Second-hand bike markets continue in Croydon after successful launch

Croydon residents can get an affordable second-hand bike at three more pop-up markets this month, as part of a series of popular events to encourage cycling.

The markets are run by the council in partnership with local Croydon business Peddle My Wheels, which operates a similar scheme in 23 other boroughs, recycling hundreds of bikes back into the community that would otherwise stay in garages or end up in landfill.

Croydon’s second-hand bike markets kicked off on 14 and 15 August with two successful events in Westow Park and New Addington Leisure Centre.

Twenty bikes were brought in to be fixed up and sold on behalf of their original owners, while nearly that many were also sold to happy new cyclists.
The next market will take place from 10am – 4pm on Sunday 22 August at Ashburton Hall. This will be followed by two more markets on Saturday 28 August and Sunday 29 August at Croydon Arena and Westow Park respectively.

The markets are a chance for residents to bring their old bikes that would normally be collecting dust to have them serviced and sold on their behalf, making some extra cash while ensuring the bikes go to good use.
Expert mechanics service all the bikes to make sure they are safe and ready to ride for those coming to purchase.

Marc Deriu, a mechanic with Peddle My Wheels, said: “They’ll bring their bike to us, we’ll give it a quick assessment, take it back to our workshop, service them, and at a later market we’ll put them back up for sale.”

Glow O’Sullivan, a Crystal Palace resident, came to the Westow Park market to sell her vintage Raleigh Caprice. She said: “There’s a big market for second-hand bikes. I saw one at the dump the other day that looked like a perfectly good bike – such a shame that it was heading to a landfill, it could’ve been rescued by a market like this one.”


“These bike markets are excellent for the borough because they create an affordable option for those who might not be able to purchase their own bike. One of our key transport ambitions is to get even more people cycling and reduce congestion on our roads. This improves air quality, reduces our emissions and helps improve residents’ health.
“For anyone with growing children, recycling unused bikes back into the local community is a fantastic way to keep kids cycling without breaking the bank.”
Councillor Muhammad Ali, cabinet member for sustainable Croydon
Frances Williams from Crystal Palace came with her partner to buy a bike at the Westow Park pop-up market, but ended up getting one herself. She said: “New bikes are really expensive, this was a really good bargain – and it’s good to recycle because there’s too much stuff in the world.”
For more information on second-hand bike markets and a list of other dates, visit the council website.

2021-08-30T21:51:40+01:00 August 20th, 2021|Recent news|