I’m working on a new project, and here’s the thing — I came across this suspension stem with a TRANZ X handlebar. Everything else on the bike is pretty much useless to me. The whole bike costs 30 bucks, which is about the same as a used stem online.
The dilemma is that I’m trying to live more sustainably — use resources wisely and keep my consumption balanced and eco-friendly. So… should I buy the whole bike just for that part?
by Key_Ingenuity8565
9 Comments
You can resell the bike with a different stem.
You can sell the parts.
You can donate the bike and components to a co-op
Yeah fuck yeah buy it and you can pretend you’ll part the rest out for $$ but never do
Can you flip/donate the rest of the bike? This purchase would only be an unsustainable move if you immediately chucked the rest of the bike, also, if it’s going cheaply and no-one buys it then chances are it ends up getting tossed out anyway so at least you’re stopping something going to waste.
I feel like this is a case where buying the whole bike for parts is living sustainably, because there’s a good chance this whole bike will end up in a landfill or the bottom of a river in a few years. Better to take what you need off it and make sure the rest gets recycled as scrap
Yes, you should,
Buy the bike,
Given you’re even considering it I assume you have a few bikes already and thus a decent parts bucket.
swap a stem from the parts bucket onto it and sell it on to someone else who will ride and enjoy it, you can get the stem you want, someone else gets a bike and you may even stick a few bucks in your pocket along the way.
Sustainable, community oriented and you get the part you want.
Be very careful with that stem. I had one grenade on me when I lifted on the front end to bunny hop.
All the pressure from the lift goes to a small metal tab. It is not sufficient safety wise to hold the weight that will be applied to it.
I’ve got 2 more sitting in a bin that can stay there as far as I’m concerned.
It’s just a terrible design safety wise. For anyone that has this style of stem, check out the piece I’m talking about. The “stop”, or “limiter”. It’s not nearly beefy enough for its intended purpose.
Ride safe.
I’ve done it! Once bought a bike for the retro Hope brakes. Ended up making a profit off the rest.
I’ve bought bikes for the cable housing.
You can swap the stems with a super cheap one and sell the whole bike if you only want the stem that’s on there, that’s what I would do.