Madison Bike Swap

This past January, I had the pleasure of participating in my very first Madison Bike Swap.  The event was put on by Brazen Dropouts, a local bike racing club.  I expected a bunch of easy going friendly bike hippies trying to sell me stuff.  I was spot on!

I went there looking for an upgrade to my road biking helmet, some "cheap" but quality clothes, and a new set of wheels to upgrade my carbon fiber Trek 5000 frame I had just picked up off of Craigslist.  The event cost $6 to park and $7 to get in.  If you are planning on going, you better buy something to recoup the cost of being there.  I showed up in the morning within the first hour of the doors opening and it was already pretty busy.  Several tables were 2-3 beers deep as well!

I roamed around all of the tables several times before making my first purchase.  I found a nice used white Specialized Road helmet listed at $40.  I talked to the woman at the table and talked her down to $30.  That's another key to this swap meet, never pay for anything at full price!  One seller had a nice set of brand new Ksyrium wheels that stated $400 or best offer.  I made an offer and he pretty much said no.  So I rummaged around and picked up a brand new pair of Bontrager Race Lites for a cheaper price.