Bike swap founders hope someone will take over passion project

Calgary's annual bike swap is ending after almost a decade, but the founders are hopingsomeone cancarry on where they left off.

Organizers Laura and Chris Grant built the event from a space for cyclists to safely buy, sell and donate bikes to much more donating time and their own money to fund bike safety education and cycling non-profits around the province.

Swaps are also held in Edmonton and Lethbridge, and during the warmer months the couple brings bike racks to community events, free of charge.

But on Thursday, thousands of Calgarians turned out to the city centre parkadefor what may be the last swap.

Laura fell and broke multiple vertebrae in her back in December. Doctors told her she might not be able to cycle again.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm in a lot of pain," she said. "We're looking for someone who has a garage who can help to give away the bike racks for free because they're community bike racks."

Alberta Bike Swap founders hope someone will take over passion project

5 years ago

Duration 0:53

Alberta Bike Swap founders hope someone will take over passion project

Laura said in the event's first year it snowed and many roads around the city were shut down but every bike sold within 20 minutes.

She said the event has only grown from there, and they still have a 94 per cent sale rate.

If it ends, "all of this goes away," she said. "Hundreds of bikes. Hundreds of donations."

Chris said it's a bittersweet ending, but they're hoping someone else can take up the vision.

"It can be something much bigger and that's what we're hoping for, is to inspire a group of people to come together and say yes,we want to do this, and think about it, and plan the resources, and how to become a bigger part of the community," Chris said.

The swap will sell any clean, working bicycle for a $15 fee. Owners set the sale prices, and the swap takes a 13 per cent cut, half of which goes to local cycling non-profits. Volunteers also recordserial numbers to find stolen bikes and return them to their rightful owners.

Just last year, another Calgary cycling mainstay shut down.

The Good Life Community Bicycle Shop closed down after a decade because it just didn't have the funds to keep operating.

• Good Life Community Bicycle Shop to close down after a decade

More information on the swap and the search for new operators can be found on the Alberta Bike Swap website.