Maryland Swap Meet, Feb. 4

[Kalidurga]

The latest issue of Spokes has this listed in the calendar of events, and it sounds pretty cool:

Stop, Swap & Save (http://www.stopswapandsave.com/swap_meet.html), taking place Sunday, Feb 4, at the Carrol County Ag Center in Westminster, MD. Good opportunity to pick up some gear!

[KayTee]

One of these days I've got to get to this. Tell us what you bagged there, Kali!

[Kalidurga]

It's tomorrow, so you could still go! Regina and I are both going to try to check it out, though we're not sure we'll be there at the same time.

For anyone who's considering it, I found these directions (http://www.carrollcountyagcenter.com/directions/)to the Ag Center in Westminster.

I'm gonna try not to buy anything, I'm just going because I'm jonesin' for anything bike-related in this cold weather! :D

[HillSlugger]

Let us know how it was. Were there any deals you couldn't walk away from?

[7rider]

I couldn't walk away from $12 Nike gloves and $40 PI AmFib gloves and a Descente Classic lightweight jacket for $35 (anyone want a PI jacket in bright yellow - Size M, let me know!).
I did turn away from a Redline Conquest cyclocross bike with Avid BB7 disc brakes and full 105. DH was swooning over the Calfee custom bamboo bike.
Lots of interesting stuff. Lots of crap. Just like a bike swap.

[KayTee]

Pretty cool loot, Regina. How much were they asking for the Calfee bamboo? I've never seen one in the flesh, but they certainly look interesting!

[Kalidurga]

Where was the bamboo bike, Regina? I missed that. But then, it was so crowded at the meet, I probably missed a lot of stuff. The highlight for me was seeing the frames by Stephen Bilenky. I showed what a true nerd I am by gushing to him that I'd read about him in Bicycling magazine, and then proceeding to run my fingers longingly over just about every one of his frames. The guy does some of the cleanest welding I've ever seen and adds some really nice detailing. He probably thought I was nuts.

I picked up a summer-weight jersey on the cheap, then managed to talk myself out of a bike-chain bracelet. And I did a lot of drooling over the paint jobs on the IOCC bikes I saw. It was fun, though I think you'd really have to be looking for specific items and have the patience to search for them to get the most out of it.

[7rider]

The bamboo bike was at the end of the first - maybe second - isle, on a rack facing the rear wall. I don't know who's table it was, but DH kept drifting back there to ooh and ahh over it (I'm such a geek, my first response was "it has no braze-ons for waterbottles. Where do you put your waterbottles?"). It didn't have a price on it, and I don't think DH ever asked. Some things you just don't want to know! :rolleyes:
Was Stephen Bilenky there??? I guess I just didn't realize it and just figured it was a dealer booth. I liked the details and the paint jobs. I probably should have looked at them more carefully.
I didn't see the jewelry. I was half-heartedly looking for something for my February TE-SS, and DH was pointing out every red item he could find, but nothing lept out at me for her. Bike jewelry would have been perfect, if the prices were right.

[Kalidurga]

The bike-chain bracelets were $25, which was just too much for me to justify with all my recent non-insurance-covered chiro appointments. They also had cog/chainring necklaces, but I don't remember the price of those.

Stephen Bilenky is a short guy with a long, scraggly beard and glasses. At the time I walked by, he was behind the table.

The other thing I couldn't get over was the huge proportion of what appeared to be bike messengers. Swap meets like that are probably mecca for them.

[7rider]

FYI - DH checked out the Calfee website. Bamboo frames run generally around $2400, with one on special for "only" ~$1750 or so. The one at the swap was set up with wood rims (!) and was a single speed. So figure somewhere north of $2400 might be a reasonable estimate.
Not exactly the deal of the day at the swap....
:cool: