By Kaylee Kruschke
Murphy News Services
Despite the chilly wind and crisp temperatures, students ventured to ReUse-A-Palooza Wednesday afternoon at Northrop Plaza at the University of Minnesota to purchase used bikes.
The ReUse-A-Palooza, put on by the University’s ReUse Program, offered students the opportunity to purchase used bikes that campus security collected at the end of school last year, Michael Guest, ReUse’s manager, said.
The more than 200 bikes were simply left behind at the end of the school year, Guest said, adding, “What do you do with them at the end of the day?”
The University ReUse Program receives the bikes after security has had them for the required 60 days and brings in a recycling expert to determine a selling price for each bike, Guest said.
Most bikes need minor and inexpensive repairs, which is taken into consideration when pricing the bikes, Guest said. These repairs include pumping the tires or purchasing a new bike chain, he added.
Bikes that needed some work and could not be ridden immediately ranged from $15 to $50. Bikes that were ready to ride were more costly.
Ben Hanson, first year biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics graduate student at the University, eyed up a $15 bike.
“It’s a good chance to get a cheap bike,” he said, adding that it is a good way to reuse bikes and not throw them out.
Rachel Sampson, a senior in the nursing program at the University, selected a shiny, red $25 bike after explaining that she needed to replace her old bike.
The bike she selected did need a new seat and the tires need to be pumped, but, “who needs a nice bike for campus?” Sampson said.
“The main goal is to reuse,” Guest said. “It’s as straight forward and simple as that.”
The bikes would otherwise find their fate in a landfill at the University’s expense, Guest said.
The ReUse Program also has a warehouse, where the unsold bikes and other items students can get for free or purchase are stored, Guest said.
Among the free items are things students donated last year, such as school supplies, Guest said. Larger Items such as desks can be bought for around $30, he added.
This is the third year of ReUse-A-Palooza, and Guest said he expects all the bikes to sell as they did in past years.
“We try to keep things out of landfills, it’s better for the environment,” Guest said.