Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) reports that local retailer River City Bicycles has won the first-ever Greenie Award. The award was created by Specialized Bicycles as a way to, “acknowledge its retailers’ green-minded efforts and to motivate the public to reduce its global footprint.”
According to the story in BRAIN, River City won the award because of their,
“eco-conscious campaign to promote bicycling as a solution to climate change.”
Besides being a founding supporter of the Cross Crusade, giving free espresso shots, and having an altar to cycling great Eddy Merckx, River City is ranked one of the Top 100 shops in the country.
File photo: 10/8/05
Last month they launched a Commuter of the Year award and according to BRAIN, they spend 80% of their ad budget encouraging Portlanders to commute by bike.
In June, River City will host their annual Barlow Trail Century, a ride that benefits Bicycles and Ideas for Kids Empowerment, a non-profit that works with inner-city youth.
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I just find it funny that Specialized of all brands is awarding a Greenie award. they have EVERYTHING of theirs built in China and trample all over small bike brands that have a more sustainable biz model than theirs. Whether its good business sense for River City to do the advertising they do in a city such as Portland, they do deserve credit for trying to empower a worthwhile movement. Specialized on the otherhand is the scourge of the earth!
I love their cheeky and pointed ads.
Perhaps someday they (or another shop/ bike parts co.) will sponsor the morning commute updates…on tv to get the ‘word’ out.
Imagine…drivers seeing these spots and hearing that the MAX trains or bike paths are not grid locked and that the Hawthorne Bridge riders are enjoying a nice spot of coffee one sunny day (c/o Breakfast on the Bridges).
Congrats Rivercity.
..and thanks for doing an emergency (free) wheel truing to get me home after my run in with a poorly marked Burgerville speed bump.
Great stuff. Whether or not you like Specialized or not, they still make bicycles, which is a pretty good business in my book. I don’t have intimate knowledge of the environmental impact of their manufacturing and logistics processes, but I applaud the fact that they have chosen to create an award for bike shops that promote bicycles as transportation. Sure, they could do more of this on their own part, but this is a start. And I’ll definitely be signing up for the Barlow century. It’s a challenging route, but it was easily the best-run century I did last year. Can’t wait!
I truly believe Dave of River City is passionate about alternative transportation from a environmental standpoint.
Im sure Specialized’s role in this is advertising aimed to help them appear more eco-friendly than they are. If they “really” cared, their business practices would be totally different. They thrive off the fact that most consumers dont know the real facts about them……
Hi Everybody,
I really appreciate the comments on the bike commuting. It’s something I have done all my life, and living in Portland, a bike rider’s mecca, is the best.
I have been sponsoring the ‘Traffic Reports’ on four or five radio stations for the last couple of years. They’re pretty fun to write, even though there’s only about ten seconds of copy. If anyone has good ideas for it, please contact me. Only problem, if you’re riding your bike. you will not hear them!
Mike – do you drink coffee or tea? Eat fruits and vegetables during the winter months? Guess what? That’s mostly all imported from Third World countries, harvested by people working for pennies, shipped here by massive oil guzzling container ships, and ultimately puts cash in the pockets of people far wealthier than you. Hypocritical much?
Does every topic on Bike Portland need to become an anti-globalist rant? Shame on Dave for not exclusively stocking his shop with locally made $3000 steeds and making customers wait four years to take delivery! I guess it is better to have folks take TWO HOURS out of their lives to go buy a car instead. It would much easier wouldn’t it?
Why must activist types always look for the bad rather than balancing pros and cons? I’d love to see more bikes produced domestically but if more affordable imported frames get thousands of local riders out of cars in the near term, it is a far greater positive impact for our society and environment versus employing a handful of TiG welders.
Eeeps! The Man controls the bike industry too!!! Sound the green washing alert!!!
Thanks for all your comments. As for Specialized, Mike Sinyard, president of Specialized, is one of the most fit, passionate people I know in the industry. Business is tough these days, especially for a large company in the bike industry. Specialized has almost gone under several times, and has managed not only to pull it out, but stay at the forefront of bike development and design. The company is run by cyclists from the top on down, and I am proud to be doing business with them.