Interested In How To Donate A Bicycle? Here Are Some Guidelines

Everyone needs reliable transportation. Did you ever consider that your used bike could change someone’s life?

At Easy Donation PickUp, our volunteers will pick up your donations for free and deliver them to those in need, so you can easily help members of your community. We offer scheduled pickups in and around Los Angeles and Orange County, California.

What Can I Do With an Old Bike?

Old bikes may seem useless to you, although they can be treasures to others. If the bicycle is in good condition, someone else can use it. If it’s severely damaged, many programs will repair it or use the bicycle parts and accessories for other purposes.

Your donated bike or bike parts can:

• Help people attend necessary healthcare appointments
• Give kids a ride to school
• Become the perfect gift for children’s birthdays
• Sell at an auction to raise money for charity donations
• Help adults acquire jobs that require transportation (couriers, delivery driver jobs, etc.)

Can You Donate Bike Parts?

Many programs accept bicycle parts and will use them to rebuild a bike or sell them for charity donations. If your broken bike is sitting in your garage collecting dust, it could help people in need. A shop can use parts like the wheels, tires, frame, handlebars, and saddle to finish building refurbished bicycles for bike donations.

Donating Bike Accessories (Like Bike Racks)

Bicycle accessories can help those in need as well. You can donate accessories, just like used bicycles. Many organizations will happily accept your:

• Bike racks
• Helmets (for recycling purposes)
• Gloves
• Water bottle holder
• Horns
• Light reflectors
• Seat cushions
• Tire pumps
• Basic bicycle tools

Consider what you need to operate your bike successfully. When you donate the bike, the new owner will need the same accessories. Your accessory donations can transform a basic bicycle into a safe, comfortable, reliable transportation device.

Common Bike Donation Guidelines

Every charity has different guidelines surrounding bicycle requirements. Certain organizations only accept newer models, while others accept everything under the sun. For example, The Common Wheel only accepts bicycles within the following categories:

• Newer models with all necessary parts
• Older bikes stored indoors in great condition
• Bike accessories or parts (with all necessary hardware included)
• Brand new models

Conversely, organizations like Goodwill often accept damaged (but operational) bikes as long as they’re clean. Certain Goodwill locations don’t accept bikes, so check with yours first.

Another popular organization, Bikes for Humanity PDX, lists the exact models they do and don’t accept:

• Not accepted: Magnas, Roadmasters, Nexts, Anzas, Pacifics, Free Spirit, Huffy, Murray, Open Road
• Accepted: Kids bikes (12, 16, 18, and 20-inch wheelers), Skykomish, Motiv, Sherpa, Giant, Iron Horse, Specialized, Bridgestone, Novara, Miyata, Univega, Nishiki, Fuji, Bianchi, Peugeot, Trek, Raleigh, Surly, Soma, Salsa, All City, Jamis

Generally, a shop won’t accept bikes that cost more to fix than they’re worth or don’t have many years of riding life left.

Do Charities Accept Bikes in Damaged Condition?

Many charities accept damaged bikes, depending on the severity of the damage and the exact model. A shop may refurbish expensive, high-quality bikes for resale to donate the profits, though cheaper models may not be worth the investment. Other organizations may accept your damaged bike’s parts.

Where To Donate Your Bike

Many volunteers and organizations make bicycle donations easy. You can drop it off, attend a bike drive, or schedule a pickup.

Drop Off Location

Many organizations allow you to drop off bike donations at the warehouse or a specific drop-off point. Be sure to call ahead and verify the location’s hours before arriving. Once there, a volunteer may examine your bike’s condition before accepting it.

You can consider requesting a receipt for tax deduction purposes. At the end of the tax year, you can deduct your contribution and potentially enjoy savings.

Local Bike Drive

Bike drives are local events where people from around the community gather, donate used bikes, and enjoy a fun afternoon. You can research the next bike drive in your area or organize your own. Charities like The Common Wheel will provide the steps, paperwork, and necessary information for setting up a local drive.

Pick-Up Service

Many bike charities host pick-up drives, where they’ll drive around the community and pick up all the bikes left out for donation. Alternatively, some organizations primarily offer pick-up services all year round.

At Easy Donation PickUp, you can schedule a time for us to retrieve your bike donations. Just leave it outside: We’ll provide a receipt, and your donation will go to the National Veterans Foundation.

Charities That Pick Up Bikes for Free

Some charities that pick up bikes for free are:

• Pickup Please (Vietnam Veterans of America)
• Kids on Bikes
• The Salvation Army
• Goodwill
• AMVETS National Service Foundation
• Habitat for Humanity
• The Arc

You can schedule a free pickup from our helpful team at Easy Donation PickUp by calling us at 1 (855) 628-8387 or filling out our scheduling form.