A Community Bike Swap and Tune-Up event will take place on the Andover Village Green on Saturday, May 14, from 1 to 4 PM. Sponsored by the Andover Community Association, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, Kearsarge Valley Transition Initiative, and the Proctor Academy Cycling Team, the event will offer free basic tune-ups and tips provided by bike-savvy neighbors, students, and teachers.

There will also be two “Do-It-Yourself Basics” workshops from 1:30 to 1:45 and from 3:30 to 3:45. In case of rain, the entire event will be held in the Andover Elementary/Middle School gym.

The event is free and open to the public. Anyone with an extra or outgrown bicycle of any shape or size in good working condition (or easily fixed by volunteer mechanics) is encouraged to bring it to swap or donate to a family in need.

If you can’t make the event but have a bike to donate, drop it off any day prior to the event at the Andover Police Station with an attached (waterproofed) note giving your name and a telephone number. Bike donors will receive gift certificates to Tarte Cafe, Naughty Nellie’s Ice Cream, or Outdoor New England!

Community members who are in need of a bike are welcome to come “shop” the selection of donations on Saturday. Unclaimed ones will be sent to Recycled Cycles in Concord, a collaboration between Goodwill Industries of Northern New England and the Central New Hampshire Bicycling Coalition, which provides training and employment in bike repair and maintenance to women who are transitioning out of the New Hampshire state prison system.

Refreshments will be provided free of charge by Jake’s Market. For further information, contact Susan Chase at SRFChase@nullgmail.com or 735-5135. We hope to see you there!