I asked myself same question before, and decided not to do this. It’s still somebody’s bike, so I don’t like the idea to take parts out of it at night when nobody see it 😄
Future_Thing_8609 on
Recently saw only a wheel and a tire left and thought about cutting the lock and taking it. It will probably be taken by street sweepers anyway, but I left it. Chance is the owner comes back and it would be sad to not even have some Salvage :/
MantraProAttitude on
In some jurisdictions only 5 minutes.
-crab-wrangler- on
like 2-3 months for me
killin_time44089 on
Perhaps the authorities could help w that answer….
6rant on
Those bars are interesting, they look wide for a typical 25.4 clamp flat bar. If it’s been there for ~2 months I’d say it’s abandoned.
Visible-Grass-8805 on
Unfortunately, according to the law indefinitely
BWWFC on
i mean, it’s NOT a bike anymore, just basically a frame lol and if that seat tube don’t pull out, it’s junk.
real question… if other bikes lock to that spot taking up space, would you use the frame to lock to???
Adventurous_Fact8418 on
Anyone who liberates this bike is doing society a favor. If it does belong to someone, they should remove it instead of leaving it like that.
knickerreddit on
I would say once both wheels are gone. The erstwhile owner would rarely come claim the bike and buy a whole new wheel set given that would be close to bike purchase price. That this one has also had derailleurs, brake pads, chain, rear cable/housing? nabbed, it’s a goner. Take it any way you can, you are providing a needed service.
malapriapism4hours on
At least whoever stole the front v brakes had the decency to install a caliper.
freestarbuckswifi on
Some jurisdictions let you report an abandoned bike for removal when it meets certain conditions (multiple parts rusted/rendered inoperable, missing certain sets of components). Whether you are allowed to be the one who does the removal is a different question.
hopscotch_uitwaaien on
Wait for the police removal tag
Apart_Bid2199 on
10-15 mins
ojuarapaul on
If you’re interested in the bike, a good approach would be to leave a note with your contact information (for example, an email address). If someone has the lock key or proof of purchase, they can reach out to you and arrange to pass the bike along at no cost.
It’s important to note that no one is automatically entitled to take an abandoned bike, as doing so would be considered theft. If the bike is secured to a rack on private property, such as a condominium bike rack, different rules or procedures may apply.
OrDidI on
Just take it, we won’t tell
unoriginal_goat on
Simple right up until the day/minute that the city tries to dispose of it.
I’ve salvaged a few frames over the years like that and it was **always** through municipal workers. I do not touch the lock. I do not remove it myself. I simply ask as they are disposing of it. You do not have the right to remove the lock.
Basically if you see a city worker cutting the lock it doesn’t hurt to ask them politely as the alternative is the dump.
How do you know when to look?
Many areas have notification boards on their websites so the original owner has until a set date to remove it. You should check your municipalities/ cities website to see if your region has one. In mine it’s in the same area you report something like this.
ClassicTraffic on
Goddamn that’s a beautiful frame
brilliantNumberOne on
That’s not worth it. I’m gonna guess that the seatpost and stem are likely seized – the seatpost binder bolt is missing so someone tried to take it and failed. I’d guess the stem is the same story.
bobby-darkness on
Put a note on it saying you’ll grab it in 30 days?
Independent-toad4932 on
You’d be doing everyone a favour removing this. Clear up some space for ppl who need to use that rack.
101Puppies on
I used to surreptitiously maintain the bike parking at a train station next to a university, where people would graduate, ride their Walmart bikes to the train station, lock them, take the train to the airport and abandon the bikes. There weren’t enough racks, so I would cut them off when the chains rusted and lean them next to a tree for people to take. Those cheap U locks can be cut with a hacksaw in about 15 minutes. I used to do it 5 minutes per day, figuring someone stealing a bike was never going to be a high priority police call and I’d be gone by the time they showed up. I’d just put tape over the cut so people couldn’t realize what I had done in the interim.
No one ever took them. The actual maintenance staff would put them back against the rack and I’d have to move them back to the tree again. Finally, I would stack them on top of each other sideways and the staff got the hint and took them to the dump.
Trust me, if the chain is rusted, you aren’t stealing, they are clearly abandoned property. When someone finally officially cuts it off, it’s going to the dump, so you are doing them and the world a favor by taking it and recycling the parts.
Hard_Problem on
is this manchester?
userX97ee2ska11qa on
Forever because if it’s not your bike, it’s not your bike.
Every-Somewhere-6971 on
We run a bike recycling group. We removed bikes like this, store them and report to the Police, who after a period of time tell us it’s our now ours as no one has claimed it. We then scrap for parts or rebuild and sell. Can’t be claimed by the original owner as we have followed the due process. Council would just remove and scrap if left!
HyperBork on
I dunno but that frame makes me think of Twix
monkeyheadmark on
did that once, revived and proud of the result, until one moment it was gone, just a sign… “thanks, the rightful owner”..
randomphonecollector on
I have a tendency to take broken bicycles that are very clearly abandoned, then I restore them and give them new lives! Here’s one of the two Batavus bicycles I’ve restored today
28 Comments
I asked myself same question before, and decided not to do this. It’s still somebody’s bike, so I don’t like the idea to take parts out of it at night when nobody see it 😄
Recently saw only a wheel and a tire left and thought about cutting the lock and taking it. It will probably be taken by street sweepers anyway, but I left it. Chance is the owner comes back and it would be sad to not even have some Salvage :/
In some jurisdictions only 5 minutes.
like 2-3 months for me
Perhaps the authorities could help w that answer….
Those bars are interesting, they look wide for a typical 25.4 clamp flat bar. If it’s been there for ~2 months I’d say it’s abandoned.
Unfortunately, according to the law indefinitely
i mean, it’s NOT a bike anymore, just basically a frame lol and if that seat tube don’t pull out, it’s junk.
real question… if other bikes lock to that spot taking up space, would you use the frame to lock to???
Anyone who liberates this bike is doing society a favor. If it does belong to someone, they should remove it instead of leaving it like that.
I would say once both wheels are gone. The erstwhile owner would rarely come claim the bike and buy a whole new wheel set given that would be close to bike purchase price. That this one has also had derailleurs, brake pads, chain, rear cable/housing? nabbed, it’s a goner. Take it any way you can, you are providing a needed service.
At least whoever stole the front v brakes had the decency to install a caliper.
Some jurisdictions let you report an abandoned bike for removal when it meets certain conditions (multiple parts rusted/rendered inoperable, missing certain sets of components). Whether you are allowed to be the one who does the removal is a different question.
Wait for the police removal tag
10-15 mins
If you’re interested in the bike, a good approach would be to leave a note with your contact information (for example, an email address). If someone has the lock key or proof of purchase, they can reach out to you and arrange to pass the bike along at no cost.
It’s important to note that no one is automatically entitled to take an abandoned bike, as doing so would be considered theft. If the bike is secured to a rack on private property, such as a condominium bike rack, different rules or procedures may apply.
Just take it, we won’t tell
Simple right up until the day/minute that the city tries to dispose of it.
I’ve salvaged a few frames over the years like that and it was **always** through municipal workers. I do not touch the lock. I do not remove it myself. I simply ask as they are disposing of it. You do not have the right to remove the lock.
Basically if you see a city worker cutting the lock it doesn’t hurt to ask them politely as the alternative is the dump.
How do you know when to look?
Many areas have notification boards on their websites so the original owner has until a set date to remove it. You should check your municipalities/ cities website to see if your region has one. In mine it’s in the same area you report something like this.
Goddamn that’s a beautiful frame
That’s not worth it. I’m gonna guess that the seatpost and stem are likely seized – the seatpost binder bolt is missing so someone tried to take it and failed. I’d guess the stem is the same story.
Put a note on it saying you’ll grab it in 30 days?
You’d be doing everyone a favour removing this. Clear up some space for ppl who need to use that rack.
I used to surreptitiously maintain the bike parking at a train station next to a university, where people would graduate, ride their Walmart bikes to the train station, lock them, take the train to the airport and abandon the bikes. There weren’t enough racks, so I would cut them off when the chains rusted and lean them next to a tree for people to take. Those cheap U locks can be cut with a hacksaw in about 15 minutes. I used to do it 5 minutes per day, figuring someone stealing a bike was never going to be a high priority police call and I’d be gone by the time they showed up. I’d just put tape over the cut so people couldn’t realize what I had done in the interim.
No one ever took them. The actual maintenance staff would put them back against the rack and I’d have to move them back to the tree again. Finally, I would stack them on top of each other sideways and the staff got the hint and took them to the dump.
Trust me, if the chain is rusted, you aren’t stealing, they are clearly abandoned property. When someone finally officially cuts it off, it’s going to the dump, so you are doing them and the world a favor by taking it and recycling the parts.
is this manchester?
Forever because if it’s not your bike, it’s not your bike.
We run a bike recycling group. We removed bikes like this, store them and report to the Police, who after a period of time tell us it’s our now ours as no one has claimed it. We then scrap for parts or rebuild and sell. Can’t be claimed by the original owner as we have followed the due process. Council would just remove and scrap if left!
I dunno but that frame makes me think of Twix
did that once, revived and proud of the result, until one moment it was gone, just a sign… “thanks, the rightful owner”..
I have a tendency to take broken bicycles that are very clearly abandoned, then I restore them and give them new lives! Here’s one of the two Batavus bicycles I’ve restored today
https://preview.redd.it/rez1doh6vlag1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=ba090a16d0c595a8c35a84f4d281911df82b7b87