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!
