PORTLAND – The cartoon character on the seat of Kjeld Nelson’s “new” bicycle was nearly as important as the training wheels.
Kjeld’s father, Steve, bought the slightly used model at the Great Portland Bike Swap, which was held Sunday at the Sullivan Gymnasium at the University of Southern Maine.
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“I like the dinosaur,” the 2½-year-old explained, pointing to the smiling green decal on the black plastic seat.
He offered two other reasons why he liked the bike: “I can stop and I can go.”
More than 1,900 people of all ages attended the 10th annual bike swap sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, according to swap organizer Fred Robie of Freeport.
Shoppers started lining up about 8 a.m. and streamed into the gym when the doors opened at 10 a.m., Robie said. Adults paid a $3 entry fee while students and children got in free.
They had their choice of 565 bicycles, lined up in careful rows, offered by bike shops and individuals across Maine, Robie said. About two-thirds of the bikes were gone when the swap ended at 2 p.m.
The coalition will make a 15 percent commission, at least, on all bikes sold at the swap, Robie said. Some people donate bikes without expecting anything in return, so the coalition gets all of the money.
A final tally of the proceeds will take several days, Robie said. The coalition uses the money to support bicycle safety and advocacy efforts throughout the state.
Sunday’s selection of bikes ranged from broken-down models good for little more than spare parts to new overstocked and discontinued models offered by the 12 bike shops that participated in the swap.
“About one-third of the bikes need a little love, but there are some really nice bikes here today,” Robie said.
Adam Patterson, 26, of Cape Elizabeth was there to sell a nearly new Specialized aluminum bike frame.
He hoped to get at least $350 for it so he could buy a bicycle for his girlfriend, Meghan Clark, 24.
Ed Roberts, 67, of Falmouth was checking out a folding aluminum frame bike that would have been ideal for his regular rides into Portland.
The retired commercial photographer started riding during the energy crisis in 1974, when he lived in Boston. He rode to work daily, even in winter. Whether he bought a new bike Sunday depended on whether he sold the bike that he was trying to sell.
“I’ve always got someplace to go, and with the price of gasoline lately, riding a bike just makes sense,” Roberts said.
Steve Nelson and his son, Kjeld, of Portland, were on their way to pay $15 for the dinosaur-clad bike when they met the people who donated it to the swap: Kristie Houghton of Newcastle and her 4-year-old son, Mica.
“It was such a nice, small size for him to learn to ride,” Houghton said to Nelson. “Now, he’s ready for a bigger one. We’re still looking for it.”
A half-hour later, Mica was riding a larger red model that suited him just fine.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
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