Chicago Winter Bike Swap returns to Kane County Fairgrounds Sunday

Bicycle enthusiasts are expected to make the trek to the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles tomorrow for the Chicago Winter Bike Swap.

This is the second straight year the event has been held inside the Prairie Events Center at the Kane County Fairgrounds, located at 525 S. Randall Road. Hal Honeyman, one of the owners of The Bike Rack in St. Charles, along with his wife, Julie and their son, Dane, took over running the Bike Swap from a person who had previously run it at Harper College in Palatine.

After running it the first year at Harper College, they had planned to open it at the Kane County Fairgrounds in 2021, but couldn’t because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It gave us a lot more flexibility being at the Kane County Fairgrounds,” Honeyman said. “It’s a bigger space and the way it’s set up, there’s more flexibility. We’re able to do more things.”

Hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The lobby opens at 8:30 a.m.

Admission is $5 for adults ($5.50 with a credit card) and children age 12 and under are free. Parking is free.

The Bike Rack has been participating in the Chicago Winter Bike Swap since its inception. This is the 14th year of the Chicago Winter Bike Swap.

Besides bicycles and parts being for sale at the Chicago Winter Bike Swap, the event will also feature cycling clubs and advocacy groups along with informational presentations from Ride Illinois, Chicago Area Mountain Bikers and International Women’s Day Together We Ride.

The nonprofit organization that Honeyman founded, Project Mobility, will also be represented at the event. The group’s mission is to provide children, adults and veterans with disabilities with adaptive bikes.

His interest in adaptive cycling was spurred on by his son, Jacob, who was born with cerebral palsy. An adaptive bicycle can cost up to $5,000.

“We’e going to have an area set up with adaptive bikes so people can come and try any number of adaptive bikes,” Honeyman said.

In addition, the event’s title sponsor, Trek, will host an indoor Trek e-bike demo track so that attendees can ride the latest Trek e-bikes without leaving the event hall. Test riders will also receive a $100 off coupon for any Trek e-bike to be used at participating dealers.

“It will be a pretty unique experience for people,” Honeyman said.

Last year, about 1,500 people attended the Chicago Winter Bike Swap. He expects even more people will attend this year’s event.

“This year, I think we will have well over 2,000 people,” he said.

Local artist Jake Mack will perform during the event. Food and beverages will also be provided, including coffee from Arcedium Coffeehouse in St. Charles. Local food trucks, Chuck’s Wood Fired Pizza and Fernando’s Street Kitchen will provide a variety of food options and St. Charles-based D and G Brewing Company will provide local craft beer.

More information is available at chicagowinterbikeswap.com.