The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation has gotten their Bike Swap and Classic bike show to hum along like they've been promoting this event forever.  I can remember when the first few Bike swaps were a little cruder but just as much fun. But now it's more professional and no one seemed to mind. It was all good.

The doors opened at 10:00 a.m. and my own personal estimate says that the crowd peaked at around 11:30. Usually it's later in the day but with some very warm weather everyone (I'm sure) wanted to snag their deals and still get a ride in before the sun started to get too low on the horizon.

As the day worn on you could almost sense the hum of commerce at work in the background. If only I could somehow tally up the total sales made during the event. I think everyone might surprised. The conference center in Collinsville, IL is great venue for the Bike Swap and the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation has to congratulated on a job well done.

The bike swap is wonderful to greet old friends and learn about organizations that impact the sport of cycling. I've been involved within the cycling community for over 10 years and I've never failed to learn something new. This year was no exception.

During the event I tried to walk around and talk to people I didn't know. But of course, I'd get side tracked and strike up a conversation that took me in new directions. But isn't that half the fun?

To the right are just a few sample photos I captured at the Bike Swap but you can see all my photos by clicking here.

Everyone loves a deal and this was definitely the place to find them. You could see lots of buyers scrolling between the booths carrying jerseys, frames, shoes, socks, tubes, bags and more. Everything is beautiful at a price!

Anyone who missed the 2008 bike swap really missed an event! Spring and warmer riding weather is just around the corner. Except to see lots of newly purchased merchandise to be hitting the streets any day.

The only thing I wish the Bike Swap was a bike trick show... Hmmm, an idea for 2009?