Almost every neighborhood in Israel has a spot where people drop-off their cast-aways. Old, usable furniture, appliances, and bicycles are left there for anyone to take.
The drop-off, in my neighborhood, is on a wide sidewalk in front of my house. Lucky for me, there's an occasional bike, never anything fancy and rarely in working order.
My policy is hands-off the functional bikes. If I leave them there, they will find their way to someone who needs them.
On the other hand, if the bike is "shot", I drag it into my secret hiding place and strip the working parts. The parts eventually find their way to charity bikes.
On Saturdays, a guy from the Jaffa flea market makes his run through our neighborhood. He goes into the rubbish room on the ground floor of the apartment buildings, and pulls out whatever is salvageable (books, electronic appliances, clothing, bikes, etc.)
The big day at the Jaffa flea market is Friday morning. There always a few bikes there, mostly beat and a few stolen. Just outside the flea market there's a tiny bike shop that specializes in getting those bikes back on the road. The owner's main tools are a heavy hammer and plenty of experience. He works magic.
There's another old bike shop in the Ha-Tikva quarter of Tel-Aviv. It specializes in mandate era British utility bikes and mopeds. Every once in a while I go there, with beer in hand, to rummage through his supplies. His supplies never cease to amaze me. Seems like everyone in Israel riding an old utility bike knows this shop.
So who rides these bikes? Mostly Russian immigrants, migrant workers, poor ultra-religious kids, and stubborn old geezers.
Amir Avitzur
Ramat-Gan, Israel