Head to UMaine, get a bike

If you’re looking for a way to jump-start your spring and summer exercise routine, or looking for a low-impact way to explore some new places, you ought to head to the University of Maine in Orono on Sunday.

When you get there, stop by Student Recreation and Fitness Center. Head inside. Pay your admission fee.

Then buy a bike.

The Maine Bicycle Coalition is offering what may be your best chance to get a great used bike at a low price: The Great Orono Bike Swap is taking place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The event is being held in conjunction with the 42nd annual Earth Day, and organizers are hoping to further encourage biking as a healthy lifestyle choice.

“We encourage people attending the bike swap to celebrate the opportunity not only to save money but do their part to assure a sustainable future for their children and grandchildren,” Nancy Grant, executive director of the Maine Bicycle Coalition, said in a press release.

Typically, hundreds of bikes of all types will be up for grabs, and a large test-ride area will be available for those looking to do more than “kick the tires.”

Best of all: Volunteer advisors will be on hand to help you select the bike that’s right for you or your kids.

If you’re interested in selling a bike during the swap, you can drop yours off between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, or between 8 and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Earlier drop-offs can be arranged by calling 623-4511.

Admission to the event is $3, but if you’re a UMaine or University of Southern Maine student, or aged 12 and younger, you’ll get in for free. A 15 percent commission on each bike will help support the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s efforts to improve cycling in Maine.

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.