Bike Swap Primer

Every spring for the past 22 years Earl’s Cyclery has held their annual bike swap. If you are reading this blog, chances are you have heard of, bought or sold a bike at, or even volunteered at the Earl’s bike swap. If you haven’t, then you have definitely missed something. The organized chaos of the swap creates a carnival atmosphere, with hundreds of people milling around, ogling all the bikes, taking test rides, catching up with friends, even falling in love (there has been at least one verified account of a couple meeting at the swap.) In the 15 years I have been working the swap I have seen it grow from 200-300 bikes to almost 1000. Every year I look forward to seeing the dozens of ex-earl’s employees, longtime customers, friends and families of Earl’s employees, and other volunteers who come to help us put on this event. It is really like an annual reunion of folks associated with Earl’s in one way or another, and there is no way we would be able to do it without them.

It all starts on the Thursday morning before Swap weekend. The Vermont Tent Company shows up early in the morning to set up two giant tents in the parking lot. When we open at 10 there are already several people waiting to check in their bikes. Throughout the day we’ll see tons of kid’s bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids, commuters, and more than a few recumbents, tandems, kid trailers, and car racks.  Everything is inspected and price recommendations are given. By the end of the day we will have checked over, priced, tagged, and packed into the tent over 400 bikes. Friday will be the same, usually ending with a flurry of last second arrivals as we try to shut things down for the night.

Ryan Dudley, "The Voice of the Swap"

On Saturday morning you can feel the tension in the air as volunteers are instructed on their duties, the check-out tent and sound system are set up, and the bikes are spread out and arranged for sale. Customers start lining up along the sidewalk in front of the store around 6am, and by the time we are ready to open the line stretches around the block. A little before 9am, Ryan Dudley, the voice of the Earl’s Bike Swap for about 10 years now, greets those waiting in line, thanks them for their patience and courtesy in advance, usually tells a bad joke or two, then pronounces the Swap open for business. The tents quickly fill with people excitedly scanning through the bikes, looking for the right bike, or at least the right price.  The time it takes for the first person to reach the checkout tent with a bike after we open the gates is usually about 45 seconds. After that there is a line to check out non-stop until about 2pm. In the first 5 hours last year we sold over 600 bikes. Like I said, organized chaos.

Here are a few tips for selling or buying bikes at the swap:

Selling a bike-

1.                   Make sure your bike is in good working order before you bring it to the swap. It’s a good idea to bring it to the shop at least a week before the swap to get it checked over if you have any concerns.

2.                   Clean your bike. The cleaner and shinier your bike looks, the better chance it will sell, and the better price you can get for it.

3.                   Replace worn or broken grips, bar tape, tires, saddle, brake pads, or pedals.

4.                   When setting a price, listen to the folks checking you in. They can tell you what you can reasonably expect to get for your bike. Then decide if you want to try for more, as long as you don’t mind if it doesn’t sell, or price it lower to make sure it goes.

5.                   Lights, mirrors, computers, and other accessories don’t add value. They can make a bike a little more desirable to the right person, but only if they are in good working order. If they don’t work, remove them.

Buying a bike-

1.                   Know what you are looking for before you come to the swap, or at least what kind of riding you want to do. Volunteers will be on hand to help you find the right bike, but the more you can tell them about what you want the easier it will be.

2.                   Get to the swap early. You don’t have to wait in line for hours to get a great deal, but you do want to arrive before noon on Saturday. More than half the bikes will be gone by the afternoon.

3.                   Come prepared to ride. There isn’t a ton of room to test ride, but just riding around the parking lot can help you decide if a bike is right for you.

4.                   Be prepared to spend a couple of hours. There are great deals to be had on great bikes, but you can expect to wait in line for at least 30 minutes to check out.

5.                   Bring cash or checks. We take credit cards, but the cash/check line moves faster!

The annual Earl’s bike swap is a great way to buy or sell a used bike. This year it will be on Saturday and Sunday May 3^rd and 4^th. Bring some friends and make a day of it!