Cycle jumbles - Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire

[legrandefromage]

Went to the only 'local' jumble to me (still some 20 miles away) and mused upon what was what.

Expensive for anything unless you catch a guy selling for the first time. Then you've got to fight your way through the dealers who all look one cycle ride away from a heart attack or sell double glazing in a cape on TV...

I was hoping to find a frame, wheels and bits of a groupset or even a complete bike but the complete bikes were either dogs or too exotic. Parts were cheap enough unless it began with 'C' and even those were scarce.

Would love to go to more but as they're spread far and wide, this one is the only reference I'll have for a while.

I did pick up a few nice bits, overheard one conversation about 'not being able to buy stuff from the tip anymore' which is a shame as that means much more quality disappearing, pushing prices up a notch as it becomes more scarce.

Other than that, nice cake, nice people and some quality MTB parts in my stash for another day.

 

[fiks]

I haven't been to a jumble for several years so things might have changed a bit now.

Haha the dealers; they (some) certainly don't look like people who ride a bike regularly. Maybe they used to ride but now have settled into a comfortable middle age, or maybe they only used to race and now have "retired".

I suspect all the "best" stuff, at least the stuff at reasonable prices, has already been picked off by the dealers before the public gets in.

 

[sawston_vulcan]

Was Hilary Stone there? What about the Brick Lane Bikes vacuum cleaners?...In the summer, i went to Ripley with a friend who is a part-time dealer...so got there at 6am....all the best deals were done then....when joe public is absent.....the occasional gem....but a lot of tat too!

 

[roadking]

The nice thing about Whittlesey was that it used to be a traditional old fashioned jumble - like they used to be.

I has been more widely promoted this year, which is a bad thing IMO.

Have you taken a look at Brick Lane Bike's website - they can't even spell!!!

Roadking.

 

[fiks]

Maybe there ought to be an "enthusiasts only, no dealers" jumble.

And no cash allowed, only direct swaps and exchanges, to stop anyone taking advantage of fellow cyclists who are not in it for the money.


I'm not even going to bother to look up that website, it's going to be a hipster hell hole!!

 

[roadking]

Maybe there ought to be an "enthusiasts only, no dealers" jumble.
I'm not even going to bother to look up that website, it's going to be a hipster hell hole!!

Good suggestion.

I took a brief look and it looks like a Sons of Anarchy, surfer, BMX'er, MTB'er crossover; as you say"a hipster hell hole".

Roadking.

 

[sawston_vulcan]

And BLB don't put on prices on their website....make you call them i suppose.

 

[legrandefromage]

Yes, I said hello to Hillary - his car was nowhere near as full as last year and it turns out the '£60 Hetchins' was a fake...

I did get a few odds & sods for myself though but nowt to get excited over.

 

[bm0p700f]

Yes you cannot get bike from the tip anymore. I was told I would need a waste licence. Anyway all the charities can claimed them so even if you had a waste licence you still would not be able to take any.

 

[oska101]

Re: Wittlesea bike jumble

There were quite a few bargains there last year(2016)
Great atmosphere too! Well worth a visit..