IU Office of Parking Operations auctions impounded, abandoned bikes at annual event

The IU Office of Parking Operations conducted its annual Bike Auction on Saturday.
Bikes that are impounded, not chained properly or abandoned for more than six months were auctioned at a reduced price. All proceeds benefit the IU Parking Operations’ “general fund,” which sponsors new parking lots, bike racks and safety escorts.

“Demand kind of sets the prices,” Assistant Director of Parking Operations Amanda
Turmipseed said.

She estimated about 100 bikes were sold.

“Tires that aren’t bent, a seat that’s attached and brakes that work all make for a good bike,” she said.

Other bikes might still have valuable spare parts.

The auction began by showcasing newer bikes and later featured bicycles in the $30-40 range.

Rush Auction Center partnered with Parking Operations to sell the bikes, and Justin Coleman served as the “Ring Guy” for Saturday’s auction.

Coleman helped register customers and display bikes, as well as auction them to the
highest bidder.

“I’ll say, ‘Bike Number 350,’ and people will raise their bid card,” he said.
About 150 people attended the auction.

“The more people you get, the more bikes you sell, the higher price you’re going to bring,” Coleman said.

Turmipseed said the auction raised about $4,500, enough to install one new bike rack. She said this was an increase from previous years.

This year, the older, 10-speed bikes were most popular.

Freshman Rudi Hanekamp purchased a red Schwinn bicycle. Hanekamp is enrolled in finite math this summer, lives a little farther than a mile from campus and said he needs a bike to ride to class.

He said he thought the bike had been impounded.

“I wanted it to be lightweight, curved handlebars — an easier to ride, light roadbike,” he said.

The Schwinn had all those characteristics except the curved handlebars. But it had a logo of “Moar” on it, which Hanekamp said held sentimental value for him.

He visited Moar Mound and Village Site in Ohio when he was 10 years old and saw a lot of people biking there.

“I was jealous,” he said.

The visit, and his class this summer, inspired him to start biking.