This popular event is the region’s only biking and bike equipment event where you can buy new and used bikes of every types, size, and price range. Past Spokane Bike Swap and Expo events have had over 3,000 attendee and nearly 700 bikes sold.

In addition to shopping for bikes and accessories, you can also find deals on bikes and equipment from local bike shops and exhibitors; learn about local rides, bike clubs, bike safety; and participate in bike clinics.

Just like a ski swap, you can bring your used bikes and biking accessories for consignment sale. But a swap event is only as good as the number and quality of bikes that are brought by from the public.

So dust off the unused bikes and get them prepped to sell. You do not have to be present to have your bike sold—the Spokane Bike Swap Team will do it for you.

All types of bicycles in good riding condition will be accepted, including kids, racing, mountain, commuter, bmx, recumbent, hybrid, tandem, cruiser, trailer bikes, buggies, bike trailers, and more. Each bike will be inspected, tagged, and set up in the bike corral.

There is a $5 bike registration fee per bike. This registration fee is waived for used kids bikes (20-inch wheels or smaller) if they are priced at $50 or less. To sell your bike, pre-register online by June 11, to expedite bike check-in. Then bring your bike to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center on Friday, June 11th, at 3-7:00pm.

Each consignment sale is assessed a 10% fee and will be deducted from the item selling price before checks are issued to sellers. You must return to the bike swap between 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 12 to pick-up your check (if your bike has sold) or pick-up your unsold bike. Any bikes not picked up by 6:30 p.m. will be donated to a charitable organization.

You can also choose to directly donate a used bike to the event. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Spokane Bike Swap and Expo donates all event proceeds to local charitable organizations.

You can also volunteer at Spokane Bike Swap and Expo—sign-up at the event website.

For complete event details, visit spokanebikeswap.com.

Check out these Out There archived stories for bike swap tips and advice:

From the April 2015 print magazine issue, Out There Kids column.

[Feature photo courtesy Spokane Bike Swap.]

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2020 was a weird year for buying a bike. The surge of interest from so many new people to get outside on wheels was largely a positive phenomenon, but the increased demand for bikes and reduced supply “severely impacted inventory across the board, particularly for entry level and mid-price bicycles,” says Wheel Sport Bicycles marketing manager Elle Spisak.

That reduced inventory included new and used bikes, which meant many of the people coming into local shops to buy a bike couldn’t find what they were looking for. “Volume and prices for used bicycles were up at all of the major outlets, including Craigslist, Ebay, Pinkbike and The Pro’s Closet,” says Spisak. “This impacted Wheel Sport’s supply chain for used bikes because they either did not want to let them go for fear of not getting a replacement or found it lucrative to sell themselves.”

If you’re in the market for a new or used bike this year, don’t wait around to see how things work out later in the spring. “Suppliers are seeing inventory come back up, and we expect to be at a normal level of inventory by April,” Spisak says. Yet, she cautions, “many suppliers have warned us not to expect significant back stock in their warehouse. This could impact our ability to refresh our inventory through the summer or special-order particular colors and sizes.”

The availability of parts for repairs was also an issue in 2020, says Spisak. “Where consumers used to be able to buy a used bike off Craigslist, Ebay, or Pinkbike, and plan on upgrading or replacing worn parts when they got the bike, these parts have been more difficult to come by. We have had customers buy bikes online and find out it needed a new part, only to discover it would be three months before we could get that part.”

This added uncertainty highlights the challenges of buying a used bike online that might not be in working order and could need parts that might not be readily available.

Early birds looking to get a jump on peak bike inventory this spring may have fewer opportunities to check out the latest offerings, especially for used bikes, with the 2021 Spokane Great Outdoors & Bike Expo cancelled and Spokane Bike Swap tentatively scheduled for April 10, 2021.

Organizers of the Spokane Bike Swap, which features the largest annual collection of used bicycles for sale, are concerned that ongoing pandemic impacts may lead to this year’s event being postponed.

The best bet to find the right bike this spring is to start looking at a local shop this winter and early spring. Anyone looking to browse the largest selection of used bikes should plan a visit to the Wheel Sport Re-Cyclery near downtown Spokane or Ramble Raven Gear Trader on the Division Street Hill in Spokane.

Derrick Knowles is OTO co-publisher and editor-in-chief.

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If you want to ensure finding a suitable used bike for your little rider at this year’s bike swap, your luck increases if you arrive early on the first day, but quality bikes are usually available all weekend. Free helmets will also be given out again to every child who buys a used bike at the swap while supplies last. “Last year we gave away 173 helmets, and this year we are anticipating over 200,” says Spokane Bike Swap Event Director LeAnn Yamamoto.

Keep these tips in mind to make your swap-shopping successful.

Know your child’s height and riding ability.

Learn the bike size recommended based on your child’s height, which also corresponds with an age range. Wheel size (outside tire diameter) is how children’s bikes are measured, versus frame size for adult bikes.

Standard kid sizes are 12, 16, 20, and 24 inches. If a child is 26-34 inches tall (ages 2-5), they should try a 12-inch bike; if 34-42” tall (ages 4-8), try a 16-inch bike, and so on up to 62” tall for a 24-inch youth bike.

A sizing guide will be posted at the swap, and bike technicians will be available in the used bike corral to help size bikes for both children and adults, says Yamamoto. In addition to using the sizing guide, consider your child’s riding ability and anticipated growth rate.

Entry-level pedal bikes feature coaster, or kick-back, brakes. Gears and hand-breaks start becoming available with some 20-inch bikes. “If kids can’t handle both sets of brakes, they’ll still need a kick-back brake,” says Roger Randall, a bike-fitter and mechanic at North Division Bike Shop. “When kids are bigger than that 24-inch size, they can move into a small-frame adult bike and might be able to fit.”

Be aware that test-riding bikes is not allowed at the swap, due to liability issues.

Analyze how your child looks on the bike.

When helping bicycle-fit a child, Randall uses the sizing guide as a starting reference. “And then we see what they look like on the bike – how comfortable [does it feel], how much seat post is showing – [to determine] if they’ll need a bigger bike,” he says.

A child should be able to stand flat-footed over the bike’s top tube – a safety feature to help them stop if needed, he adds. “If they’re standing and can barely touch the ground, the bike’s too big.” However, if too much seat post is showing or the child’s knees are too bent, then the bike is probably too small, according to Randall.

“It’s a tricky subject because you don’t know how fast your kid is going to grow. It’s best to get a bike that’s on the slightly bigger size, so the child will have space to grow into it,” says Randall. “I always try to get a kid on the biggest bike that can fit them. Bikes hold their value well. If it’s only used a couple of seasons and kept in good shape, you can trade it up for the next size.”

The Spokane Bike Swap and Expo takes place on April 11 and 12 at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can buy, sell or donate bikes to the swap, which is put on by the non-profit group Friends of the Centennial Trail. For more info, visit www.spokanebikeswap.com.

Sandpoint also has a bike swap organized by the Pend Oreille Pedalers on May 16 at 9 a.m. at the Eureka Institute near Evans Brothers Coffee.

Originally published in the April 2015 issue, Out There Kids column.

Amy McCaffree has been writing for Out There since 2006. In addition to biking with her children, she enjoys camping, paddling, hiking, alpine skiing, and anything else outdoorsy as long as there are trees, a mountain, or a river or lake or other waterway.

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