Pedalers peddle their recycled goods.

Byline: Jack Moran The Register-Guard

Brandon Reed and John Hartland certainly got their exercise on Saturday.

The duo from Albany took a 100-mile round-trip ride to meet up with a few friends and score some random bike parts at Paul's Bicycle Way of Life's annual swap meet at the shop on West 11th Avenue.

"Oh yeah, it's a pretty good ride," Hartland said. "Coming down wasn't bad, but going back will be a little tougher."

Hartland picked up a few tires and a pair of racing shorts at the flea market, but he and his riding partner couldn't buy what they really hoped for - a strong tailwind from the south to help push them back toward their Linn County homes.

"It was blowing that way earlier, but not anymore," Reed observed.

Several hundred cyclists checked out the goods at Saturday's swap meet, which benefits a cycling team sponsored by Paul's Bicycle Way of Life. Many arrived by automobile, while others made a quick detour after seeing a sign along the nearby Amazon bike path advertising the event.

"I was just riding past when I saw the sign and thought, 'Why not?' ' Eugene resident George Kane said. "It seemed like a good idea, so I decided to stop here and catch my breath. I might need to go back home and grab my wallet. There's some good stuff here."

About a dozen vendors set up tables, offering everything from bike seats and tires to cycling shoes and shirts.

One of them was Ryan Trebon of Corvallis, who races mountain bikes internationally for the Kona Bicycle team in Bellingham, Wash. Fresh off a two-month European racing tour, Trebon saw Saturday's event as a way to "get rid of some old stuff" at rock-bottom prices.

When a man grabbed a black bike seat from a box at Trebon's table and inquired about the price, Trebon hesitated a second, shrugged and said, "Uh, 10 bucks?"

"It's one less thing I have to take back home," he said, explaining his simple selling style.

Richard Sweet, a member of the Paul's Bicycle Way of Life cycling team, said the swap meet - promoted as a "celebration of bicycle culture" - serves as the group's main fundraiser for the year. The 25-person team rides year-round, with weekly races in the Willamette Valley throughout the spring and summer months.

"We're just a group of people that get together and have fun," Sweet said. "If you like to ride a bike, Eugene is the place to be. It's a big deal here. Some people say it's like the unknown hotbed of cycling. You've got every type of mountain bike and road rider."

Hartland, the Albany rider, said part of the appeal of cycling is getting where you need to go without having to depend on an automobile.

"It's a lot better than paying 20 bucks for gas to get here," he said.

But Hartland said a car could have helped him Saturday, after realizing the variety of inexpensive gear available for avid cyclists such as himself.

"If I had some more room on this (bike), I'd get a lot more stuff," he said.

CAPTION(S):

Roman Bickel tries on a pair of cycling shoes with the help of his father, Tom. Saturday's fundraiser benefited the store's cycling team. Cycling enthusiasts peruse accessories of all shapes and sizes Saturday at Paul's Bicycle Way of Life on West 11th Avenue. .