Annual spring Columbia Valley Cycling Society fundraiser returns for first time in three years
By Steve Hubrecht
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The Columbia Valley Cycling Society’s annual bike swap is back.
For years the event — which gives locals the chance to buy used cycling gear from other valley residents — was one of the most popular fundraisers in the valley, a sure sign that winter is at last over, and spring is finally here. As anybody with an interest in two wheels will tell you, it was a great opportunity to purchase a pretty decent used bike at a pretty decent price. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, cancelled the bike swap in 2020 and then again last year. But this year, with restrictions relaxing, the swap is back, for the first time in almost three years (since April 2019) and is set for this coming Saturday, Apr. 16.
“It’s nice to be able to have events again,” Cycling Society board member and bike swamp co-organizer Jay Balabas told the Pioneer. “It’s good to be back.”
Balabas isn’t sure exactly how many people will be there at the bike swap, but said “I’m anticipating there could be quite a big crowd. There is fairly high demand for bikes. There has been a supply shortage of biking equipment stemming from the pandemic. And at the same time there has been an uptick — well, really more of a surge — in people taking up biking, since the pandemic started. So the supply shortage coupled with a whole lot of new people getting into the sport has meant it’s been kind of hard to find biking equipment.”
At the start of the pandemic, Balabas lived in Canmore, where he was the owner of a bike store.
“There was a flood of people coming in,” he recalls.
He estimates there will be about 50 or more bikes for sale at the swap, giving any local residents who have been caught by the biking equipment shortage plenty of options to choose from.
There will also be jerseys, shirts, helmets, pedals, gloves “and pretty much any other accessory related to bikes,” said Balabas. “For good prices, too.”
The Cycling Society is hoping the bike swap will be one of several events and fundraisers held throughout the coming years. Proceeds from the swap go to the society’s various projects, such as trail maintenance efforts and kids cycling programs.
The bike swap runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 16 at the Columbia Valley Centre. Those really eager to get the best deals on bikes may want to get there before the doors open, as line-ups have been known to form in the past. For those wanting to sell their used biking gear, equipment drop-off is from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 15 and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Apr. 16.
To help get the community excited for the upcoming mountain biking season, the society will be showing a mountain bike film at the Columbia Valley Centre right after the initial equipment drop-off time slot on Friday, Apr. 15. The film Long Live Chainsaw celebrates the life of Canadian mountain bike star Steve Smith, who passed away in 2016 following a dirt biking accident. It will start at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $15 per person at the door.
