Graig MantleBicycles of all types and conditions are being sold in a silent auction in front of the University Police Department station until 3 p.m. today.
The auction, which started Tuesday, features bikes ranging from less than $10 to over $200, said Jeremy Johnson, University Police Department Community Service Officers manager and civil engineering senior.
All the bikes are numbered and on display in front of the police station with corresponding folders in which bids are written.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the highest bid was $220 on a red road bike, said Eric Losey, CSO supervisor and civil engineering junior. There are more than 50 bikes for sale as well as frames and spare tires, he said. There were still many that hadn’t been bid on, despite the steady flow of people passing by and stopping to look.
John Kibildis, who is working on his master’s in city and regional planning, was looking for a road bike but didn’t really want to spend more than $50.
“I want a bike to pick up chicks with,” he joked.
Business sophomore Dexiang Lei fancied the seafoam-green cruiser with a basket, but learned the first bid on said “girl bike” was $100. She probably won’t bid on that one, but may return today, she said.
During patrol shifts, university police will impound bikes that are abandoned or illegally locked to railings. Police lock the bikes up where they are and students have to go to the police station to get them released. If a bike is not claimed after 24 hours, “it’s ours,” Johnson said. The bikes are held for at least six months before being sold, during which owners can report them stolen or missing and get them back.
High-traffic areas like the Business building often have bikes illegally chained to railings, Johnson said. Also, there are always a lot of bikes left near the dorms as summer vacation rolls around.
“Some people never even care, but we give lots back,” he said. “Some people just didn’t have room in the car.”
Police try to warn students in the first two weeks of the quarter, and are always accepting suggestions for additional bike racks, Johnson said.
Though the occasional gem can be found, many of the bikes at the auction are fixer-uppers. Many students buy them for this exact reason, including material engineering senior Orin Wakefield, who works in the Craft Center. Wakefield has bought 10 or 20 bikes during his time here. He keeps some for himself, but also gives some to friends and has sold a few.
“There are always people looking for bikes, it seems,” he said.
Though he has bought some for around $3 and put in money to revamp them, he has also bought some nicer ones for $60 or $70.
The Craft Center in the University Union has a bike room with many tools available for repair, and also offers a bike maintenance workshop and a build a beater bike class.
University police used to donate unsold bikes to the sheriff’s department, mechanical engineering department and the Craft Center. However, a new law set by the California State University system indicates that property can only be sold at auction or destroyed after six months of holding time, Johnson said.
The new California Civil Code 2080.9, Regulations for Used Property, applies to all CSUs, he said.
Near the end of the auction, there will be one last go-around so everyone gets a last chance to bid before the bikes are sold, Johnson said.
The police station is located on North Perimeter Road and the auction will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.