Alberta Bike Swap is a nonprofit organization revolutionizing how Calgarians and Edmontonians buy, sell, and donate bicycles. Co-founded by Laura and her husband Chris Grant in 2010 after a serendipitous moment of inspiration following a near-miss traffic incident, the organization has grown to become a trusted platform that tech-checks every bicycle, prevents stolen bike sales, and supports safe cycling education. We spoke with her to find out more.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
We put on safe events to buy, sell, and donate bicycles then return nearly all the profit back the community to fund legitimate safe cycling (CAN-BIKE), fund the rebuild of the donated bikes to help the 90+ strategic alliances we work with, and help as many people as we can with transportation security. We designed and patented bike racks that we give out for community use to keep events green, designed the only bike swap software in the world, and we operate our events with ~180 volunteers of which most return. We tech check every bike and our software verifies that the bike has not been reported as stolen.
What problem does it aim to solve?
We prevent the buying and selling of stolen bikes. Tech checking every bike keeps BSOs and unsafe bikes out of our events. BSO – Bicycle Shaped Objects.
When did you start/join it?
While cycle commuting home and talking about bad experiences buying and selling bikes in December 2010 we signalled right to turn and were cut off. We went home and sketched out a safe way to buy and sell bikes to fund safe cycling.
What made you want to get involved?
There is no event, online purchase, or place that offers what we do; it’s safe and we stand by what we sell. Both Chris and I had bad experiences buying and selling used bikes. IRL Chris is an engineer and had been buying bikes at police auctions, repairing them and selling them for the price of the parts. He listed a bike and the buyer looked at everything else in our garage except the bike, and we were robbed. I was out with a girlfriend looking at a full carbon road bike worth over $10K, but being sold for $400 cash in an unfurnished basement, we didn’t feel safe. As well, a person isn’t going to take swimming lessons from someone that hangs up a shingle and states they’re good at something so why take swimming lessons from an unqualified person? Or, first aid from an unqualified person? CAN-BIKE is the only standardized and recognized cycling education program in Canada.
What was the situation like when you started?
We have grown 10-25% a year and have a healthy market share of used bikes.
How has it changed since?
We have >75% recognition in Calgary as being the safe place to buy, sell, or donate a bike (our home town), and ~40% in Edmonton.
What more needs to be done?
1) People still throw bikes in the landfill or the alley. People don’t know what to do with unused or outgrown bikes.
2) Cyclists don’t know that they are considered vehicles under provincial Traffic Safety Acts – if a person in a vehicle can’t do it, then neither can a person on a bike.
3) People don’t know where their serial number is, so they don’t register their bike on Bike Index or Project 529 so when / if their bike gets stolen then their chances of having it returned are slim.
How can our readers help?
Help us raise awareness about CAN-BIKE. Help us raise awareness about the Bike Index (We’re the only Bike Index Ambassadors in Calgary). I’ve been a woman in tech for decades and designed the only bike swap software in the world. I’d like to be able to create a way for others to put on bike swaps but don’t have $50K to code it so that others can put bike swaps on.
Do you have any events coming up?
We always put bike swaps on the first Saturday in May in Calgary and the second Saturday in May in Edmonton.
Where can we follow you?
2024 Time Lapse in Calgary at Max Bell Have you seen the IG Wealth Management / CBC Gem show? CBC Gem
What we’re like in real life | Website | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram
Facebook Alberta Bike Swap | Facebook Calgary Bike Swap
