announcing the event.
A down economy hasn’t stopped a local bike shop from completing a major remodel and expansion.
To mark the occasion, the Bike N Hike store on SE Grand Ave in Portland will hold a special grand re-opening celebration that kicks off tonight with a private, VIP cocktail party and continues tomorrow with a full schedule of events.
The store — which is perennially named a “Top 100 Shop” in the nation — originally opened in 1984 and has just completed a major remodel and 1,500 square foot expansion. According to Bike N Hike owner Kevin Chudy, the expanded size will be dedicated to women’s specific products.
Chudy worked on the project through a special program called the “Giant Retail Partnership” (GRP). The program consists of a team of experts who work with major dealers on store design, merchandising, lighting, graphics and construction. As part of the project, Chudy and the GRP program did extensive market research with focus groups that garnered feedback and insights from local women.
of six Bike N Hike stores.
(Photo © J. Maus)
The new layout was professionally designed by Holly Wiese of Giant Bicycles.
In addition to a new look and more space for women’s products, Chudy says their new service department has doubled in size which will mean, “faster turn-a-rounds on bicycle service for our customers. They just want to ride and we want to help them get back on their bike sooner.”
On Saturday, Bike N Hike will host a group road ride and clinic with Olympic Medalist Mari Holden, a beginner ride, free brunch and BBQ, maintenance clinics, a prize raffle and more. Check out their website for more details.
I REALLY hope they revamp their customer service. Hands down the rudest in town. I have never been treated so badly on so may occasions not just from a bike store but just a retail shop in general.
I was acquainted with Kevin when he was just an employee of the Bike N Hike here in Corvallis some 25+ years ago. Best of luck to him and all his staff.
I’ve always had good luck at Bike and Hike. When I had a problem with my Redline they really went to bat for me to get everything covered completely under warranty. Good luck with the new store design!
I also hope they’ve revamped their customer service, so that there aren’t repeats of this incident.
My last experience was me buying a pair of (expensive) shoes, pedals, and cleats. All paid for with my credit card. The employee (who was very nice) OFFERED to put the cleats on the shoes for me. As he was doing so, the manager came to the employee an told him to make sure he charges me to put the cleats on. Yes, after I bought and paid for all of them not 3 minutes earlier. I felt bad for the employee and he also apologized to me.
It is great that they are selling more gear for women. Are they also offering women-specific classes/rides? Do they have female employees – sales and mechanics?
Just wondering.
Janis
Janis-
They are offering kid specific classes/rides. Apparently they also have children for employees – sales and mechanics.
I hear there is a similar program for the elderly. All elderly rides, in a store with only elderly employees.
I have heard about an island with only women on it. I am thinking of moving there.
My experiences at the Beaverton BNH have always been excellent. Josh is especially pleasant to work with, in fact they are doing my freebie new bike tune up right now…
When the cops showed up (after I called them for being attacked by a shop employee), Kevin Chudy hid in the back of the shop and refused to deal with the situation. He doesn’t really seem like a very honest guy to me.
Cory, Agree with you 100%!!!
Wonder how they get on the “Top 100 Shop” list perennially?
Matt and Scott, please put it away. There was no resolution before and there isn’t going to be one now.
Bike N’ Hike and for that manner Kevin Chuddy doesn’t get it.
The reason that Bike N’ Hike has always had a problem selling to women is not for lack of “Women Specific” product or retail design. It is a management or structural problem. They have an embarrassing level of women working for them, they have never had ONE female employee working in any management capacity… ever.
The one and only woman I knew that worked there, and made me feel welcome appears to have been laid off, perhaps to help finance this new shop design geared towards women.
Bike N’ Hike didn’t need to shell out a bunch of money to convince women to buy there product. Simply letting the community know that their owner has had some diversity training and demonstrated some real commitment and leadership in creating an environment friendly to women would have been more profitable than this new and patronizing marketing ploy.
I’ve had nothing but fantastic customer service from the Grand Avenue shop. Awhile back they gave me a ton of help with building up a polo bike, even allowing me to exchange parts a couple of times when everything wasn’t working together the way I had hoped.
Bjorn
Stores can change. Management can change. I think people should reserve their judgement for what happens with this shop in the future, not judge based on what happened in the past. Obviously they are having some success as a business, and trying to do something good here…and more successful bike shops do good by increasing ridership, no?
Yeah, but did the manager have his ‘Diversity training’ certificate posted where everyone could see it?
Huh? Well did he? Arghhh I am going to be so mad if he didn’t!
We should all spend as much time as possible, every single day, creating an environment friendly to women. And Ocelots too. They are so cute and fuzzy! They deserve a friendly environment too!
God I hate men!
Debbie, interesting statement:
“The one and only woman I knew that worked there, and made me feel welcome appears to have been laid off, perhaps to help finance this new shop design geared towards women.”
In fact your whole post leads one to believe that a lack of Female employees makes you feel unwelcome in the store. How is diversity training going to fix that? I personally have never felt uncomfortable being helped by female employees in any retail environment. My only hope is that whomever helps me, either male or female knows what they are talking about.
Some shops don’t have a good selection of women-specific bikes and accessories but Kevin is obviously trying to change that. In any retail environment, to hire employees based on gender is the action that is patronizing. You should hire the best salespeople with the most thorough knowledge of the sport and the gear regardless of sex. If a customer can’t be comfortable with being helped by someone of the opposite sex, it really is the customer’s issue.
Dan,
Are you inferring that the only way a women can get hired at a shop is through some “patronizing” act of affirmative action? Besides that being insulting it is also far from the point, you either know that or you are trying to confuse the issue intentionally.
The point is not about whether or not someone’s gender plays a part in you feeling comfortable purchasing a product.
The point is that this business has systematically discriminated against qualified female applicants and employees. This has historically created a hostile environment for everyone, especially for females. That, in and of itself invalidates a environment conducive to good business for men or women.
Anyways, go to the ANY, I repeat ANY competitors in town, whether River City, City Bikes, Bike Gallery etc., while they are not perfect you will see a presence, and appreciation for women in there workplace and management not just disregard and disrespect.
I’m hopeful for change. However, this isn’t a change. Kevin’s mind isn’t that reflective or complex. He thinks that a + b = c. More things that say women on them = more money from a market he doesn’t understand and that doesn’t like to shop with his stores, which he’ll admit.
I think he’ll find that future businesses aren’t built upon his boy club mentality, pop. business books, high turnover, low wages, sub par benefits and inconsistent/dubious profit sharing programs. There built on good ole values of commitment to the community, integrity, consistency, honesty and fairness.
Bye the way. I know B n’ H top to bottom I’m not making a big deal about nothing.
Dan (#11) – Put what away? All I did was point out the previous story and say I hope their customer service is better. Draw your own conclusions, please, don’t try to draw mine for me. Thanks.
Mike (#14) – I hope that people make up their own mind. A shop’s prior behaviors influence the public perception. Yes, shops change. Yes, one shouldn’t blindly judge a shop by what others have said, or by past performance – neither should one ignore a store’s prior history. As for successful bike shops, the successful ones do good by making money, not by increasing ridership. Ideally, they increase ridership, treat their customers equally and with respect, and provide an environment where their customers feel comfortable, but that doesn’t make them successful. (though it certainly helps) What makes them successful is that they continue to bring money into the shop and remain profitable. Most stores do that by treating the customer well, but that’s by no means a given.
Debbie-
No, I’m not “inferring that the only way a women can get hired at a shop is through some ‘patronizing’ act of affirmative action”.
I did say that “You should hire the best salespeople with the most thorough knowledge of the sport and the gear regardless of sex”
What I was implying is that hiring a woman simply because you think that it will help you gain more women customers is patronizing.
I always feel bad that any time the name Bike N Hike is mentioned, this ONE incident is always brought up and disparaging remarks made about their customer service are made. Obviously this situation was an anomaly or these guys wouldn’t be in business. I bought my bike at the Milwaukee store and those guys were all super helpful, so much so I took my wife in a week later to get her a new bike. They spent a ton of time answering her questions, explaining the different features on different models and encouraging her to try out anything she wanted to. We are both loyal customers because of how they treated us. Anytime I am in there, they ask how I like my bike. A few times I had something not sound right while I was on a ride, I have stopped in and they always check it out and fixed it for free.
Just bought a bike for my son this weekend at the SE Grand store, and had a great experience working with Nancy (who, despite claims of possible gender bias in hiring, appeared to be convincingly female!).