Bikes and wheels from your local tip

[geddy1972]

I have just tried to get a pair of 26 inch wheels from my local tip. They were lying there looking a lonely near the row of unwanted bikes and thought they would be ideal for my commuter.

They weren't in good condition and needed a good clean. The wheels were a little out of true but could be saved.

They had no tyres on them either so when I asked the rather large tip worker sat in his comfy little office if I could take them away his reply was " yes mate but it gonna cost you a tenner .

To Say I was shocked was an under statement !

I replied I'm not paying that and he just shrugged his shoulders.

I put them back and wondered what extortionate amount they would charge fora complete bike.

I wouldn't mind if the money went to the council but i bet it ust goes Inthe workers pockets.

I won't bother trying to rescue bikes and wheels from there in future.

By the way it's the tip in segensworth Hampshire.

What experience has anyone else had with their local tip ?

 

[benjabbi]

Round here the staff seem to think they've been hired to guard Area-51 or the Holy Grail. It is of utmost importance that nothing that enters the premises leaves the premises in anything other than company vehicles.

 

[geddy1972]

Round here the staff seem to think they've been hired to guard Area-51 or the Holy Grail. It is of utmost importance that nothing that enters the premises leaves the premises in anything other than company vehicles.

Think my tip is run by the same company.

 

[geddy1972]

The annoying thing is that there was a dark grey specialized rock hopper with tange suspension forks on it.

The frame was a bit small for me otherwise I would have been really tempted but I bet they wanted 40 or 50 quid for it.

 

[MR OX]

The annoying thing is that there was a dark grey specialized rock hopper with tange suspension forks on it.

The frame was a bit small for me otherwise I would have been really tempted but I bet they wanted 40 or 50 quid for it.

Should've asked the question, I'm just over in Totton so not far from you. The guy at my local tip is good as gold.
Once did me a pair of good Mavic cosmics for a tenner

 

[ishaw]

Bizarrely I went to the tip today and had the opposite experience. Was dropping some stuff into the big skip and spotted a bike wheel that looked had decent. I asked if it was ok to take it, the man from delmonte said yes.

There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all, bearings and freehub all working, it was even teie with seemingly little brake track wear.

Just need to find a matching front.

 

[Bike Hoarder]

In my experience now most tip workers are so brow beaten by management and company changes that they fear to let anything go - cameras everywhere, and threats of theft charges. We only see old bikes and bits, but I know a guy who has made some serious money over the years selling on bits and pieces 'found'. Just cutting the bottom of an old sofa can find hidden 'gems'....

 

[Twozaskars]

My local tip is in Ilkeston, Derbyshire and when I was a kid my dad used to run it on behalf of a family that had a few locally (Dunkirk, Hucknall, Langar, and Ilkeston)
Selling stuff was perfectly normal and pretty much covered the wages, £5 here, 10 there, whatever really. Regular people used to come for certain stuff - TV’s, clothes, bric-a-brac, furniture , kitchen appliances, oh and bikes. No chance now. All the staff have body cameras and the only thing they’re allowed to sell is bagged compost soil. Nothing like it used to be.

 

[Twozaskars]

In my experience now most tip workers are so brow beaten by management and company changes that they fear to let anything go - cameras everywhere, and threats of theft charges. We only see old bikes and bits, but I know a guy who has made some serious money over the years selling on bits and pieces 'found'. Just cutting the bottom of an old sofa can find hidden 'gems'....

It was amazing how people used to bin cases, handbags, coats etc without even checking them first. As you say, sofas almost always gave some treasure even if it was just a few copper coins. We had one of those massive Bells whisky bottles by the telly and sometimes filled it in a fortnight.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Round here the staff seem to think they've been hired to guard Area-51 or the Holy Grail. It is of utmost importance that nothing that enters the premises leaves the premises in anything other than company vehicles.

There's Elf'n'Safety.
You might cut your finger on a sharp thing, then sue!

Secondly as soon as the items are in the skip, they belong to the company that takes those away.
Imagine the paperwork.

Some tips - (or do I mean
Civic Amenity Sites??)
will put items to one side to sell on - both officially and unofficially.

If you drop a piece of copper into our metals skip, they are in there like seagulls at a bag of chips.

If an old lady wants a hand unloading a heavy bag, it's suddenly yet another tea break.

I must add though that two other nearby "recycling centres" can be incredibly helpful and straightforward. There may be a work culture thing going on at ours.