The launch of Breadwinner Cycles drew a huge crowd.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Breadwinner Cycles drew a huge crowd to Velo Cult on Friday night. The event marked the official launch of the company which was started by noted bike builders Tony Pereira and Ira Ryan (we profiled Breadwinner back in February).

At Friday night's event, the highlight for me was the assemblage of locally owned Ira Ryan Cycles and Pereira Cycles bikes. Tony and Ira invited all their local customers to display their bikes as a way to demonstrate the lineages that produced Breadwinner. It was really cool to see all these custom bikes, banged up and dirty from being ridden on local streets by local riders. There were touring bikes, racing bikes, mountain and city ramblers, and everything in between. I was especially keen to meet the owners Ira and Tony's first bikes sold in Portland...
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Introducing Breadwinner Cycles.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira, two of Portland's most well known bicycle builders, are going all-in on a new company. The duo plan to formally launch Breadwinner Cycles at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Denver this weekend.

"We're coming together to build more bikes for more people," is how Pereira explained it when I got a sneak peek at the new line of bikes last week.

Breadwinner is more than just a new bike company, it's the beginning of a new adventure for Pereira and Ryan. After spending over seven years (each) building up their own brands — Pereira Cycles and Ira Ryan Cycles both started in 2006 — the launch of Breadwinner as a standalone bike company marks a significant step in a new direction.

"This is definitely a huge leap for us," Pereira said, as he and Ryan bantered over final details prior to loading up their new bikes in a truck and driving to Denver for the Big Show.

Far from just another custom bike brand, Pereira says their five-year plan is to establish a factory, hire welders, and make 1,000 bikes per year. (more...)

Rapha is now in the bike business.

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Tony Pereira and his new suit. (Photos © J. Maus)

Bikes and fashion have enjoyed a renewed romance in America in the last few years. From the Cycle Chic movement to the proliferation of bike fashion shows, there is a growing awareness of -- and market for -- clothes that are stylish and comfortable to bike in. Today I spent some time on yet another bike fashion front, custom-tailored (a.k.a. bespoke) cycling suits. (more...)

UBI's new frame building classroom.
(Photo: UBI)

The United Bicycle Institute will start its first framebuilding class on Monday (4/12) and the classes will be taught by two of Portland's most prominent frame builders -- Tony Pereira and Joseph Ahearne.

Ashland-based UBI has been offering professional mechanic training courses since they opened their campus in North Portland back in October. Since then, they've been working to renovate one of their buildings (on the corner of North Williams and Shaver) to house their frame building classroom. Those renovations are now complete and brazing classes start Monday. (more...)

Still from TV ad featuring Tony Pereira.
- Watch video below-

Southeast Portland bike builder Tony Pereira of Pereira Cycles is featured in a television and billboard ad campaign for Northwest Community Credit Union.

The ad features Tony working in his shop and some staged cyclocross action shots with Tony and his Team Beer teammates near the Alpenrose Velodrome in Portland's west hills. According to the agency that produced the campaign, the TV ads will run on NBC-TV (KMTR) in Eugene, Bend, and Medford. Billboards featuring Pereira are also in the works in those cities. (more...)