Portlanders like to take care of their beloved bikes. Here are a few locally made examples; some by an entrepreneurial builder and one sent in by a reader who did it DIY style.
Local artist and craftsman Brennan Conaway has found yet another niche to serve in Portland’s fast-growing population of bike lovers — bike sheds.
Conaway’s bike sheds — which he designs and builds in Portland along with other small backyard structures under his Micro-Structures brand — look like an attractive way to keep your bikes secure and out of the weather.
Here are a few of his designs:
Conaway makes each shed custom and says he can build them for any budget. I caught with him on the phone at his workshop in Southeast Portland this morning. “I can work with people, but I’d say anywhere from a few hundred bucks up to a few thousand.” What makes a bike shed a bike shed? Conaway says it’s all about ease of access. “I’ll either do a ramp, put it at ground level or add extra wide doors. I like sliding doors because they’re easier to manage when you’re also holding up a bike.”
Check out his ad on Craigslist and find his contact info at Micro-Structures.com.
Reader Tim L. sent us info on his homemade bike shed, saying it cost him about $400 (a “great deal” to preserve $3,000 worth of bikes). Tim’s shed features an awning made from corrugated plastic and cedar timber and also has electric lighting “for those dark winter mornings”. Check it out:
