I used to ride to my local bike park just to watch the dirt jumpers in action. I loved how they flew through the air with minimal effort and maximum steeze. As a new mountain biker, I wanted to learn their ways, but I couldn’t justify spending hundreds of dollars on a niche dirt jumper. Luckily, the universe sometimes gives you exactly what you’re looking for, free of charge.
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For this week’s question, I want to know: What's the best bike or bike part that you’ve gotten for free? It might be something small — a nifty component or accessory — or it can be big, like an entire bike. Maybe it was a thoughtful gift. Maybe you won a raffle. Or maybe you found it dumpster diving.
Whatever it is, leave us a comment below with the story behind your best freebie. Next Monday, we'll pick a winner at noon, randomly chosen from the commenters. This week’s grand prize is once again a limited-edition TPC x Lead Out handlebar bag!
WINNER UPDATE:
This week's winner is Knight H., who bought something I didn't know existed —an aero recumbent — that had been converted into something I also didn't know existed: an off-road recumbent. What was the freebie? Well, the original owner surprised Knight by sending all the original aero road components so he can swap between the two set-ups. Sounds like Knight got two bikes for the price of one!
"When I bought my Bacchetta Aero recumbent, the previous owner had set it up with a shockster rear suspension system and mtb fork for full-suspension off-road riding. In addition to the complete bike I negotiated for, he sent me all the parts to turn it back into a road bike, so I got a second set-up from him. It was like getting a second bike for free! One parts swap at the start and one at the end of road season, and I have two different bikes for the different riding disciplines. Admittedly, I do not ride my recumbent much compared to my uprights, but it feels good to have the option, especially when recovering after a long trip riding in the drops… =)" - Knight H.
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I’ve gotten some awesome free gear over the years. Most recently, our Senior Editor, Spencer Powlison, gave me a lightly used SRAM X01 derailleur so I could finish my latest MTB build (Thanks, Spencer!). But the best bike-related thing I’ve ever received for free actually came from a complete stranger.
The year was 2016. The Pro’s Closet was a young business headquartered in the cycling hub of Boulder, Colorado. We didn’t have a website yet. So, rather than using our Sell // Trade portal as they do today, customers actually brought in their bikes to get an offer and maybe sell to TPC.
One morning, a teenager came in trying to sell a 26” dirt jumper. Immediately, I knew we couldn’t buy it. The alloy frame was unbranded, unidentifiable, and beat to hell. The ancient Marzocchi fork barely moved and the 3-piece BMX crankset and bottom bracket had rusted into a single, immobile hunk of metal. When I turned the bike down, the boy just shrugged and left the dirt jumper by the dumpster. When he didn’t return for it by the end of the day, I considered the bike abandoned and brought it inside.
One of our pro mechanics helped me out.
To pretty much anyone, this bike was complete trash, but to me, it was a fun project. To fix the seized cranks, we used an angle grinder to cut through the spindle. With one side cut off, I was able to smash the other half of the crank out with a hammer and drift. I replaced it all with a random mountain bike bottom bracket and crankset I had lying around. Then, I freshened up the dilapidated frame by covering all the dents and scratches with stickers (including a cheeky “Yeti” sticker on the down tube).
The end result was a horribly ugly, mildly sketchy, but incredibly fun dirt jumper. On this bike, I progressed from the small to the XL dirt jumps at my local park. It helped shape me into the jump-loving mountain biker I am today. This little dumpster bike ended up being the best $0 I ever spent. Eventually, I gifted it to one of my co-workers, and I think he’d probably say that it’s the best free bike he’s ever received too!
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Now it’s your turn. Tell me about the best bike or bike part you got for free in the comments below. Include photos if you have them!
