Last night, I tried something a little different -- wrenching on bikes.
No, really, hear me out! I know what you're thinking: How is THAT any different than any other day?
Well,
this was wrenching for 2nd Cycle in Tacoma, and they've got an
interesting business going. Seems what they do is take a combination of
bike donations, dumspter-dives, and garage sale finds, fix them to
road-worthy condition, and sell them to the local "need a bike for
transport" population at very reasonable prices. They're well-equipped
for tools, better than most bike shops I've been in, and they're not a
service shop.
Condition
of the incoming bike doesn't really matter -- there's always something
that can be salvaged from it. Broken frames are stripped of usable
parts, then sold for scrap metal. The parts are then gathered to use on
other bikes in need of parts. There is a smattering of new pieces both
for sale and use on the bikes, mostly consumable-types like tubes and
chains.
Selling
prices reflect the area and clientele, as well as the bikes themselves.
After I finished working on one of the "nicer" of the bikes, I heard
the shop owner and another of the volunteers talking over the selling
price -- $90-100.
2nd Cycle has been in business for about 4 years, and in their current
location on Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood for a little over a year. Apparently they're doing well enough to stay around a while.
Unfortunately, my cell phone battery gave up just as I pulled it out to take a couple pictures. I'll have to make another post with some pictures when I get back there.
I'll
admit that I really don't know the deep ins-and-outs of their business,
and I was only there for about two hours of their first-for-this-year
volunteer night. They're planning on having a volunteer orientation on
one of the volunteer nights coming up soon, and to make the volunteer
nights a regular happening.