no excuse not to give ‘cross a try!
In the latest sign that Portland is gearing up for another crazy cyclocross season, a downtown bike rental business has announced they’ll offer cyclocross bikes as part of their fleet.
Eric Roden, the manager at Waterfront Bicycles (now at 10 SW Ash St. along Naito Parkway) says he wanted to give his customers a “true cross experience.” “Obviously, we’re in the world’s biggest hotbed for the sport,” he said via telephone today, “and there are new people who are wanting to try it all the time.”
But Roden added that instead of “trying it with your brother’s hybrid bike or whatever else you can cobble together, why not use the right equipment?”
Roden says they’ve got a full fleet (sized 49-61cm) of Fuji Cross Comps available. They are race-ready machines spec’d with mid-level componentry (Shimano 105 and Ultegra) and a carbon fiber fork.
Interested racers can either reserve the bikes ahead of time or pick them up on race-day. The rental price is $20 if you just rent it for one race, and $55 if you take the bike overnight (and return the next day).
Roden knows a thing or two about cross racing. This year will be his second season of cross and he tells me he fell in love with the sport through his 12 year-old son. “He lives for cyclocross. He’s been doing it for three years now and seeing how quickly he fell in love with it inspired me to get back into the sport after not racing for about eight years.”
Roden has also ordered up some Team Waterfront skinsuits (lycra jersey and shorts all-in-one) for a group of family and friends (including Waterfront Bicycle Rentals owner Karen Stiles, who also plans to race this year).
Now with the option to rent a race-worthy bike, there’s simply no excuse to not give ‘cross a try this year. As Roden says, “It’s the most fun you can have on two wheels.”
Thanks for reading.
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Wow, that\’s awesome. I can\’t believe he would let his rental fleet get used in such an intense way, but I\’m really happy about it. This seriously might inspire me to try it. Do I have to wash it before I return it? 😉
Wow, for $20 one could use it as a pit bike. Or just save the $50+ wear and tear to your own bike when it\’s muddy at Barton Park 🙂
I think it\’s a brilliant stroke of genius.
Of course if I was his insurance broker, I\’d have a cow.
I\’ve just gotta say that Waterfront Bikes is such a great little bike shop! I got my touring bike from Eric and Karen this summer and couldn\’t be happier with it.
Uh oh, there goes my skinny-tires excuse. I guess it\’s time to bust out the tutu and mud goggles and give this thing a shot.
Now that I\’ve spent a bunch of money on a second wheel set. I went to the Alpenrose Cross Clinic last Wednesday and fumbled with my second wheel set on my bike rack. I could have just picked up a Waterfront bike. I will certainly keep this option in mind.
Cross destroys bike bits. Tires go get shredded, tubes pop, brake pads get ground into oblivion after a single race, rims get dinged, drivetrains get roasted in one season, etc.
I spend about a half an hour or more cleaning and dialing my bike for the next race. More time if I\’m replacing pads, cleaning cables, repacking bearings, regluing tires, etc. And I\’ve simplified the process by forgoing gears.
At $20, this is an unbelievably good deal. This is one of those things that\’s done for love of the sport and not as a big source of revenue. I commend the effort!
Joeb…changing wheelsets is easy…if you\’re having trouble with the rear wheel, simply click the chain onto the rear cassette down to its biggest (smallest) gear…this lines up the chain with the wheel as the new wheel is put on. rear wheel should slide right off and the new one right back on…
just click the gears up a few so its easier to start pedaling when you first start…
its the reason pro road riders need a \”push\” after they get a rear wheel change…they don\’t take the time to downshift the bike.
practice it at home a few times until you can do it in a few seconds…good skill to have in a race situation…even cross when you\’re running into the pit begging for a new wheel..
This is a great service..but I can\’t see it lasting long…especially if early season races involve rain and the owner starts getting back mangled rear derailleurs, chipped rims, broken spokes, and hours worth of labor for his shop guys cleaning the bikes..
wow…I think I\’ve spent well over $20 per race on broken equipment. I wonder if you endo and destroy the shifters, do you have to pay to replace them? 🙂
I\’d expect if you broke parts on a rental bike due to a crash or abuse outside of normal and intended use, you would be responsible for repairs. Normal wear and tear is probably covered. Kind of like a rental car. But I could be wrong – not my biz!
bike and destroy beat me to the punch.
Exactly correct.
also bikes would need to be hosed off prior to return or a cleaning fee would be charged.
I am glad to hear all the interest in our rentals, and look forward to seeing
more folks at the races!
Ciao,
E
I\’d hate to be the grunt in that shop.
Cyclocross season means Unicross season!
Thanks bahueh. It sounds like this may cause me to build up some mechanical skills. I\’ve been acquiring tools, but am clumsy working on my bike.
My plan has been to use my only bike, my commuter, for cyclocross. That\’s not sounding like such a good idea. I dropped my bike at Alpenrose last week which resulted in me ruining my derailluer when I shifted into the spokes. And I was just walking in circles in a dry grassy field. This could get expensive. And I had to bus to work.
So if I rent a Waterfront bike for 10 races at $20/race + $50 in repairs I may be ahead at $700 for the season. Or maybe I\’ll spare Waterfront\’s bike and shop for a well used SS.
ya joeb….CCX isn\’t friendly to the rear derailleur…two years ago and the December Kreugers race…I walked around and counted some 50-60 broken derailleurs in about 45 minutes…
the mixture of hay and mud was just too much…at 60-80$/part…it gets expensive quickly. good bike repair is a slowly learned art…but its not out of anyone\’s capability to learn.
anywho..good luck to the rental shop. anyone know just how many they are thinking about renting out? a \”full fleet\” doesn\’t tell us much..
I just processed all their OBRA memberships! 😀
\”It’s the most fun you can have on two wheels.\”
Ain\’t that the truth. It\’s gonna be a heck of a year and I\’m glad that Waterfront Bicycles is doing this.
Mr. Bricker and Mr. Maus- I fully expect you to be hitting the cross circuit this year. :p (that is racing your bicis)
That\’s an interesting idea.
But cyclocross is the devil\’s own sport. It\’s horrible and soul-consuming.
If you value your sanity… stay away!
Stay away from cyclocross, people! Just stay away!!
Amazing how provincial and in love with itself Portland is … not only is it the self-proclaimed center of the bicycle universe, but now the world\’s hotbed of Cross! I think that hotbed lies somewhere in Europe closer to the center of the bike universe, located where all those Dutch bikes are. I hope the renters tip the mechanics twice that rental fee.
I felt a pang of sadness for the employees of that shop. Money better spent fielding a cross team for novices, than filling your shop with cheap racers every weekend.
I hope that works and the community appreciates it, cause that shop just opened a money pit for Cross racers to portage their bikes over. Maybe there\’s some loss-leader marketing ploy at work here?
Eric Roden at Waterfront bikes is the best. He’s the only mechanic in Portland that I will allow to work on my and my friends bikes. He truly loves the sport and is NOT a poser ( the man races ) He’s even good at making custom footbeds. he gave me a boot fit at Sam Bennets ski shop back in the day…. I wonder if he could fit my cycling shoes?…ouch)