Gardai peddle, and buyers pedal

The low price of a bicycle got even lower for a few hours yesterday as the Garda auctioned off its store of stolen and recovered two-wheelers.

The twice-yearly sale at Kevin Street station in Dublin has become something of a pilgrimage for bargain-hunters in recent years, and yesterday was no exception.

Over 200 students, dealers and other bike-lovers gathered outdoors before auctioneer Norman Colfer's gavel to compete for a selection of bikes that ranged from crocks to the nearly-new.

From the opening offer, a yellow racing bike that fetched €45, the bidding was fiercely contested, and prices climbed steadily during the two-hour sale.

Still, many bidders were able to walk away with a fully-functioning bike for about €100, while others paid half as much again for a fancier model or one in very good condition.

Some had no saddles, others had no chains. Many still bore their unopened locks as a sign of their former owners' carelessness.

Liam Dunne paid €150 for a mountain-bike "of a sort" for pedalling around Mulhuddart. "I haven't had a bike for years and I just hope the chain doesn't come off," he said.

According to Michael Murphy, most of the items on auction are "only so-so". But he was still happy to splash out €200 for one of the better models.

Clever Sinéad McHugh purchased two bicycles at €120 each, and intends to sell one of them.

"I was careful to get something that wasn't too shiny or attract too much attention, because I don't want it stolen. Also, I got bikes with all the accessories; many of them needed work and you'd have to cut the old locks off," she said.

All the bikes at Kevin Street have been stored for a year in case their owners come to collect them. Even so, at least one was taken out of the auction yesterday after someone claimed to be its owner.

Arguably the best value was to be had at the end of the auction, when two lots of about 100 bicycle frames were sold for less than €200 each. Asked if he was in the bike business, the buyer of the first lot, John Reilly, replied: "Well, I am now".

True to his word, Mr Reilly immediately offered the contents of his pile for sale to the remaining bidders. This was the cue for the real cycling aficionados to descend upon the heap of maimed bikes, trying to match the working parts of different carcasses.

"Every year, I go to these auctions to get my bike, and every year it gets stolen. It's a vicious circle," said Alicia Falvey, as she wrestled a lime-green model from the centre of the pile.

With almost 400 stolen bicycles reported to the Garda each year, the good news is that fresh bargains will be available in the next sale this autumn.