Share the Bikey Goodness: From the Mayor’s Expo to Regional Ripples

Every single week at Alberta Bike Swap is completely different, and every single week is wonderful. This past week was a powerful reminder of how a passion for cycling can ripple outward, connecting generations, safety education, and communities across Alberta.

Empowering the Next Generation at the Mayor’s Environmental Expo

We spent an incredible few days at the Mayor’s Environmental Expo, hosted beautifully by the City of Calgary. We had a rapt audience of both parents and children, all eager to learn the foundational elements of safe riding. We focused on two critical pieces of safety: the “2-V-1” helmet fit rule and the essential “A-B-C” bike check (Air, Brakes, and Chain/Crank) to ensure a bicycle is truly mechanically ready for the road.

Beyond teaching the kids, the expo was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with the many City of Calgary staff members who regularly volunteer at our bike swaps. Their dedication to a climate-resilient city shines through both in their daily work and their volunteer hours with us.

Celebrating Climate Week: People and Places by Bike

This passion for active transit perfectly mirrored our recent focus on Calgary Climate Week. We’ve been celebrating the massive success of the Hub & Spokes Downtown Loop rides. Co-presented by our partners at the Calgary Climate Hub and Bike Calgary, these tours provided the perfect framework to see Calgary’s changing landscape through a completely different lens.

The core beauty of the Hub & Spoke model is how it intentionally links people and places by bike. By guiding riders of all skill levels through the 5A downtown pathway network, the event transformed abstract climate conversations into a tangible, open-air experience. Participants built the physical confidence to commute while stopping at key urban landmarks to see how protected bike lanes, urban greening, and sustainable infrastructure seamlessly integrate into daily Calgary life.

Expanding Community Infrastructure

The momentum from the Expo and Climate Week translated directly into booking future community impacts. We successfully lined up quite a few upcoming community clean-ups and booked our specialized community bike racks for multiple upcoming Neighbor Day celebrations and local tri-bike events. Providing this infrastructure ensures that communities have the physical tools they need to support active transit safely.

The Regional Ripple Effect: Claresholm & Kiwanis Partnerships

One of the most rewarding parts of running Alberta Bike Swap is acting as a conduit for change. This week, we received some fantastic photos from Claresholm, where we had previously sent a large wave of bicycle donations. Seeing those bikes directly in the hands of people who need them around the Claresholm area is exactly why we do this.

Back at home, the collaborative wheel keeps turning. We have been busy rebuilding bikes with our long-standing partners at Kiwanis, a collaboration we have proudly sustained for many years. It has been incredibly beautiful to watch our ecosystem grow, as several of our dedicated Alberta Bike Swap volunteers have now started volunteering their time with Kiwanis too!

When volunteers cross-pollinate like this, our collective impact multiplies. Thank you to everyone who helps us share the bikey goodness every single week. See you on the pathways!