Gateway Bicycles, located at NE Halsey and 119th, has decided to close their doors.
A reader forwarded me an email sent out by the shop’s owners. Here’s the message (also posted on their website):
We are sorry to say that the time has come for us to change paths and we are shutting the shop down. Starting August 9th at 10am we will begin our going out of business sale. Everything in the shop is for sale. We do plan on keeping the tools around for a couple of weeks to help get bikes out the door. We will post when the tools and fixtures go up for sale.
We have some really great inventory in stock at some screaming deals for people interest in getting the best deals in town!!! We have Cervelo, Specialized, Guru, Cannondale, Kuota, Santana tandems, Da Vinci tandems, Zipp wheels, Roval wheels. Some unbelievable deals. Come check it out and say goodbye.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to support us.
This has been a tough week for Northeast Portland bike shop customers. Last Sunday, Velotech (the retail arm of BikeTiresDirect.com), located just three miles north of Gateway Bicycles, sustained major damage due to a fire (they’re expected to re-open soon).
It’s unfortunate to see Gateway going out of business, but perhaps another shop will spring up in its place. I hear it’s a great time to be in the bike business.
Any word on why they\’re closing?
Also, did you get the Lifecycle of a bicycle video I sent your way?
This was my go-to shop for tandem stuff over the last decade, sorry to see them go.
NO WAY! Theses guys have been great for tandems in this city. Members of my family have bought bikes there and my child stoker kit was purchased and installed there. In fact, on the Bridge Pedal this morning, I just referred someone else to go there!
Sad news…
Well, now I know where I\’ve got to head on my next ride. And about those Child Stoker kits, those had to be one of my favorite things that I saw at Bridge Pedal today.
I never heard of this place, but now of course I\’ll have to check it out. I\’ve been wanting to get a tandem for my girlfriend and I as a matter of fact. I wonder how a bike shop could go out of business in this city and in this day and age. Must have just gotten tired of it or something.
There are many reasons for small retailers going out of business.
Even the most successful can get burnt out and look towards doing something different.
I hope this is the case, where hard work over the years has paid off and they are looking at reaping the rewards of that effort.
That\’s too bad. This shop has great people and great selection and although they are the closest shop to me I didn\’t really discover them until earlier this year and regretted that I had not directed more of my big purchases to them over the last two years. But I found out that they had been around since the 70s and figured they\’d be around a while more. I hope woogie\’s story sums it up.
They didn\’t just dole out big-bike tandem love. Gateway employee and Zoobomber \”Mechanic Mark,\” built some of the fastest 16\” wheels on the hill and effectively made Gateway Portland\’s first performance minibike shop. We\’ll be sad to see \’em go.
Too bad about Gateway closing.
But also, I have to mention, for a long time BikePortland.org didn\’t even link to Gateway Bicycles website.
…just sayin\’.
The BikePortland website has become less inner-centric over time, though, and that\’s good.
Good tri shop; there are a few triathlon cyclists in my neighborhood riding on Gateway purchases.
My wife and I just headed over there last night and they have INCREDIBLE deals going on. My dad bought my family bikes there over 15 years ago and they took care of my wife and I there when we bought some upgrades for our bikes. I am going to miss that old shop. It has always been a landmark in Gateway.
Thanks for all the kind comments. Being tired of the bike retail business is the root of our decision to close. It was a good run, and I learned a lot while working there, but it\’s time for us to move on. It\’ll be nice to have weekends off to ride bikes and do other fun things.
High-end bike sales are driven by constant innovation. The manufacturers turn out new products every year in the quest for the next hot must-have frame or component group. The new products are hyped up in magazines and eagerly anticipated by competitive cyclists looking for every advantage, no matter how slight. Unfortunately, the products are often months behind their announced release dates, and many times sufficient testing is lacking, so they don\’t work as well as they should. This is disappointing for the customer and frustrating for the mechanics. There are other difficulties to overcome in this business, but that is the most annoying thing for me.
My biggest regret is that we will no longer be there to offer good service to all of our loyal customers. The tandem and triathlon market will have a big hole to fill. There aren\’t as many bike shops in this part of town, so even folks just looking for simple repairs will have to go further to find them.
Thanks to everyone who has supported our business through the years.
I just stopped in–they will open to the public through Sunday Aug 24. I just bought a pair of carnacs for $21 (85% off). Lots of sidi, carnac, shimano shoes, helmets and road bikes for sale…some are 30% off.