Bike station hits recycling milestone

A Scottish bike charity, the Bike Station, which refurbishes and sells old bikes, has just received its 25,000th machine... and it was something of a ‘find.’

The British-built ladies' steel bike dates from the 1950s and the charity’s Matt MacDonald told the BBC News website : "We are very proud of this bike as it clearly shows what the Bike Station' s about.

"The bike was parked in our cycle parking over the holidays which someone had padlocked there and posted the keys through our letter box.

"Maybe it was a first footer, or maybe a Christmas gift. It's a good demonstration of the kindness we see all the time here."

The charity, which operates from locations in  Edinburgh and Perth, has been going for six years and last year alone took delivery of 6,000 bikes. Machines that are beyond repair are stripped for their parts and recycled as scrap while the rest – 11,000 in total so far – are put up for sale.

As well as selling adults' and kids' bikes and second hand parts, the Bike Station in Edinburgh also gives cyclists who want to repair their won machines the opportunity to hire a fully-equipped work stand on their premises for just £4 per hour.