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Five Adventure Outings workers have spent the last three weeks fixing about 50 bikes that were damaged, left on campus or confiscated by University Police.
The bikes will be auctioned off in the Free Speech Area on Thursday.
The money raised from the auction will be used to send students on an Adventure Outings trip who otherwise could not afford to go, said Kyle Hughes, Adventure Outings bike cart manager. It's a "for the students, by the students" event.
When University Police impounds bikes, the bikes can be publicly auctioned off if they're not claimed within six months, Hughes said. About 200 bikes are being stored in the Facilities Management and Services' lot across from the Oasis.
Adventure Outings workers repaired the bikes so that students can buy quality bikes at a low price, Hughes said.
Junior Trevor Morgan has lived in Chico for three years without a bike and said he is planning to attend the auction. He said he's tired of walking and still has two years left, so a bike would be convenient.
Morgan said he doesn't have a particular type of bike in mind, just one with two wheels that will get him from point A to point B. He wants to buy a bike for a cheap price so it won't be a problem if it gets stolen. He plans on spending $30 to $50.
The bidding will start around $25 but will depend on the bike. The newest bikes only needed their tires pumped, and the oldest bike had a registration sticker dated 1975.
About 30 percent of the bikes were too damaged to repair, he said. Workers stripped the bikes of their usable parts, and the frames were recycled.
"We're doing it in a very green way," Hughes said.
Students can view the bikes from
1 to 3 p.m. and choose the ones they like according to the number assigned to each bike. The auction will follow, and Adventure Outings' Derek Urban will be the auctioneer.
Adventure Outings plans to host an auction every semester, and the next one is set for Sept. 6.
Karen McIntyre can be reached at kmcintyre@theorion.com
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