# Scrap bike parts in Manchester/Stockport area



## Percy (6 Aug 2010)

Anyone know of any decent scrap yards/flea markets etc. in the Manchester/Stockport area where I might pick up some old cheap bike bits. I'm specifically after some forks and drop handlebars, condition and quality not really an issue. Hoping I might be able to find a beaten up old frame collecting dust in a market somewhere and pick it up for a couple of quid, but I don't really know where to go to look.

I've been to Smithfield market before and it's not a bad place to look, but it does tend to be more bulk tupperwear and cheap batteries than proper rummaging opportunities. I've also tried the local tip and a few Stockport scrap yards, but they said they rarely see bike parts. Any other ideas..? (everyone's going to say eBay now, right?!)

Cheers.


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## fossyant (6 Aug 2010)

If you find one, let me know - never come across one in 40 years living in the area.

Bike Boutique may be a source for some second hand parts - worth a visit - located behind Man Met University's Student Union, near the Sports Centre (back of the Sandbar)


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## Percy (6 Aug 2010)

fossyant said:


> If you find one, let me know - never come across one in 40 years living in the area.
> 
> Bike Boutique may be a source for some second hand parts - worth a visit - located behind Man Met University's Student Union, near the Sports Centre (back of the Sandbar)



Ha! OK fossyant, will do. Strange isn't it - I'm from a small town down south and the local tip was always (and still is) a great place to go for a rummage and see what other people had chucked away - give them a quid or two and you could take a frame or whatever. I asked at our local 'recycling centre' up here and they said 'it's council property now mate, we can't sell it.' So it just gets landfilled...

I know Bike Boutique. I've lost a little faith with the town centre supposed LBSs recently - I've got an old frame I'm renovating with a weird bottom bracket that I just wanted loosening for me, with a specific tool that they had, and instead of just doing it - it would have taken literally three seconds - he insisted I had to book it in, leave it with them for three days and pay a £10 labour charge! I took it home and did it with a hammer eventually


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## dan_bo (6 Aug 2010)

Try my shed


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## 400bhp (6 Aug 2010)

To be quite honest, the amount of usable stuff that gets thrown away these days, try a rubbish tip 

And/or just set up an ebay search - sooner or later some cheap stuff will come up.

The council websites might have some info?


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## Percy (6 Aug 2010)

dan_bo said:


> Try my shed



If you're serious, dan_bo, I'd be happy to. Let me know and I'll tell you what I'm after - maybe we can come to an arrangement...


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## fossyant (6 Aug 2010)

Stockport's (bredbury) tip has gone hi-tech.....so you ain't getting anything.... only option might be the scrap metal bloke before you go in...


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## fossyant (6 Aug 2010)

Percy...what do you need we all have spares bins.............


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## dan_bo (6 Aug 2010)

Well yeah what is it you're after?


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## Percy (6 Aug 2010)

Yeah, I've been down Bredbury - far too high tech like you say.

Well all I'm really after is a set of drop handlebars that I can cut into bull bars for my work bike and a set of forks that I plan to rig up on my workbench as a rudimentary whell servicing stand...


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## MacB (7 Aug 2010)

it's weird, on spec as a possible build for someone else I picked up a complete bike, minus wheels, for £3 at local tip this week.


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## Percy (7 Aug 2010)

MacB said:


> it's weird, on spec as a possible build for someone else I picked up a complete bike, minus wheels, for £3 at local tip this week.



Hmm...my home town is in Hampshire (assuming you're where your profile says you are)...maybe there's something about their tip policies?

I think it's a bit of big city syndrome up here - if there's not someone who's nicked it, there's someone who'll have it anyway because it's free/cheap, regardless of what they want to do with it (if anything). There's a bike on some railings in town that's been there at least six months - full bike, minus wheels. That'd do nicely but you can bet the time I take a bolt cropper in will be the time plod are there watching, waiting to nick me for 'theft'. 

Isn't there a council depot somehwere they take all the found/abondoned bikes? Maybe I should set up a charity renovating them - although, even then, they'd probably find a reason not to give them to me.


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## RedBike (7 Aug 2010)

You can no longer remove / buy bikes from my local tip either. Some sort of health and safety rubbish. However, there is a rag and bone man that I occationally see driving around the local area. I managed to buy a bike for parts off the back of his cart before now but it wasn't cheap.


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## Night Train (11 Aug 2010)

Percy said:


> Anyone know of any decent scrap yards/flea markets etc. in the Manchester/Stockport area where I might pick up some old cheap bike bits. I'm specifically after some forks and drop handlebars, condition and quality not really an issue. Hoping I might be able to find a beaten up old frame collecting dust in a market somewhere and pick it up for a couple of quid, but I don't really know where to go to look.
> 
> I've been to Smithfield market before and it's not a bad place to look, but it does tend to be more bulk tupperwear and cheap batteries than proper rummaging opportunities. I've also tried the local tip and a few Stockport scrap yards, but they said they rarely see bike parts. Any other ideas..? (everyone's going to say eBay now, right?!)
> 
> Cheers.



I have an old frame you can have. Might have a few other bits and pieces that might be of help.
Collect from Eccles.
Just PM me and we can sort something out.


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## Canardly (31 Oct 2010)

Ask this lot p'raps?


http://www.bicycledoctor.co.uk/


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## Sun Superlight (8 Nov 2010)

On the approach road to our local council tip (Halifax), a Transit lorry with a large cardboard sign leaning against it saying ' YOUR SCRAP METAL PLEASE' is often parked up. 
The lorry is usually quite full of scrap and this often includes bikes, some of which look well worth salvaging to me.
If you are desperate for bike parts and feeling lucky then a cardboard sign may just be worth a try.
Having seen some surprisingly decent looking bikes on this chaps lorry, I've been tempted to try it myself.


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## fixedfixer (8 Nov 2010)

Our local tip is the same, "can't sell anything or I get the sack mate". So I asked the name of the metal dealer where it gets 'recycled'. Turns out it is a 25/30 mile trip down the motorway. They will not sell you anything as they melt it all regardless. Feels like we are going backwards here.


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## MobileBikeRepairMan (15 Jan 2011)

Hi Percy.

MANCHESTER: You or anyone else have luck finding a place with cheap 2nd hand or scrap bikes and parts? I've been looking recently for parts for a bike trailer, in particular 20" wheels and an old frame. Ebay says £30+ for wheels, which i think is a bit expensive as you can buy a trailer from Ebay, again, for £70. I've found preloved.co.uk helpful but still not scrap prices. I'm getting involved with a new bike coop, which might have some parts, though it has just started up.
I'll message when i get to the bottom of it.

Liam


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## knotbury (31 Mar 2011)

I rode the Middlewood way last week. At The Marple end is a very smart utility/recycling site but just outside a guy sits next to a van collecting scrap metal before it enters the site. He may be worth a visit.


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