Did you give yourself a new bicycle or new bike gear for Christmas and need to get rid of some old stuff, or are you just looking for bargains?
Either way, the next couple of months are popular times for bicycle swap meets where you'll find retail dealers or your neighbors offering great prices on bicycles and equipment.
Some of the larger bicycle clubs put together these swap meets, which are sometimes paired with an overall bicycle expo or classic bike show. Here are a few of the high profile ones in St. Louis, Seattle, Baltimore, Tucson and western New York, among others (check your local bicycle club for local listings):
St. Louis: 10-4, Sunday, Jan. 27 — Sixth Annual Bicycle Swap Meet and Classic Bicycle Show at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Illinois (12 minutes from The Arch). Sponsored by the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation. Go to the website and save $1 on the $7 admission.
Westminster, MD: 9-2 Sunday, Feb. 10 — The Stop, Swap and Save celebrates its 11th year in 2008. Branded as the mid-Atlantic's largest indoor bike swap and consumer cycling expo, 3,000 cyclists from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC areas attended last year's event. Admission is $5.
Seattle: 9-2, Saturday, Feb. 23 — Seattle Bike Swap. New and used bike-related goods are available from some 100 vendors. Magnuson Park Hangar 30. $5 admission in the morning. Check website for vendor information.
Boise: Friday & Saturday, Feb. 29-March 1 — Boise Bike Swap. Online and onsite registration for vendors (sorry, no used shorts or helmets). Admission $1 at 200 Broad St., Boise, across from Ada County Courthouse.
Minneapolis: March 29 — Twin Cities Bicycling Club Swap Meet. This is the fifth year the club will meet to buy, sell or donate new or used bicycles or equipment. The sale runs from just noon to 3 p.m. at a new site, the Hopkins VFW Post 425.
Monson, Mass: 7-3, March 30 — 11th Annual Monson Swap Meet. Memorial Hall on Route 32 in Monson.
Williamsville, NY: 10-3, March 30 — Western New York Bicycling Association Swap Meet. A free event to buy, sell or trade bicycling equipment at the fire hall at 6777 Main St.,Williamsville.
Copake, NY: Dawn – Dusk Friday, April 11 — Copake Auction House Swap Meet preceeds the auction company's 10 a.m. auction on April 12. (If you're into classic bikes, check out photo preview of the bike auction here.)
Tucson: 8-2 Sunday, April 20 — Greater Arizona Bicycle Association Bike Swap Meet. This free to the public event drew 15,000 last year. The Fourth Avenue Merchants Association closes down 4th Avenue between 6th and 9th streets for the affair.
Ann Arbor, Michigan: April 27, 2008 — Classic Bike Show and Swap Meet. More than 250 dealers and 7,000 antique, vintage and collectible bikes were on hand at last year's show. At the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor/Saline Road, Ann Arbor.
Regretably, another bike swap meet was held January 19, yesterday. The Chicago Winter Bike Swap in Mount Prospect, Illinois, sounds like it's certainly worthy your bicycling calendar for next year, though.
Also, the Recyclery Bike Shop in Portland, Oregon, holds monthly bike swap meets from May through September. Check the website for dates, times and locations.
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