Matt from Wheel Talk pulled together a very nice and tight edit from Portland’s Bone Machine Crit from last month. Be sure to check out Matt’s photos at Wheel Talk.
#Portland
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Reportage
Inside / Out at the Vanilla Workshop and the Workshop Buildoff Party
It’d been a while since the last time I had been to Portland. 2015 or so, if I recall correctly. In that time, a lot has changed in the city, and over at our friends at the Vanilla Workshop.
While I was in Portland at the Workshop Buildoff, I did my best at documenting the space, a few people, and the party scene from the kickoff. Portland’s got a deep cycling culture, and seeing it come out for this party was a great way to spend a Friday night. Feeling the frenetic buzz leading up to the event, only to be released with the first can of beer opening was a real treat and one that I enjoyed watching unfold.
Reportage
If You Build It, They Will Come: Gladys Bikes in Portland
If you build it, they will come, and by “they” I mean women. Yet not the women we typically see the industry sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars into R&D to make the perfect bike. No, this segment of the industry often gets the back-burner.
Let’s backpedal a little bit. Gladys Bikes is, as their Google profile so succinctly puts it, “a cycle shop for women.” The owner, Leah, felt there was a void in Portland’s current bike shop offering in one key way: they tend to leave out the hybrid, or commuter market, especially for middle-aged women. Particularly when it comes to bike fitting and saddle selection. Leah and her crew cater to this group, dare I say the “forgotten demographic” in the cycling industry.
Radar
Portland’s Velo Cult to Close Brick and Mortar to Focus on Online Sales
These 120 film photos are from the archives, when I visited @VeloCult in 2012
It pains me to post this. Every time we lose a great bike shop, the community suffers and the IBD suffers. It’s scary to witness it happening at such an alarming rate, especially since we really do need bike shops who give a damn. I can’t weigh in too much since I haven’t been to Velo Cult in a few years, but I can say that I wish I would have stopped by earlier this month, instead I figured I’d roll through when I was back in October, to spend some quality time there, rather than drop in, strapped for time.
Writing about this is hard, so maybe the best thing is to leave it with the official statement and a reminder that you, the consumer, won’t realize what you’ve got until it’s gone. Support your local bike shop when you can and hopefully shops can adapt to this changing market and economy. To Sky and the team at Velo Cult, I wish you the best of luck with your online shop.
Read the full press-release below…
Reportage
Golden Pliers is Portland’s Newest Bike Shop!
Just a few, short years back, when people shifted their nomenclature from “bicycle touring” to include the term “bikepacking,” there weren’t many brands or shops for that matter, that catered to outings such as overnighters all the way through extensive tours. At least not compared to today’s offerings. Just about every day I read about a new product that claims to make our time on a loaded bicycle easier, or more pleasant, and as you can imagine, there is a lot of filtering that has to happen in order to cull this seemingly endless parade of new products.
That’s where the local bike shop model comes into play. My favorite part about visiting any city are the shops that make these places tick and in Portland, Oregon, there are so many shops around that specificity is the name of the game for survival in the ever-struggling retail economy.
One of the ways shops – and brands for that matter – have found the key to survival is by carefully cultivating a selection of products that have been thoroughly vetted by either the shop’s staff or close friends of the shop. The only way to determine the feasibility of a product is to actually use it, right? I’ve noticed this happening a lot, the culling down of the bike shop. In many ways, this makes for an easier retail experience, from the customer’s perspective and the owner’s.
Radar
The Bone Machine Crit is in Portland this Sunday!
If you’re in Portland, roll through! See more details at Bone Machine Crit.
Radar
Join Us at the Vanilla Workshop Build-Off Tonight!
I’m in Portland for this, so if you are too, swing by!
A one-night bike show and party featuring 6 unique Speedvagen builds that will determine Speedvagen’s next Ready Made model. Join us for tours of The Vanilla Workshop, drinks, food, and to vote on your favorite build. See all the details at the Vanilla Workshop’s Facebook!
Builds from:
@TheVanillaWorkshop, @GoldenSaddleCyclery, @PrettyDamnedFast, @TheAthletic, and @Mcfetridge
Presented by:
@chriskingbuzz , @whiteind, @paulcomponent, @philwoodandco, @Simworksusa, @SunandAir, and @thevanillaworkshop
Radar
Gravel Dancing
This Saturday, June 9th, Dustin Klein is leading a group ride from the Chrome Portland location, finishing back at the Chrome Hub for a premier of the “It’s Getting There” short film and free refreshments.
Roll out at 11:00 am
Finish approximately 2:30pm
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27657125
Chrome Portland Hub
425 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 719-4693
Reportage
Annalisa’s Breadwinner Lolo Has a Lotta Portland Love
Bicycles are often the by-product of their environment, their peer group, and their community. Sure, that might be extending a lot of credit to an inanimate object, but over the years, it’s easy to see that people often kit out their bikes based on these conditions. For people like Annalisa, from Endurance PDX and the We Got to Hang Out podcast, her road bike is a by-product of her community in Portland.
Next door to Endurance PDX is a little company called Breadwinner Cycles. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? Tony and Ira, along with a very talented team, build beautiful bikes, designed to be ridden hard on various terrain. The Lolo is their classic, rim brake road bike with room for chubby road tires and a beautiful paint job. Annalisa built her bike up with Chris King parts, another Portland, Oregon-based company and wheels built by none other than Sugar Wheel Works, you guessed it, yet another company that calls Portland home.
While Annalisa was in town doing bike fits at Golden Saddle Cyclery and interviewing Jen Whalen for their latest podcast, I took this Red 22 eTap-equipped roadie to the photo wall for some up close and personal photos.
Thanks to Annalisa for being such a positive and supportive voice in the cycling industry. I can’t wait to come hang with y’all later this summer.
Radar
River City Bicycles: Rubber to the Road – Thrillium
I love the Rubber to the Road series River City Bicycles is putting out. These videos profile some of the exquisite rides in the area, ranging from road to mountain, with the latest being the Thrillium trail, about an hour drive from Portland’s center.
Radar
River City Bicycles: Cross Crusade 2017 – Alpenrose
River City continues their Cross Crusade video coverage with the race from Alpenrose.
Radar
The 10th Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show is This Weekend!
Like handmade bikes? Will you be in Portland this weekend? Well, don’t miss the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show this weekend. See all the details below!
Radar
Rubber to the Road: The Gateway Green
Here’s the newest video project from River City Bicycles, dubbed “Rubber to the Road,” where the shop looks at the riding surrounding the Portland area. First up (on this site anyway) is the new Gateway Green trail network:
“Gateway Green is an enormous undertaking that’s been in the works for almost twelve years now, and this Saturday, June 24th, it’s officially opening to the public. The amount of work that went into making this a reality- both physically and politically is impressive, to say the least, but saying the finished product reflects it is an understatement. Special thanks to the Northwest Trail Alliance, Portland Parks and Recreation, and all the volunteers who put countless hours into this project to make it a reality. Gateway Green is the Portland area’s first, extensive, 25-acre mountain bike-specific park which lies just on the other side of I-205 from Rocky Butte and just a few blocks away from the Gateway Transit Center. It’s incredibly accessible by either the 205 bike path, or the Blue, Green and Red MAX lines, and is only seven miles away from River City. For more information on the park, be sure to visit www.gatewaygreenpdx.org, and we hope to see you out there soon!”
Radar
Total Solar Eclipse Bike Campout
Interested in riding from Portland to Salem during this year’s total solar eclipse? Well, now’s your chance to sign up!
Radar
Path Less Pedaled: Bantam Shop Visit
Russ and Laura swing through the workshop of Portland’s own Bantam Bicycles to talk about bicycle frame fabrication. If you want to see more from Bantam, don’t miss Nils’ dirt tourer from last year!
Radar
Gateway Green
Thanks to River City Bicycles for pulling this together!
“Gateway Green is an enormous undertaking that’s been in the works for almost twelve years now, and this Saturday, June 24th, it’s officially opening to the public. The amount of work that went into making this a reality- both physically and politically is impressive to say the least, but saying the finished product reflects it is an understatement. Special thanks to the Northwest Trail Alliance, Portland Parks and Recreation, and all the volunteers who put countless hours into this project to make it a reality. Gateway Green is the Portland area’s first, extensive, 25-acre mountain bike-specific park which lies just on the other side of I-205 from Rocky Butte and just a few blocks away from the Gateway Transit Center. It’s incredibly accessible by either the 205 bike path, or the Blue, Green and Red MAX lines, and is only seven miles away from River City. For more information on the park, be sure to visit www.gatewaygreenpdx.org, and we hope to see you out there soon!”
Radar
Path Less Pedaled Visits Sugar Wheel Works
How’d I miss this one? Path Less Pedaled visited Sugar Wheel Works a few weeks back and this video is worth the watch for sure!
Radar
Yo! Portland: the Fat Tour is Coming to Town on Thursday!
This week at Velo Cult!
Portland FAT FANS, Come hang with Chris Chance and the Fat Chance Team on June 8th; we’d love to see you. Stop by for a beer, meet Chris, check out some of our new bikes including the Chris Cross and Yo Eddy 2.2, and celebrate all things FAT! Hosted by our friends at Velo Cult (and their awesome collection of vintage Fats)
Event: Fat Chance Bicycle PDX Tour With Chris Chance
When: Thursday, June 8th, 6-8pm
Where: Velo Cult Bike Shop & Bar – 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland.
Why: Drink beers, check out awesome bikes, celebrate all things Fat!
Who: Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Chris Chance and his newly released fleet of bicycles
Cover: Free!
