Bike swap returns for another successful year

SANDPOINT — Looking to outfit the family with bicycles but not wanting to pay an arm and a leg to do so? Have an old bicycle lying around the garage that you’d like to get rid of? If you answered yes to either question, or just love bicycles, then don’t miss the second annual Pend Oreille Pedalers Bike Swap on Saturday, May 30.

Buoyed by the success of the inaugural swap in 2008, organizers are at work early to meet their goals of doubling the numbers of bicycles and accessories finding new owners in 2009. The swap will take place from 9-11 a.m.8 at the Panhandle State Bank building (414 Church St.), with gear drop-off hours on Friday, May 29 from 4-7 p.m.

Swap organizer Yvonne Savarise believes that the primary goal of the bike swap is to get more young people fitted with equipment that will allow them to be out on bicycles this summer. With the downturn in the economy, purchasing a good used bike at a reasonable price may be the only way some families are able to afford cycling, which is an excellent way to exercise, and a clean and affordable way to get around town.

Pend Oreille Pedalers bike club is the primary sponsor of the swap, which is the kick-off to Sandpoint’s Bike Week from May 30 through  June 6. The club was formed in 2005 by local bike enthusiasts. The swap was the brainchild of Ms. Savarise, along with David Paskoff and Andy Chapman. Charles Mortensen and Sam McGlothlin were able to create a temporary bike store in the old grain elevator between Church and Oak Streets on the Dover bike path for the 2008 Swap. Local bike shops and mechanics donated their time to fit bikes and make minor adjustments on the spot. The same group will be present in 2009.

More than 30 bikes changed hands in just over two hours at last year’s swap, along with parts, tools, clothing, and bike accessories. Bargain tables of $1, $2, and $5 items were cleared by the end of the swap.

This year, the organizers plan to add free helmets; through Bonner General Hospital’s program, they plan to make sure every bicyclist who purchases a bike receives a proper helmet, while supplies last.

Organizers are getting the word out early to Bonner County schools. They feel that younger riders and their families benefit most from a swap. Besides being able to outfit the family at a reasonable price, a bike swap is an opportunity to get the garage cleared of outgrown bikes and gear.

Items can be dropped off on Friday, May 29 between 4-7 p.m. Unsold items and cash from sales are distributed between 1-3 p.m. after the swap to the sellers. Organizers will collect sales tax and a small percentage from each sale. Proceeds from the swap will be used to purchase equipment to build more bike trails around Sandpoint. Pend Oreille Pedalers and the Bonner General Hospital Helmet Program are non-profit organizations.

For more information about the Bike Swap and other Bike Week events, visit “www.sandpointbikeweek.com.”