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Bike swap brings out crowds, cash By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Bicycle enthusiasts from across the region made good use of the brilliant sun and warm temperatures this weekend to swap, sell or select bikes and riding accessories at the 14th annual Ashland Bike Swap. Event organizer Alexis Delgado said this morning volunteers are still tallying their take to see if the event raised the $4,000 needed to save the Ashland Bicycle Education Program, which encourages bicycling safety and education at Ashland Middle School and in city elementary schools. Eight-year-old Cameron Forrest of Ashland takes a break from stunt riding at the Ashland Bike Swap Saturday in Ashland. Ashland Daily Tidings/MYLES MURPHY photos "Although it seems like the attendance was slightly lower than last year, it seems like more people bought bikes and more expensive bikes were bought," Delgado said. "This goes a long way toward paying for the program." Susan Bacon has been volunteering at the swap for five years, and said she was pleased with the turnout Saturday, especially for an event which was pulled together at the last minute. "The number of people here is right up to par," Bacon said. "We've certainly been busy." "We didn't know what to expect, but I would say it's been fabulous," Delgado added Saturday as bike-seekers picked out their favorite two-wheelers in the parking lot of The Grove, an Ashland teen and family center on East Main Street. Trick riders entertained a shifting crowd with flying ramp-jumps and other stunts while people squeezed tires on used bikes, spun wheels with critical eyes and took unusual bikes on test drives. Ashlander Woody Pines had his eye on a used mountain bike with a tattered skull sticker. "I didn't come down here to pick up a bike, but I saw the bike show signs when I was driving by (on East Main) and came in." Mountain biker Ken Baldwin of Happy Camp, Calif., rides throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon, and is always on the lookout for extra bike parts to help him carry on his hobby. He carefully fished through a pile of old rims at the swap Saturday, looking for one with an extra large gear. "I'm looking for one for hill climbing," Baldwin said. "I heard about the bike swap last year, but this is the first time I got over here for it." Three-year-old Hannah Hilden of Ashland pedaled for the last time on her small red three-wheeler, making lazy circles in The Grove parking lot under the watchful gaze of father Brian Hilden. "She's swapping it in today and we're going to graduate to a real bike," the elder Hilden said. For 12 years, the bike swap was organized by the Ashland Schools Foundation as a fundraiser for schools. In 2002, the foundation turned it over to a local bicycle promotion group, and then it was on the verge of ending altogether. This year, the Bike and Pedestrian Commission joined at the last minute with Ashland Cycle Sport, Second Gear Cyclery, Full Circle Sports, the Rogue Valley Transportation District and the Ashland Daily Tidings to sponsor the event. "The thought of this community event not happening was really upsetting for a lot of people," said Delgado, who was called on short notice to organize the event. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -