Classic & Vintage - Who's going to the Minneapolis Swap on the 12th?

I plan on going, but interested in who goes and is the swap a popular one, what is it like compared to the Madison one, etc.
-Tom

Its been my delight to find some of the best bike shops and sales and advice and deals and good reading from the "Star Times" newspaper from the St' Paul / Minneapolis area. Go..Just "Go". You won't be disappointed...Jim.

Loose spoke, where in Northern MN are you from? I'm in Grand Rapids myself. I've been to the swap twice, loved it both times. pretty packed at times, lots of vendors, Bring cash that is the preferred method of payment. I've thought of getting a table there, pretty cheap if I remember right, but don't want to be stuck there the whole time. Some guys are looking just to get rid of stuff, and others are trying to get rich, overall I thought the prices were quite reasonable. It doesn't look like I will make it this year though :-(

Loose spoke, where in Northern MN are you from? I'm in Grand Rapids myself. I've been to the swap twice, loved it both times. pretty packed at times, lots of vendors, Bring cash that is the preferred method of payment. I've thought of getting a table there, pretty cheap if I remember right, but don't want to be stuck there the whole time. Some guys are looking just to get rid of stuff, and others are trying to get rich, overall I thought the prices were quite reasonable. It doesn't look like I will make it this year though :-(

I'm also from Grand Rapids. We live South on the River Road. If you ride to Jacobson, you pass right by me.
I'll be going down to buy for a couple of projects... just bought an 83-84 Colnago and need some bits, and I'm having some frame mods done by Erik at Peacock Groove and hoping he has it done so I can pick it up.

I go every year.

Every year I end up with another frameset, which I don't really need at the moment.

I won't go over all the goodies I find, but I do recommend this swap for sure.

This is an important fundraiser for the Velodrome, so it helps to have big numbers there.

Last year I sold three bicycles in the parking lot as I was unloading for the swap.

I sold two more in the bike corral.

This year I am sharing a table with JAG410, as well as a riding/racing buddy.

I have six very nice bicycles for sale, including certain racers from Italian builders such as De Rosa, Tommasini, and Casati.

Probably a Merckx or two, and a bunch of Campy wheelsets.

If you go, try to donate a few bucks to the Velodrome and an amateur racing team of your choice.

gomango, I'll try to look for you. Should be easy to find with that stable of bikes for sale!
I am looking for the right buy on a set of wheels for the Colnago I just bought, so for sure will stop by to see what you have.
-Tom

gomango, I'll try to look for you. Should be easy to find with that stable of bikes for sale!
I am looking for the right buy on a set of wheels for the Colnago I just bought, so for sure will stop by to see what you have.
-Tom

Hi Tom,

I'd love to meet you and have a cup of coffee!

Pm me if you'd like a pre-sale list of wheels, frames, bicycles, or various doo dads.

I'm going with my son, I might try to get a bike or two together to sell but between the cold and my screwed up shoulder I don't know if I will.

I'm going with my son, I might try to get a bike or two together to sell but between the cold and my screwed up shoulder I don't know if I will.

It would be great to see both of you.

You are certainly invited for a cup of coffee as well!

... Maybe. don't know for sure.

... Maybe. don't know for sure.

Hopefully you'll make it.

Some years are better than others, but I know they have additional floor space this year with extra small table space.

I'll have a bike or two at the table with me. Probably a few frames as well. I'll put the rest in the corral, which seems to work great in the past.

These will be the biggest ticket items I've ever brought though, so we'll have to see how it goes.

I really under priced some items last year, and I ended up seeing them on the local CL the same day.

I'm planning on it. Always fun to look and think a little about spring. I'll look for your table Grady.

I'm planning on it. Always fun to look and think a little about spring. I'll look for your table Grady.

Yep, stop by.

It would be fun to see the folks that did the ride last fall.

Here's a link with info.

http://www.twincitiesbikeswap.com/

..and start thinking about a ride this spring and early summer.

I'm hoping to pull lots of folks in from out of town in the early part of summer!

Should be a hoot.

I'll be there with gomango selling cheap stuff to draw attention to his nice stuff! As long as I sell my Crosscheck, score the parts I need for my Romic, and have enough money left over for coffee, it'll be a successful event!

Then again, if I left with another bike, that would be ok too.

I'll be there to put my '78 Motobecane Team Champion in the corral. Unless I sell it in the parking lot :-)

I'll be there to put my '78 Motobecane Team Champion in the corral. Unless I sell it in the parking lot :-)

I got more than a little worried walking around with a wad of cash.

I sold bikes in the lot and felt a little awkward about this.

Nothing to worry about when you convert cash into a bike.

It will be super tough to walk out of there without buying if there is one particular vendor there.

He has at least one cool bauble every year.

I must have will power. :)

I'll be there with gomango selling cheap stuff to draw attention to his nice stuff! As long as I sell my Crosscheck, score the parts I need for my Romic, and have enough money left over for coffee, it'll be a successful event!

Then again, if I left with another bike, that would be ok too.

I may take you up on that bike rack idea.

Should be a great day, or at least morning. If I remember, it is not wise to show up late, and having a table means we can wander a little early and see the action. :)

Yep, stop by.

It would be fun to see the folks that did the ride last fall.

Here's a link with info.

http://www.twincitiesbikeswap.com/

..and start thinking about a ride this spring and early summer.

I'm hoping to pull lots of folks in from out of town in the early part of summer!

Should be a hoot.

You know we'll be up for the spring ride, With any luck I'll have my other bike done by then. :)

You know we'll be up for the spring ride, With any luck I'll have my other bike done by then. :)

We wouldn't go without your family.

You are all on the "A" squad as far as I am concerned. :)

I go every year, have a great time and always find several things I didn't know I needed. It's killing me, but I will have to miss it this year.

i went last year. i didnt buy much but it was still a great time. if i had gone with a wad of cash i could have left it all. there were lots of great parts (both modern and vintage)


I'm going with my son, I might try to get a bike or two together to sell but between the cold and my screwed up shoulder I don't know if I will.


It would be great to see both of you.

You are certainly invited for a cup of coffee as well!

i wish i could be there to enjoy coffee with you guys but i dont think i will make it this year, poor timing...

The more I think about it the more I think I'm going to try to make it. I've got to try to divest myself of some of my obscure French stuff.

The more I think about it the more I think I'm going to try to make it. I've got to try to divest myself of some of my obscure French stuff.

You said the magic words: "obscure French stuff" PM a list if you have one..

You know we'll be up for the spring ride, With any luck I'll have my other bike done by then. :)

Same here...spring is much too far away!

I hope to see you all at the swap....I need a couple "doodads" too.

Someone grab me a 57-58 MXL or MAX Corsa...

Thanx.

Someone grab me a 57-58 MXL or MAX Corsa...

Thanx.

The MXL headed towards me this spring is exactly that size.

The red Corsa I am bringing to the swap is a 58cm.

Huh...Corsa SLX or MAX???


The MXL headed towards me this spring is exactly that size.

The red Corsa I am bringing to the swap is a 58cm.

Huh...Corsa SLX or MAX???

No such luck on a Max framed Corsa. They are fairly few and far between.

Mine is SL and gorgeous.

I'll send you a pic of my MXL though, as my BIL is picking it up next week when he is in Bolzano.

OK...sure...rub it in.


No such luck on a Max framed Corsa. They are fairly few and far between.

Mine is SL and gorgeous.

I'll send you a pic of my MXL though, as my BIL is picking it up next week when he is in Bolzano.

OK...sure...rub it in.

Speaking of rubbing it in, I will have a complete list of bicycles, frames, wheelsets, and parts available tonight.

Happy to rub it in, and ship. :)

Send it...


Speaking of rubbing it in, I will have a complete list of bicycles, frames, wheelsets, and parts available tonight.

Happy to rub it in, and ship. :)

Speaking of rubbing it in, I will have a complete list of bicycles, frames, wheelsets, and parts available tonight.

Happy to rub it in, and ship. :)

Grady,
Don't forget me when you send the list... Still shopping wheels or rims.
-Tom

Grady,
Don't forget me when you send the list... Still shopping wheels or rims.
-Tom

As soon as I get home guys.

Such is the life of a soccer dad.

Btw I added a De Rosa to the list this morning.

I'll take the rest of my list chatter to pm's from here on out.

I have worked it out to go!!! Hopefully I can find some of the bits that i need for builds. I have a question, what would be a possibility of putting a couple of bikes up on the thule locked up with for sale signs with a cell # on it? Would it be frowned upon by the swap people?

I go every year.

Every year I end up with another frameset, which I don't really need at the moment.

I won't go over all the goodies I find, but I do recommend this swap for sure.


I won't get to meet you. Every year Kvale asks, even pressures me, but again this year I can't. Got my McLean all packed up. :-) and we're headed for deep Texas in a couple of days for birding, biking and Tex-Mex until it's warm again.

Yep, stop by.

It would be fun to see the folks that did the ride last fall.

Here's a link with info.

http://www.twincitiesbikeswap.com/

..and start thinking about a ride this spring and early summer.

I'm hoping to pull lots of folks in from out of town in the early part of summer!

Should be a hoot.

Planning on attending... had a good time a year ago. I'll be watching for some familiar faces. And looking forward to the spring/early summer C&V ride!

Bryan

I'm gonna try to get there....I need a saddle.

I will probably be there; I just happen to be in the twin cities that weekend with my family.

Hopefully I'll have better luck running into some C&Vers than at the recent Madison swap.

I have worked it out to go!!! Hopefully I can find some of the bits that i need for builds. I have a question, what would be a possibility of putting a couple of bikes up on the thule locked up with for sale signs with a cell # on it? Would it be frowned upon by the swap people?

Well, it is a fundraiser for the Velodrome.

They have paid fees to use the space for the swap..

When I sold bikes in the parking lot, I made a donation exceeding the bike corral cost for each bike.

I'm planning on going to check it out. I believe I was out of town last year (or perhaps it fell on one of those weekends when we had 3 or 4 feet of snow or something)

:-)

My wife and I will be there again this year.

Can I suggest that we set a time to meet at the show? I don't think we will be running early enough to make coffee.
I'm thinking 11 AM at the front table where you pay to get in.
Let me know,
Cory

Sonofa... I'm not gonna be able to make it out there this year. Pray keep an eye open for my friend's booth, I think he's there as NoMi cycles. He's got a ton of NR/SR, a bunch of tasty old French stuff, and a kid that needs new shoes.

And if anybody sees a pair of alloy rims in 650B at a good price, pray think of me.

Sounds like a blast. Wish I could make it, but I'm out of town. Way out of town. As in, northern Thailand out of town. No good bike action, but it is nice and hot, with great food, etc.

To make this post on topic, I caught a glimpse of a Thai cyclist who'd clearly been bitten by the classic Randonneur bug. I couldn't see what the make was, but it looked very legit...

And, as in the States, I've seen a bajillion skittle colored fixies... On a more positive note, the "pretty bicycle" phenom is alive and well in Chiang Mai, with tons of tourists pedaling around on some fleet of old silver, step-through Raleighs. Lots of western women wearing their sun dresses, floppy hats, and big sunglasses, trying to look like Audrey Hepburn on Southeast Asian holiday....

Sounds like a blast. Wish I could make it, but I'm out of town. Way out of town. As in, northern Thailand out of town. No good bike action, but it is nice and hot, with great food, etc.

To make this post on topic, I caught a glimpse of a Thai cyclist who'd clearly been bitten by the classic Randonneur bug. I couldn't see what the make was, but it looked very legit...

And, as in the States, I've seen a bajillion skittle colored fixies... On a more positive note, the "pretty bicycle" phenom is alive and well in Chiang Mai, with tons of tourists pedaling around on some fleet of old silver, step-through Raleighs. Lots of western women wearing their sun dresses, floppy hats, and big sunglasses, trying to look like Audrey Hepburn on Southeast Asian holiday....

This is a pretty good excuse for not driving 8 hours Bob!

I have been pricing items slowly this week, but it always is difficult to put price tags on bicycles I have ridden and enjoyed.

We don't have room though, so I'm sure others will enjoy these down the line. :)

Bob, you should also see if you have room in a busy summer schedule for a ride up here in Minnesota.

Bring some of the other Chicago guys as well.

Tentatively the first week of July, we will have C&V luminaries in town.

I know DD is coming, and others have voiced interest as well.

Additionally, if there is enough interest, we may have an earlier spring ride before "mosquito" season.

I'd love to have a huge turnout for some beautiful Minnesota summer rides.

The more I think about it the more I think I'm going to try to make it. I've got to try to divest myself of some of my obscure French stuff.

I skipped the last couple, but I'm going this year. I'm French-curious. Can you PM your list? Thanks.

I'm so freakin' excited for Sunday. Bikes and coffee and bikes and coffee weeeeee! I've added some modern campy stuff to my sell pile, it's going to be the most random pile ever.

I'm hoping to make it, I've never been before, I'm looking forward to it!

Well, come to think of it, if Sunday is sunny and 38 as predicted I'll be out riding the Klein rather than inside at the swap.

Just sayin' :)

236902

Was on the fence about going, but have used my spousal points on this Peugeot Competition I just picked up this afternoon ($60 all orig parts). Would have just been there looking for future projects anyway. So, unless the boss is feeling especially good on Sunday, here's hoping you all find your next project.

I'm not sure I heard 38 degrees, but if so I'll be headed out too...