Hundreds of people attend the 13th Alberta Bike Exchange in Calgary

Hundreds of people turned out for the 13th annual Alberta Bike Swap at the Max Bell Center in Calgary on Saturday, hoping to trade in their current rides for new ones.

Calgarians who commute by bike every day find it a good option for commuting.

They say high gas and traffic make cycling a good alternative if the weather cooperates.

“This is how I get to work, unless it's -20 C,” said the man at the Bike Exchange. “So it's a lot cheaper to get downtown by bike than by parking.”

Others say it is more pleasant and affordable.

“It's definitely a great option. It's definitely a great way to start your day,” another person at the event commented.

“I think it's a really nice city for biking, with a lot of good trail systems along the rivers and lakes and a lot of parks to work in.”

The mother told CityNews that it was “instead of driving 6 kilometers” to go to kindergarten with her child.

“It's very energizing, in some ways it saves time. It's an exercise that connects you with the city,” he said.

Alberta Bike Swap Co-Director Laura Grant says Calgary's bike swap is bigger in 2024.

“We started pre-registration, opened it up for 48 hours and we had 250 bikes pre-registered,” Grant said.

“We didn't expect so many bikes. I estimate we will have over 600 bikes.”

After a bad experience buying bikes online, Grant and her husband decided to create Alberta Bike Swap, a non-profit organization to provide a safe place to buy, sell and donate bikes.

Shoppers at the event can purchase pre-inspected bikes that are in perfect condition and have been scanned to ensure they haven't been reported stolen. Sellers have a safe place to present their bikes.

“Nice bikes and everything is in really good condition because we're working really hard to check it out,” Grant said.

People say the event offers a selection of good bikes at good prices and makes it easy to buy new or upgrade.

“I think it takes a lot of the hassle out of trying to sell it on Facebook Marketplace or whatever, we just have to drop them off and they'll take care of it,” one resident said.

Others shared that cycling is a way to avoid high parking costs in the city, noting that Calgary has greatly improved its recreational cycling routes.

“I just like to ride my bike and I like to avoid the hassle of parking, so riding around is a good way to do that,” explained another person on Bike Swap.

“There are thousands of bike lanes here, it's amazing how many bike lanes we have. It's endless.”

The Alberta Bike Swap has also seen an increase in bike donations this year. Approximately $60,000 worth of donated bicycles in 2023.