix up donated bikes with my local charity is a great way for me to spend more time working on bikes and get bikes back on the road.

[@r3dl0g74]

i got a mint giant 90's mountain bike for free in the exact situation you first mention, i put air in the tires which held incredibly and rode it till the bearings needed repacked. one of my favorite bikes i have rode to this day.

[@noisepuppet]

I'm a computer support guy, and I bench many PC's per week. Since I stumbled onto your channel, every time I drop something, I say "ope!"

[@billkosses3808]

Totally support your analysis Bike Farmer but it still broke my heart what you did to this bike 😢😅

[@pnwester2697]

I have fixed up many good old bikes. I sell them for cheap or give away for cost of repair components, but I find the new owner often won't use it or appreciate it and up in the rafters it goes!

[@theroadsnearyou...5088]

What a beautiful steel framed road bike!😍

[@PoserBallin]

That bike frame is actually so cool. If that dropped into my lap I would defiitly tune her up and use it as a bar bike. (my wife, would not agree however and I would probably end up stripping the parts too)

[@BillSmithPerson]

Nice to see nothing was rusted in place.

[@MX5Fanatic]

Great video Andy. I have a bad habit of wanting to keep every bike I restore. I like bikes from the 80's and 90's and I consider myself something of a retro grouch and definitely not a fan on the latest and greatest marketing fad. I always chuckle when I go on Facebook Market place and every bike is a $100 and up and every bike is a racing bike. Yeah, right. Just finished restoring an 85' Miyata Two Ten touring bike because as you say, "It's good enough for who it's for". Keep up the great videos as I'm always learning from you.

[@jasonhochman3750]

Yeah, well, most people find an old bike, it might be nice, like an old Fuji--a well made mass produced bike, or maybe a Peugeot, or Schwinn Le Tour, all good bikes, useful for commuting, but the people want $300 for them, kind of a stretch because those bikes were mass produced and not highly collectible, and, they need new tubes, new brakes, new cables. I'm looking for bikes that are useful, won't mind doing some repair or restoration, but not wanting to spend $300 for the bike.

[@tomhastings6204]

A few years ago I moved to Savannah, Ga. and not knowing anyone in town, I looked to the bike community and found Bike Walk Savannah. I participated in Cranksgiving, a group ride that rode around town with a shopping list provided by a local food bank. I came back for the Bikes for Kids program just like you talked about. The first bike I worked on was originally sold in West Allis, Wi! "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it."

[@DK-yr8id]

I’ve bought 4 bikes (3 Treks and a specialized) in the last year…the most expensive was $50. 1 was free. There’s a TON of $25 bikes out there that work well enough.

[@brentkasl6510]

Started volunteering at the local bike kitchen, gave away 500 bikes after servicing back to the community two years ago, 1300 last year, will top 2000 soon, all donated, and that’s not including bikes that were sent to dump after triage

[@williamberger2178]

In the late 60's my local bike shop would occasionally sell a Mondia Sport Special @ $800 in 1968 dollars. I really wanted one but I ended up with an American Flyer (they were Nishiki rebranded to appeal to our market). It had a chromoly frame and SunTour components and it lasted for 30 years. I donated it in the hope it found a new home. Save the bikes.

[@iananderson8948]

Another great video - as has been noted before why don’t you remove the chain first ? - surely the back pedalling will damage the paint on the chainstay.Lot of value in some of those parts .

[@walterstoops2671]

Torelli was an American company that imported contract built frames from various Italian builders.

[@chicomojo]

IIRC most were made by Bilatto Brothers in Italy. I had a beautiful pre-Trek LeMond track bike made by them.

[@Mavczers]

Now I restored some noname German Steel steed and there is no way I can make money out of it. That will be my 4th bike I won't make any money on selling. But I love rebuilding this stuff.

[@Wayne-7xgw]

It’s not always about the money, the joy of working on something ( not just bikes) fixing it to be used again makes my heart sing😁

[@KitBasher1]

I started fixing up mountain bikes mostly to have a spare bike, but then a pile of bike shaped objects began to accumulate. I’m just making a fleet of bikes for visitors like band mates, siblings etc. We have a few sweet trails up here in Michigan so I wanted be able to facilitate a few trips down the trail.

[@heatherhoward2513]

I gifted my red Repsol that i got from a friend, from under her house, 1954 age, to my daughter. It has 3 speed internal gears. Now im hoping to do up a Moulton , age about 1964, that i rescued from a garage cleanout. Its badged malvern star as it was imported to Australia by Bruce Small. Amazing what you find if you look.

[@davidpalk5010]

Italian frames have a 70mm wide bracket shell, with M36 x 1 threads, RH both sides. The fixed cup is prone to coming loose, so must be done up REALLY, REALLY tight. "Standard" (aka BSA or English) BB shells are 68mm wide and have 1.375" (1 3/8" - just less than 35mm) x 24 tpi threads, LH threaded on the drive side RH on the non-drive. These do not come loose due to the LH thread. Some older mountain bikes have a version of this with a 73mm wide shell. Raleigh used their own threading on their utility/lower-end frames made at the Nottingham UK factory 1920s to 1980s. Raleigh threads are still 1.375" diameter but 26 tpi and the shell is 77mm wide. These can be converted to standard BSA/English by trimming and facing the shell to 68mm, and then over-threading to 24 tpi. Over-threading spoils two or three threads nearest to the centre of the shell on each side, but two or three new threads are cut, so there's no problem in use. Traditional French frames have M35 threads both sides, so theree are three or four BB standards on old European frames. Guess how I know all of this...

[@nathanpieper4634]

I picked up an Italian Tommasini Super Prestige recently to build myself my first "fast" bike. I haven't put many miles on it yet as I am still making some components changes. It has a square taper loose ball that I have no qualms with maintaining/regressing as needed, but if it ever wears out or if I have loostening fixed cup problems, do you know the best or simplest way to keep it running? I would be fine going to some outboard bearings or sticking with small diameter spindles like square taper on it now.

[@davidpalk5010]

@@nathanpieper4634 Congratulations! That's a very fine fame indeed, and up there with the absolute best. Shimano and Campagnolo still support M36/70 Italian BBs, and there are plenty of used options on eBay, so it's no problem. Fixed-cups coming loose can't happen with a cartridge unit, and it's very unlikely with external cups. With vintage loose ball BBs, you simply need the correct spanner and some brute force to fit the cup properly tight. Don't slip and mark that lovely frame!!!

[@catcheritr]

Love your work! What's the problem with Italian bottom bracket? You could at least get some grease in there. cheers

[@JohnJohn-xb1sn]

Never donate your bike to Goodwill. Cought them numerous times taking hundreds of almost new bikes to the scrap yard for 10 cents a pound.

[@AllenMyers-w7j]

Buy bikes from scrapyards. 20 cents per pound

[@JohnJohn-xb1sn]

Yelp. I've pulled some high dollar vintage bmx bikes out of there

[@asm826]

Italian bottom bracket specs are pretty simple. It has a 36 mm diameter, 70 mm width, and 24tpi. They are readily available.

[@bkefrmr]

Did you know that off the top of your head?

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

​@@bkefrmr He wakes up in the morning and recites it before getting in the shower.

[@Prizzly92]

What makes french and italian bottom brackets a hassle is that the right side is threaded in the normal way unlike english bottom brackets. They have a tendency to unscrew them self.

[@bkefrmr]

@@Prizzly92 I wish I knew how to unscrew myself

[@asm826]

@@Prizzly92 French is right hand threaded on both sides. Italian is reverse threaded on the fixed cup, just like English.

[@davidmarsden7103]

The Italian bottom brackets are 70mm width, but more importantly they don’t have a reverse thread on the drive side! Righty tighty both sides.

[@SianaGearz]

Is this why it's gone a little wobbly, by unscrewing itself?

[@HermanatorIII]

Free bikes are the best bikes!!

[@parrisgeorge9708]

Some of the Italian framesets of this era had not a bright white paint but more of an off white/cream color.

[@MNpicker]

Awesome stuff man!! Ive started picking up all the free bikes on the curb.. yep.. the surplus is real😳. Most need air in the tubes and lube (everything) .. soooo many parts 😬🤑😁

[@DaJuiceBox35]

WorkingBikes in Chicago is great. Love that place.

[@-NateTheGreat]

I found a 1976 Raleigh Park Place laying in the garbage. All it needed was air in the tires and chrome polished. I gave it a new life. I even cruise past the house that tossed it.

[@peterago1082]

true i see people putting out perfect working condition old harldly used bikes for garbage pickup

[@Fetherko]

I don't. Ohio

[@FuchsHorst]

One way is to collect a bunch of steel frames and sand and paint them in bulk in the same color like black or whatever is popular. If you do this for like 10 frames the cost is below 100$. Of course no decals and detail work.

[@daniellarson3068]

I don't think most kids would care about the decals.

[@FuchsHorst]

@@daniellarson3068 indeed but as Bikefarmer said: There are plenty of donated bikes that are a way better fit and in better condition than a 1980s road race bike. I mean in NYC or LA/SF you could sell those repainted bikes as cheap fixie builds, but besides that i see no future.

[@whukriede]

It really hurts seeing this lovely road bike being unbuilt. Bikes with this history should be sold "as is", maybe after a minimal safety check, but I understand that you perhaps would be running out of storage space, don't know.

[@rickeverett3304]

I found a top of the lime Peugeot PX10 thrown out, it just needed to have all the grease replaced.

[@tomg.542]

That was my dream bike back in the early 1970s. My friend's older brother who was in high school and on a "team" had one. Every time he caught us looking at his bike, he'd tell his little brother" don't touch my bike moron!"

[@isaacbrumer]

Great thing about decent pedal bikes is how long they can be useful, with a little work. Same can’t be said about anything being sold now with a battery and a motor.

[@ZeeFrankensteel]

The italian bottom bracket is different only in the thread direction for the crank side cup. The crank side is right threaded (clockwise to tighten) . It's not reverse threaded like the standard bottom bracket. Not easy to find a replacement, especially a good cheap used replacement.

[@metalsnakezero]

NYC has a non-profit that take in bike for donations or look for abandon ones, tune them up and sell/give away. Some local bike shops also do that.

[@maddoxkay]

Recycle a Bicycle is great! They do free bike maintenance classes as well.

[@moorezmoore]

Have you tried using a magic eraser for paint cleaning? It can help clean out alot of stuff on older paint with dulled clear coats

[@Cousin_Greg]

That Dawn powerwash spray is the real deal.

[@Sills71]

Italian BBs have different threading and width. If you work on a bike with Italian BB all you have to do is make sure the BB you use is "Italian" threaded BB. The headtube is 1 inch. Neither one of these is a problem.

[@chriscahill3667]

And both cups are right hand thread, so lock tight the r/h side or they tend to come loose.

[@skipcycle4580]

3:28 I know it's an old bike, but maybe leave the rear wheel on before taking off the pedals. The chain stay would appreciate that.

[@davidhudsonbaker2361]

Andy, You just pushed me out. When you stripped the Torelli for parts, you did something I would never do! Original and complete! Hey, look at this bicycle Eddy Merex won the TDF on, let’s get those parts! You blew it for me !

[@ddrewable]

I agree what a crazy thing to do!

[@bkefrmr]

🤪🤑

[@123moof]

The issue is that in good shape it is hard to offload that bike for more than a couple hundred. To get it sellable for the rare unicorn buyer actually wanting a bike this old with fresh cables, tires, bar tape, and a decent tune-up you can easily be in for $150 in parts, and a couple hours of labor. So breaking even on a “free” bike is actually hard in a lot of cases.

[@bkefrmr]

@@123moof that’s right. This one is undesirable. Except as clickbait! 🤑

[@tonyjofenig6833]

You need to be in a bigger city market for a bike like this Torelli to have any value as a complete bike. Could include the seatpost, bar and stem with the frame/fork though, no point in binning them.

[@tlister67]

I volunteer at a thrift shop that supports those in need in the community. We get lots of seasonal workers for tourist season who have no transportation. We sell department store bikes up to very nice bikes. We save about 75% of what comes in on donation. We sold about 275 bikes this year, average about $90 per bike. Keeps me from buying too many of my own projects and I have learned a lot doing it.

[@Rayxl1]

I found Universal Town and Country bike thrown away. It had only a three speed hub for gearing but I added a three speed chain ring set and a rear mech to take up the chain slack. That's made such a nice system I ride that bike all the time. The three speed hub covers the same range as a cassette but I only need the three increments and its so easy to change gear with the small lever.

[@ShavenShirts]

That's a nice winter project for a rider quality. Throw it to a friend for free or keep it for a fun spin on a piece of Italian steel.

[@GeneralOsik]

We have something like Free Bikes for Kids in Saint Louis, called B-Works STL. It's a great program, and also does Computers too!

[@f-ducket4586]

I'm a simple man. I see lugged frame ... I watch.

[@bonperal]

Been looking for a used bike for L'Eroica event...not an easy task, especially considering that I would need a bike frame at about 19" or 48-49cm....RARE.

[@tomg.542]

Craigslist is your friend. Ebay too but shipping can be annoying.

[@aaronbehindbars]

There's more bicycles than people to ride them, hence why they are just sitting and rotting in garages/sheds/etc. One issue is there are people riding crap bikes that aren't worth keeping in service, so it would be nice if there were greater reach for community bike coops and used bike stores like Gibbs. Even if every single person who could use one of the idle/unused bikes got one, there'd still be a massive surplus, I suspect. My solution is to hoard a few really pristine 80's/90's bikes for another 25 or 30 years and then release them to the world and see what society does with some 60+ year old bikes. That ought to be interesting.

[@c97dcreations96]

Hey, love the vids. Just a tip/comment/whatever, in my shop we have rope with headset spacers and hooks hanging from the ceiling to hang bikes. I find it works really well and only $10 from home depo.

[@susanb4816]

In ottawa we have re/cycles which gives space to repair with guidance and tools etc. i am going to build my bike there

[@cheapfuture]

at 3:57 😱😱😱poor bases, stop doing that pleeeeeazzzz when removing the pedals... thinks to the paint !😢 (just puts the chain out of the chainrings to turn the crankset 🙂)

[@sigalfamily4771]

I think most people are scared of buying a cheap used bike because they don't have any knowledge of how a bike works. There's also the parts compatibility problem. A lot of old frames won't take anything bigger than 25 tires, they have finicky (to most people) rim brakes, 5-6 speed cassettes etc.

[@VanGoWanderlust]

When I was in college I used to assemble bikes from abandoned ones and give them away, it was a fun hobby.

[@deanblackwell2090]

In Whanganui we have Green bikes. People donate bikes to us and we fix them uyp and sell them cheaply. and yup we have workstands and tools people can use as well as running training sessions and bins of sorted used parts

[@jonathondille8408]

Salt Lake Bicycle Collective deals with this issue six days a week. They always need volunteers.