Have you met your "competition"?

[yoothgeye]

I've only recently started scrounging around for old bikes and parts, so I have to face facts that I've got heavy competition that have been at it longer and are more established in the community. Since I've started (not buying, but hitting junks piles, trash nights, and dumpster diving) I've come to know that there are 2 guys in town hoarding all the junk bikes. One works for a garage, and I see parts in his fence and don't know what he does with the bikes, but I plan to meet him. The other guy works at a garage, and I've met him, he rides a bike to work everyday, I've heard reports that he's actually fished bikes out of the river. From what I can tell he just hoards them.

I know I also face competition from scrap guys who are just killing bikes for added weight on the scales.

Anyway, for guys out there like me just looking for junk bikes, have you met your competition?

Luckily for me, I have a whole church now that knows I'm looking for bikes and that's where most of my scores have been coming from. Also a junk man in the church welcomes me to all his bikes, nothing good yet, but there's potential since he is actively getting junk all the time.

 

[American Vintage Bicycle Supply]

Luckily for me, I have a whole church now that knows I'm looking for bikes and that's where most of my scores have been coming from. Also a junk man in the church welcomes me to all his bikes, nothing good yet, but there's potential since he is actively getting junk all the time.

My church is like that with me :!:

 

[CCR]

yes, they are old and i am faster than they are :lol:

run into all types, guys just fixing up "A" bike, guys that hoard them, guys that collect them, guys hoping they get to it first to use it for trading, guys looking to make a buck.

some im glad ive met others i wish i hadn't. all in all its been a pretty good experience overall :mrgreen:

 

[udallcustombikes]

I have a lot of my competition on here. But that just means that they get to own it before me. there are several of us that trade back and forth, buy and sell amongst ourselves and share our spoils. Of course there are the scrappers and those who buy them just to turn a profit. There are all kinds.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I try to make friends with all the junkers around here and let them know I give double scrap price for bikes. They normally bring them in by the truck load and I give them $10-$20 bucks and they are pretty happy. I figure there's got to be that much in just junk parts and stuff. We do have a few hoarders here though, one guy has a yard FULL of old bikes, I mean some really good stuff too! But he won't sell anything in project form and he occasionally fixes them himself and then he wants retail x 2 for everything. I also watch C-list like a hawk but if there are any deals on there they are normally gone in 5 minutes.

 

[Oak Tree]

I've got my dad, uncle, mother-in-law, wife, 6 good hombres, and an old preacher man looking for bikes for me.
Found a BMX style bike this weekend. Not what I am looking for, but it has some cool parts that I can use.
Took the Old Bomb to a Labor Day cook-out at the church. Got a few comments, but the senior pastor came up and we had a good ole yarn. Finally, he says, "I've got an old bike in my barn that you might want to look at." I said, "I might want to buy it from you." He said, "Well, I'll let you look." and had a big laugh. Then he says that his daughter's Swinny is there too. 'Fore the night was done, he told me that he would bring them both to me next time he goes out to the farm.
We'll see what he comes out with...

 

[yoothgeye]

'Fore the night was done, he told me that he would bring them both to me next time he goes out to the farm.
We'll see what he comes out with...

This is how I scored my multi thousand dollar old race bike.

 

[rrednek]

Yes I have met my competition. He lives just down the road and has a whole church congregation locating bikes for him. I heard (and saw
a video) of his near demise on another website within the last week. But alas, he lives to ride and scavenge bikes another day.

Signed

Some Guy Building "A" Bike Who Can Only Find Bent Rims!

 

[yoothgeye]

Yes I have met my competition. He lives just down the road and has a whole church congregation locating bikes for him. I heard (and saw
a video) of his near demise on another website within the last week. But alas, he lives to ride and scavenge bikes another day.

Signed

Some Guy Building "A" Bike Who Can Only Find Bent Rims!

Haha, competition isn't someone who will share parts with you... if he had them. If I can find some cash to buy some new rims for my Murray I will give you the chromes on it.

 

[Rustinkerer]

Well, I'm not your competiton, I'm on the other end of the state! You can have up to Winston-Salem! :lol: I have been to RR though, was dating a gal who owned a rental house in Littleton.-ADam

 

[yoothgeye]

Well, I'm not your competiton, I'm on the other end of the state! You can have up to Winston-Salem!

Haha, thanks... I'm slow to decide to go to Raleigh for a bike.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I met a few more of the competition the other day and turned them into allies! Two more people who know I buy bikes. Only another thousand or so to go.... :wink:

I saw a beautiful Schwinn skip tooth at the scrapyard today, original paint, with fenders, light, tank, rear rack, even the rear fender reflector and both hub shiner reflectors were there! They refused to sell it but I talked to the manager and he took it home for himself. He thanked me for pointing it out to him and he said IF he ever sells it or finds any other old bikes I'd be his first call. I also gave the junker a good lecture too, and I told him next time I'll give his a fair price for it rather than scrap price. And to think if I'd have been 10 minutes faster I could have scored it for 7 cents a pound.

 

[Anonymous]

I dont have any competition...I build my bikes for myself.

I dont care what anybody else thinks or cares.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

I just met a guy last night on the way home from work who just put all these bikes out in a lot next to the highway, mostly ...junk but there was a few that caught my eye, he has dreams of setting up a bike store, while none of the bikes looked rideable :?: but he had a few questionable builds, something like the evil kid in Toy Story who mangles all the toys, but I ended up buying a bike, and he was all excited he sold a bike, and saying if it was a dollar he would hang it on the wall, but not a twenty. Competition, not so much, other than finding a few before me ,he can have all the @Next bikes he can find :lol:

 

[yoothgeye]

I dont have any competition...I build my bikes for myself.

I dont care what anybody else thinks or cares.

We all do this, this is Rat Rod Bikes, I'm talking about competition in aquiring bikes locally either for free or purchase.

 

[rrednek]

Haha, competition isn't someone who will share parts with you... if he had them. If I can find some cash to buy some new rims for my Murray I will give you the chromes on it.

Thanks! I am saving my money to buy some black rims. I think they will be attached to a OP cruiser. For the cost of that bike, I get the wheels, tires, and tubes for my Murray, and an extra frame complete with all the parts to build another. I'm thinking maybe using it to build a cheap "Klunker" type bike since old Huffy Etc. Mountain bikes can be found very cheap.

 

[yoothgeye]

I'm thinking maybe using it to build a cheap "Klunker" type bike since old Huffy Etc. Mountain bikes can be found very cheap.

I just brought home 8 bikes today, so I have clunker parts.