Cyclists interested in selling an old bike or picking up a new one can do so with the knowledge they may help the next young Bow Valley cycling star increase their skills.
The Rundle Mountain Cycling Club annual bike swap will take place on Sunday (April 13) at 1160 Railway Ave., across from Canadian Tire, with a portion of all sales supporting RMCC children’s programs.
“We do various fundraising activities to subsidize fees for the club. We have costs for coaching, and all of our coaching is aimed at youth development. The bike swap is one of the activities that helps keep costs down,” said RMCC’s Shane Munro.
The event raises between $6,000 and $7,000 annually for the youth cycling program, which is modeled after the cross-country ski Jackrabbits program.
“We’ve had really great results. Riders like Sara Poidevin and Liah Harvie are products of this system and now we have 200 kids in the programs. They’re full every year and it’s great for the development of the mountain bike community,” Munro said.
World cup mountain bike racer Matt Hadley was hired as the RMCC junior coach in February and he’ll be in charge of running the junior Rampage program.
Originally from New Brunswick, Hadley has been a cyclist for 18 years. He entered his first bike race at the age of 14, using flat pedals and a pair of sneakers, and won. He now rides for Xprezo and has been a member of the Canadian national team for seven years, competing in five world championships. He won the Canada Cup series in 2011, but is now focused on marathon and stage races when not coaching RMCC.
“He’s a great resource to have and a great person to take these kids to the next level,” Munro said.
Youth programs begin in spring and continue through summer.
The bike check-in begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 11:30. The swap runs from noon to 3 p.m. and cheque pickup is at 5:30. Twenty per cent of every bike sale goes to RMCC. Mastercard, Visa and cash are accepted. RMCC volunteers are available to answer any questions about the bikes. Visit www.rundlemountaincycling.com For more information.
