• blitzen@lemmy.ca
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    4 hours ago

    As an aside, I’ve been toying with the following idea:

    I like to refurbish bicycles for my own use. The idea I’ve had is to buy cheap Facebook marketplace / Craigslist bikes, disassemble, grind off the serial, and paint in a uniform and non identifiable (or at least less so) and reassemble, replacing wear parts. Put them into the community to use however they see fit, cheap enough to ditch without caring.

    • exaybachae@startrek.website
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      3 hours ago

      Community bikes are not a new thing. They had them in my hometown through most of my youth and teen years, and may still. I don’t live there anymore. 🙁

      They had a strong bike community, and a bike store and repair shop off a main ped/cycle path through town, just outside downtown. It had a lounge and was the primary source of the community bikes and their maintenance.

      Paint the bikes all a similar bright color, not white, and get stickers made with info about use and contact info for pickup and repair.

      Like, “I’m a community bike, use me as you like, leave me somewhere responsibly when you’re done with me, so somebody else can use me too. Contact for pickup or repairs 555 RIDE 4ME”

      • blitzen@lemmy.ca
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        3 hours ago

        Thank you for that. I love it. But can I ask why paint a bright color? I would think flat black is what the current environment calls for.