Picture from FrankenBike in 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 on 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, San Antonio, Houston and Bell County, Texas. Note that in Bell County each monthly event is held in a different city: Temple, Belton, Nolanville, Harker Heights, Killeen, Salado, etc. Each of our current monthly events are posted in the main blog of FrankenBike.net under Coming Up while future events are posted further down under Upcoming Events.
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? FrankenBike offers sponsorship packages to local business owners who would like to inform the cycling community of their products or services. We also use our own money.
Can I promote and or sell my custom made cycling products or my line of mass produced cycling products? 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? No you do not. However, we will want to get your contact information at the event if we have not met you before and you plan on setting up a vendor booth but for the most part just show up at the scheduled location and time and we will help you find a place to set up. We do ask that you wait for an event organizer to be onsite before you set up your vendor booth.
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 but there is nothing wrong with simply laying down a blanket and just setting your stuff on the ground in front of you.
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 your experience is a pleasant one.
Can I just park my car/truck 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. Once the event populates we will not allow any cars or trucks on the event grounds.
How many people attend FrankenBike free monthly bicycle swap meets? Our events average about 275 people per month but depending on factors such as weather, holidays, etc., each event can have as few as 100 all the way up to 350+ individuals throughout the day. Our smallest event ever was the inaugural FrankenBike # 1 in Austin Texas on June 2005 where we had only 20 people all day. Years later at another Austin FrankenBike event we had close to 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 and social media accounts.
Are there food vendors at FrankenBike events? Can I sell food at FrankenBike events? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. 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. Packing snacks or a lunch is always welcome and generally a good idea.
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. 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.
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 confidant that stolen items – perhaps items that were stolen from you – are being offered for sale you need to find the FrankenBike event organizer immediately and let them deal with the individual(s) while you remain calm. 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. (We take pictures of all event goers and their sale items and post them to our webpage. This is more to let folks see what transpired during past events but we feel it also acts as a deterrent to thieves.)
Can I host one or more of the monthly FrankenBike events at my location? The short answer is yes but there are several factors that must first be considered such as safety, location, availability, etc. But by all means please do ask us and let’s talk about setting it up.
Can I start organizing FrankenBike events in my city? We would like nothing more than to see FrankenBike in every city in the USA but it takes a certain kind of dedicated person/group of people to become part of Team FrankenBike and there are many factors involved including Contracts, Money, Sponsor Hierarchy, Trade Mark and Copy Right Agreements, Additional Insurance, ETC.,. but by all means contact us if you are serious and we can make it happen!
I still have questions. How can I contact FrankenBike? Click here to contact us.
Picture from FrankenBike Austin.