by Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 29/98) - Before some cyclists warm up their legs, they will have to raise their hands.

Bids for the Rotary Club's annual bicycle auction will be made Saturday morning.

Between 80 and 100 bicycles will be up for grabs, according to Peter Vician, who is co-ordinating this year's event. All of them are unclaimed items turned over by the RCMP and municipal enforcement.

Several Rotary members have been spending their spare time tuning up the bikes over the past month.

There's a wide variety available, according to Vician. Therefore prices will range but most usually go for less than their actual value. "People do want to try to pick up a bargain but end up spending quite a lot of money on it because of the competitive nature of auctions and because it's a really nice bike," Vician said.

"We hope people will think of it as not only getting a pretty good product but also making a donation to community activity."

The proceeds from the auction go into a service fund that provides grants to agencies such as Alison McAteer House and St. Patrick high school's Students Against Drinking and Driving, as well as projects like the Range Lake Trail and youth programs.

"Normally, it's targeted for projects and donations in Yellowknife," Vician said.