Team Estrogen Inc., an online cycling apparel retailer based in Hillsboro, is closing its doors after 18 years in business.

TeamEstrogen.com co-founder Susan Otcenas told Bicycle Retailer & Industry News last week that price competition and the changing behaviors of customers led to the decision to call it quits. Here’s more from BR&IN:

“We were never about price and discounts, and the world has changed. There’s a fundamental tension between the kind of hands-on customer service and high-quality staff we’ve always had and the customer demand for lower prices and free shipping,” Otcenas said. “The consumer has spoken that they value those things, and I totally understand it, but as a small company, it’s hard to compete in that space if that’s the main focus. It’s a race to the bottom, and we’re choosing not to go down that road.”

[more…]

The creatively painted Citybikes Annex on Ankeny and 7th is closing its doors.
(Photos: Citybikes)

In another sign of a changing Portland, Citybikes is closing the doors of its flagship sales location and consolidating its business.

The shop has been run as a worker-owned cooperative since 1990. It expanded from its original repair shop location on Southeast Ankeny near 20th to a second location, the 5,000 square-foot “Annex”, on the corner of SE Ankeny and 7th in 1995. Because of dwindling sales, the Annex will close for good by the end of this year.

“The main factor,” said Citybikes owner Ryan Smith in a phone interview last week, “Is that people who used to come here, don’t live in Portland anymore.” Smith is one of nine current owners of the shop and he expects that the total number of worker-owners will be reduced to just five once the transition is complete. Citybikes used to have as many as 25 owners in peak season.

[more…]

The Athletes Lounge tent at a race.

Portland’s only bike shop that specialized in the needs of triathletes is closing its doors. Athletes Lounge in northwest on Vaughn and 26th plans to close by October 1st.

Gary Wallesen has owned the shop for nearly six years after purchasing it from its previous owner who had run it since 2007.

Wallesen says the business isn’t strong enough to remain open. “Last year the numbers were down, this year numbers really down,” he shared via email last week. And he also offered some external reasons he feels the bike shop business is especially challenging these days. “The business environment is changing, online [shopping] is growing, a shop in town discounts everything and hurts all others. There is a big inventory of new bikes in Portland and the market.” Wallesen said the triathlon market is particularly flat (pun intended).

He even shared one cautionary tale that might point to larger trends: “I think people are looking to ride, but the roads are getting more crowded and a little less safe. So markets that take riders of the road might be doing better.”

[more…]

Pedego’s storefront on SW 2nd
(with new awning that just went up today!).
(Photo: Tommy Connell/Pedego)

Pedego is one of the largest and well-known names in the electric bike world and now they’ve got a retail outpost in downtown Portland. We mentioned the shop a few weeks ago and now that they’re open for business I swung in the other day for a peek.

The shop itself is located on a busy intersection on Southwest 2nd Avenue south of Stark — just across the street from legendary brunch spot Mother’s Bistro & Bar. (Store employee David Peters said he’s already had nearly a dozen people from Mother’s wander into the shop.)

[more…]

Still from the shop’s new video.
Watch it below.

Yes I’m very biased, but I honestly think Portland has the most creative and interesting bike shop owners in the country.

I mean, seriously: We’ve got a bike shop that runs out of a converted yellow school bus (that’s been painted purple); a shop that actually promotes other bike shops and will issue you a library card to checkout saddles before you buy one; a shop that was the first in America to import dutch cargo bikes (thus sparking a nationwide craze); a shop that has created a following for their brilliant newspaper ads, and a shop that has become famous worldwide for its unique blend of welcoming attitude, bar offerings, and bike collection. And I could go on and on.

And now the trend continues thanks to two shops who have mastered video marketing: 21st Avenue Bicycles and Well Tuned Fast (WTF) Bikes.

[more…]

Crank’s new storefront on Southeast Ankeny.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The only constant in Portland’s bike shop scene is change. On that note, I bring you updates on two southeast Portland shops that have opened up new doors in the past few weeks.

Crank Bike Shop moves to Southeast Ankeny

When Crank opened in 2010 I rolled over to look for it and, given what I knew about its general location near Southeast 28th Avenue, I just assumed it would be on Ankeny. But it wasn’t. It was one block over on Ash. That was a bummer because Ankeny is the very busy bike boulevard in that part of town. So imagine my delight when I found out the other day they’ve moved to… Ankeny! Yes, after many months of hard work, the folks at Crank are enjoying twice the space in a wonderfully remodeled retail store on Ankeny just before 28th.

[more…]

The mobile bike shop wars are heating up.

Velofix, a Vancouver, B.C.-based company that launched in 2013, is now open for business in Portland.

Back in June we reported that another mobile bike shop company Beeline Bikes was looking for a Portland outlet. They’re still looking. Beeline Marketing Director Peter Small shared with us last week that they’re hoping to have their first Portland shop up and running before this spring.

Meanwhile, Velofix says their first van in Portland has been open for business since January 11th. Customers can book appointments on-line then sit back and wait for the big red van to show up. Will these bike shops on wheels disrupt Portland’s existing bike shop biz? That remains to be seen.

Check out the Velofix press release below for more info:

[more…]

The Bike Commuter at SE 17th and Clatsop.

The Bike Commuter, a neighborhood bike shop that has served the Sellwood area since 2010, is closing its doors.

The Bike Commuter was a family-friendly, neighborhood bike shop owned by Eric and Naihma Deady. When it opened in January 2010, the shop was located at SE 13th and Umatilla on the main bikeway that took people from the Springwater on the Willamette to the Springwater Corridor.

10 months after opening, the shop moved a few doors down. Then in the summer of 2014, they made a major move into a much larger space at SE Clatsop and 17th. Along with more space the Deady’s aimed to make the store a “cycle lounge” with beer, music and community events.

[more…]

Small is the new big when it comes to bike shops in Portland. Over the past few years we’ve seen a clear trend in what type of shops are opening up. They are small and service-oriented, tucked away in places that often only a loyal stable of local customers know about.

In the past few months three new small bike shops have opened up in Portland. Here’s what you need to know about each one of them…

Tuite Bicycle Repair – 2234 N Lombard (Google Map)

Tommy Tuite opened up his shop back in September. With over 10 years of experience at local stalwarts like Veloshop (now Portland Bicycle Studio), Western Bikeworks, and Velotech.com, Tuite offers a little something for everyone. He and his (growing) family live just a few blocks from the store, so it’s truly a neighborhood place where you’re certain to feel welcome. “We aim to add a positive space for the community to discover bicycles for racing, health and transportation,” Tommy said in an email to us a few months back.

[more…]

Marc Vanselow, Burlingame Bikes co-owner, presents a
new “Eddy 70” to Jim Dillard of Sequim, Washington.
(Photo: Burlingame Bikes)

Road racing legend Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx turned 70 this year. To mark the occasion he had 70 very special bikes made and offered them to his worldwide fan base at the cool price of $17,500 a piece.

Only 10 “Eddy 70” bikes have been sold in the United States and two of them ended up at Burlingame Bikes in southwest Portland.

[more…]