The Northeast Portland based Community Cycling Center (CCC) has just announced that they plan to close their retail store in downtown Vancouver (WA) on August 2, 2006.
According to an official statement from the CCC, the Vancouver location (which opened in April 2005) has, “not performed as well as planned.”
Founding board member and current board president Jay Graves said the decision to close the retail store was not easy, “but it’s the right thing to do for the long term sustainability of the CCC.”
The CCC will continue to support the Vancouver community with their signature programs like Bike Safety Club, the Holiday Bike Drive, and others.
Susan Remmers]
I wasn’t too surprised to hear this news because I’m well aware that new Executive Director Susan Remmers (photo, right) is not afraid to make tough decisions. When I met with her back in March—just days after she took the reins—it was clear she would chart a new and improved course for the CCC and that she was prepared to do whatever it took to make the organization successful.
Next week I’ll bring you a more in-depth look at the other changes Remmers has brought to the CCC during her first four months on the job.
Thanks for reading.
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NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, that really sucks. Does anyone know another shop in Vancouver that has the slightest clue about, or even parts for, much less interest in, practical bikes? Like something that won’t get carted off with one of Clark College’s racks, (they’re lightweight and not attached to anything!) haul groceries, etc.?
The Vancouver CCC was a real resource for me, and I’m sad to see it go. We don’t have anything else remotely like that on this side of the border. I’m even greener with envy now of you spoiled Portland residents, with your stupid helpful bike support, and your lame functional transportation options! (don’t mind me, I’m just feeling bitter!)
Join us John. Come to the darkside. We will welcome you!
Join us. moooohaaaahaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaa
Oh I am so sad! I was a regular customer, more or less, and I just got started riding and this was the only shop for me to go to. I knew the place was kind of bare bones but it was really coming together. Sometimes a business takes a while to grow, don’t they know that? What are we to do, here in Vancouver? Why aren’t there any bike shops for us? There are tons of people who ride bikes in Vancouver, I know I’m not the only one.
I think that the location probably had something to do with it. Downtown Vancouver is a rough place to run a business. I remember when a few shops had to shut down after the Greyhound station closed, because of the lost income from the passengers.
Is this a reflection of Vancouver’s character? Washingtonians didn’t support expansion of the MAX lightrail into Vancouver, therefore the line ends on the OR side and people have to walk / bike / bus across the river from there. When I visit Vancouver (usually on a bike ride) I don’t see many riders.
i grew up in vancouver and as soon as i was old enough i moved out (all the way to austin…at first). that was over 10 years ago now. dad is still there and i bike over fairly often and usually i am one of a very tiny handful of bikers i see. and i’m counting kids on bmx bikes (not that they don’t count, but you know what i’m saying). it’s a bummer that a bike shop closed in the ‘couve’ but it’s not shocking either. i can think of two bike shops in all of vancouver, not counting the now closed CCC and i’d bet 10 bucks the other two aren’t there now either. the car rules over there without a doubt.
on a side note: has anyone ever tried getting around on C-Tran? when i was young it wasn’t that great and unbelievably it’s even worse now. crazy.
Yup, C-tran’s pretty bad. Most routes run every 40 minutes or so, with the really busy ones every 25. Fortunately for me, I’m out in Salmon Creek, and all of my bussing just takes me downtown from the park and ride just up the road. There’s the #2, which goes to 7th street, the #6, which goes to 7th street, and the #71, which goes to 7th street. Good luck getting lost riding the bus in Vancouver!
As far as bike shops, there’s Vancouver Cyclery, and Schoeder’s Schwinn. I heard something about a Bad Boyz next door to Camas, but the “Z” in the name has kept me from biking across the county to check it out. I’m seriously thinking about dropping a class next quarter so I’ll have the time to get into Portland for bike parts.
I think as far as Vancouver voters go, it’s just a matter of sprawl. Most won’t live within range of a Max line. That, and the “we’re not Portland” chanting. The Max smells a lot like Portland.
Here is what is left for bike shop and repair resources with in the City of Vancouver (other than the big box retailers).
The times of operation are current. Contact the shops for more information about their services.
Mikes Bikes (West – Uptown/ Downtown)
2310 Main St.,
Vancouver WA 98660
(360) 695-0558
surfinstyle56@comcast.net
[repairs, limited parts and accessories, used bikes bought and sold]
Tu-Sa 11-6
Su-Mon (call for drop off/ or emergency flats)
Schroeder’s Schwinn Cycling (Central)
11009 Ne Burton Rd
VANCOUVER, WA 98682 – 7674
(360) 892-9061
[parts and repairs for classic Schwinns]
Bad Boyz Bicycles (East – almost Camas)
19221 Se 34th (192nd Av near QFC/ SR14)
VANCOUVER, WA 98684
(360) 892-5281
bbbicycles@airspd.net
[repairs, parts and accessories, new bikes sold]
Mon-Fri 10-5; Sa 10-5
OTHER: Mobile Repair
Feldman’s Bicycle Repair
(360)694.4228
feldmanbike@yahoo.com
Call for repair appointment (M-Sat 8-8)
Todd Boulanger
Transportation Services
City of Vancouver
360.696.8290
Clarification…about the support for transit in Vancouver.
Yes several public votes for light rail and buses have failed over the last 10 years, but if one looks deeper into the local voting patterns, one finds….that the votes succeed within the city limits of Vancouver.
But since the voting area must equal the C-TRAN service area or area gaining the improvement…the anti transit (often pro automobile) voting blocks with in the north county and unincorporated areas drags the ‘Yes’ vote down to failure.
The silver lining of the continued shrinkage of the transit service in Clark County is that it may help a future vote for transit service improvements (hours, routes, or LRT/BRT) here by limiting the voting area to those areas that support transit and can realistically hope to get a good urban level of service in the future.
That is if we (the choice transit rider) can survive this long before buying a car or moving into Trimet’s service area. Much of the recent changes in C-TRANs fare structure (no transfers) have decimated the annual ridership numbers by about 30%
This is where making bikeway improvements and recruiting bike shops like the CCC into Vancouver help bridge the shortcomings of our beleaguered transit system.
I am car-free for 18 years. (C-TRAN for 7 of those years.)
-Todd
PS. The next hurdle that C-TRAN faces is recruiting and selecting its next executive director/ CEO. As an urbane transit rider and transportation planner, I am not too hopeful about this selection given that the selection committee may be overly biased by the prerogatives of the north county and small jurisdictions on the board vs. the core areas of their ridership.
those shops listed by todd there are not the ones i was thinking of earlier (though i did forget about that schwinn shop on burton). so indeed the shops i mentioned are gone. oh well.
todd, i hope there is a silver lining to C-Tran’s woe’s. it seems to me more likely one day they’ll just be gone completely (i’m exagerrating of course but it seems unlikely that it will ever be any better).