Eighty-eight bikes were laid out on the old bowling green beside Jubilee Park yesterday and about two-thirds were soon gone.
Many of them had been retrieved from the Green Island landfill and were restored. People could make a donation to get one.
The scheme is run by Southern Youth Development and Lukas Newbury, 13, is one person involved.
He had advocated for yesterday’s "bike grab" to be put on, rather than waiting until next year.
Lukas said some of the bikes did not need much work to get them ready.
Others could be restored to use by using parts from other bikes, he said.
Southern Youth Development trust board member Colin Brown said the idea was to make bikes available for people who could not afford or justify buying a new one.
"Members of the public get a good working bike at a very reasonable price," he said.
It was also a positive initiative for the environment and for young people, as they developed practical skills, he said.
Mr Brown said the trust had a contract with the Dunedin City Council for waste minimisation.
