Baker Loves Bikes Hosts Swap Meet to Fund City Pump Track

With no dedicated off-street riding course in Baker City, young cyclists have little option but to practice in parking lots and on neighborhood streets, a daily improvisation that carries real collision risk and leaves skill development to chance. Baker Loves Bikes is working to end that with a proposed jump park near Sam-O Swim Center, and this Saturday the nonprofit is hosting a community bike swap to build the early funding the project needs.

The swap runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 11 at the corner of Main and Church streets, next to Barley Brown's. Anyone can attend to buy, sell, or trade bicycles and gear, with proceeds going directly toward planning and initial fundraising for the park. It is not the group's first attempt at this model: a similar swap in April 2025 generated $3,700 for the effort.

The full project carries a construction estimate of $280,000 to $300,000, according to Luke Brown, Baker Loves Bikes' youth projects chairman. Local contractors have indicated they may contribute labor, which could reduce the out-of-pocket total. The site, a city-owned parcel adjacent to Sam-O Swim Center, cleared a critical institutional hurdle in June 2025 when the Baker City Council voted 7-0 to allow the group to remove the existing basketball court and replace it with the bike park.

Community backing has widened since that vote. Koby Myer, CEO of the Baker County YMCA, called the project "wonderful" in a formal letter to the city, with the Y declaring itself in "full support." Brown has said the Sam-O site is well-suited for both youth and adult riders looking for a controlled, traffic-free place to sharpen skills.

The distance between swap-table revenue and a finished park remains substantial. Getting from $3,700 in seed money to a $280,000-plus construction project requires grant applications, site design, liability review, and permit coordination with city agencies. Saturday's event is as much a public signal as a fundraiser: recreation-focused grantmakers typically look for documented community investment before committing grant dollars, and a well-attended swap provides exactly that evidence.

Those who want to support the project but cannot attend can follow Baker Loves Bikes on Facebook for updates on volunteer build days, planning meetings, and future fundraising drives. The next formal checkpoint is the Baker City Council, where permitting discussions will eventually require public input before construction can begin. Residents who want their voices heard on the project's approval timeline should monitor council meeting agendas posted through the city's official channels.