HOW TO RECYCLE BIKE PARTS

You cyclists are doing some serious eco-favours for our planet. But like any other leisure pursuit, there’s a leftover mess – for you, it’s worn parts.

The good thing is, you can ditch your old ride in smart ways – by donating to cool causes or fixing it up to resell. Whether you’re trading up or getting rid of the old wheels, bike recycling is a solid move for both the planet and you.

The black ‘n’ red team have put together some recycling pointers to help you on your way.

Revive parts with GT85
Firstly, let’s start by reviving tired parts that aren’t ready to be scrapped yet with GT85. For anything that can be lubed, cleaned and polished, it makes sense to save money by giving it some TLC. Take the bike parts you want to recover and give them a good spray with GT85 and rub them down with an old rag to get them working and looking like new.

If you still don’t need these parts, donate them to a workshop where they will be put to good use.

Recycling bike parts

• Inner tubes
  For the most frequently replaced part of bikes, like inner tubes, you can send them off in the post to places like Cycle of Good, based in Stoke-on-Trent. This charity has ten top tailors from Malawi who run the show. They take the discarded tubes of yours and transform them into slick wallets and purses which are shipped back to the UK to be sold in other countries.

Every single penny raked in by Cycle of Good is peddled back into boosting the Malawian community.

• Tyres
  You can send your old bike tyres to Velorim – to find your nearest centre, bang your postcode into their search box, chuck your old tyres into your motor and hand them over. To help support their sustainable practices, each tyre you hand over costs a quid.
• The bike frame
  You can take your old bike frame to scrapyards where they will be broken down and repurposed. Unfortunately, they don’t usually fetch a fortune but to save it from ending up in landfill, if you don’t have a scrapyard nearby, find a local service who will do this for you.
• Chains
  If you’ve got any old parts of a bike from the list below lying around, don’t sweat it! They can be sent to your local scrapyard but remember to give them a clean before you drop them off.

–    Aluminium, steel, or titanium cassettes

–    Brake callipers

–    Brake discs

–    Chainrings

–    Chains

–    Cranks

–    Forks

–    Frames

–    Handlebars

–    Pedals

–    Rims

–    Seat posts

MORE ABOUT GT85
Bike recycling is a boss move that keeps Mother Nature smiling and your ride in top-notch shape. So, remember to spray some GT85 too and maintain its quality.