Do I see $5? Bike auction at Poly

Today is the last day the public can enter a silent auction for abandoned bicycles during Cal Poly’s University Police Department annual bike auction. The event, which began Tuesday, features about 50 unclaimed bikes over the past six months.

The bikes were either abandoned or confiscated by police from illegal parking areas and never claimed, organizers said.

Proceeds from the auction will go to campuswide bicycle safety programs. Bikes not sold in the auction will be saved for the next event, recycled or donated to Cal Poly engineering classes.

On Tuesday, people browsed the various mountain and road bikes in the warm sun, many fidgeting with the gears or trying them out on the sidewalk.

The bikes will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the campus police station. The station is outside the University Police Department’s Building 74 on North Perimeter Road.

Once there, bidders can check out a bike and then mark their bid on the sign-up sheet at the on-site booth. The minimum bid for a bike is $5.

The winners will be notified by phone.

This story was originally published May 31, 2011 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Do I see $5? Bike auction at Poly."