FrankenBike Austin, Texas.
What is FrankenBike and where did it start? FrankenBike (n) A free bicycle swap meet held once a month in select U.S. cities that is open to anyone who wants to buy, sell or trade bicycles and bicycle related gear or parts. FrankenBike was founded in Austin, Texas in June 2005.
Where are FrankenBike events held and how often? FrankenBike events are held once monthly at a different location each month and are currently active in Austin and San Antonio, Texas.
How much does it cost to participate at FrankenBike? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. FrankenBike is free for buyers and sellers alike.
If no one has to pay to participate at FrankenBike events, how does FrankenBike pay for its services? For the most part we use our own money but we also trade advertising – for products and services that we give away – with national manufactures and local business owners who would like to inform the cycling community of their products or services. All of our sponsors – past and current – have had a huge impact on our growth and we can’t thank them enough for their support!
Can I promote and or sell my custom made cycling products or my line of mass produced cycling products at FrankenBike events? Sure you can! As long as the products in question are safe and you are nice 🙂
Do I need to sign up or preregister for FrankenBike to set up as a Seller/Vendor? YES Starting May 2021 all vendors must register to sell/set up a vendor booth at FrankenBike events. Vendor Registration Links are provided in the the main body of each event post. It is 100% free to become a vendor at FrankenBike. FrankenBike is free for buyers and sellers alike.
Does FrankenBike provide tents, tables or chairs for the event? No we do not. Most people bring a 10’x10 pop up tent with a table or two and some chairs … while others lay a tarp on the ground to set their parts on.
Is there a size limit to a vendors booth and or set up area at FrankenBike? We do a pretty good job of choosing locations that can accommodate any and all event attendees but please do contact us if you need an area larger than 12’x12′ to set up and we will do our best to make sure we can accommodate you.
Can I just park my automobile on the event grounds and sell out of it? Generally no and please do not ever expect to be able to do so. For the most part we will let you drive up to your area, unload, then direct you to park off-site in a designated area. Note that once the event populates we will not allow any automobiles on the event grounds. Safety first!
I’m just looking to buy a bicycle or bicycle related gear or parts. Do I need to sign up? No you do not. There are always great deals on accessories, parts and complete, ready to ride bicycles at FrankenBike. Bringing cash for purchases is always a good plan and often sellers will accept some type of digital payment such as Zelle or Venmo or credit and debit cards.
How many people attend FrankenBike free monthly bicycle swap meets? Our events average about 50-200 people per month but depending on factors such as weather, holidays, etc., each event can have as few as 5 up to 350+ individuals throughout the day. Our smallest event ever was the inaugural FrankenBike # 1 in Austin, Texas in June 2005 where we had only 20 people all day. Years later at another FrankenBike Austin event we had 700+ individuals in attendance. Big or small they have all been great events!
Do you ever cancel or reschedule FrankenBike events due to bad weather? Sometimes yes but generally no. If the weather makes for unsafe conditions we will cancel or reschedule an event. If it’s raining and the event ground are still safe and accessible then it’s game on. Also, we do not cancel or reschedule due to it being too cold or too hot. Dress accordingly and you will be fine. Your best bet is to assume we will not cancel or reschedule an event but if we do we will provide 24 hours notice on our website as well as notify each vendor who has registered for the event in question.
Are there food vendors at FrankenBike events? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. We often set up at a locations where food sales is part of the hosts regular business – or at locations where food service is close by – but if food service is not available we will let you know so you can pack a lunch and snacks. In some cases however, the venue does not allow outside food at which point we will also make this know to event participants.
Can I sell food at FrankenBike events? If you have a valid permit to sell food at offsite events and would like to set up shop at one or more of our events we will be happy to speak with you about availability.
What is not allowed at FrankenBike events? This is not a complete list. Non-Bicycle-Related Vendors are not allowed at FrankenBike unless previous permission has been granted by FrankenBike. Intoxicated persons are not allowed at FrankenBike. Fighting is not allowed at FrankenBike. Drugs are not allowed at FrankenBike. Stolen items are not allowed at FrankenBike. Deception is not allowed at FrankenBike. Contraband as deemed by FrankenBike, the current FrankenBike host location, a town, a city, a county, a state or the federal government is not allowed at FrankenBike. Unfriendly Animals or Friendly Animals that are not leashed are not allowed at FrankenBike. Children under the age of 18 without parental supervision are not allowed at FrankenBike. Again, this is not a complete list and FrankenBike reserves the right to prohibit items deemed contraband on the spot.
How does FrankenBike deal with stolen merchandise or products being sold at FrankenBike events? We call the cops! Period. Please note that stolen items for sale at FrankenBike events has not been a problem but we take it seriously and so should you! If you are at any FrankenBike event and you feel confident that stolen items – perhaps items that were stolen from you – are being offered for sale you need to find the FrankenBike event Manager immediately and let them deal with the individual(s) while you remain calm. If a solution can not be mitigated, it is at this point that we will call the police and both parties will have to step off the event grounds and wait for the police to show up. Period. Also, if you purchased a bike at a pawn shop to “flip” do not bring it to FrankenBike as the only 2 times we have had an issue with stolen bikes has been when the bike in question was associated to a pawn shop.
Can I host one or more of the monthly FrankenBike events at my location? Yes. By all means please ask us and let’s talk about setting it up.
Can I start organizing monthly FrankenBike events in my city? We would like nothing more than to see FrankenBike in every major city in the USA so if you’re up to the challenge by all means contact us and let’s get the wheels rolling.
I still have questions. How can I contact FrankenBike? Click here to contact us.
Picture from FrankenBike Austin.