In a small space in a corner of what used to be the headquarters of the Police Bureau’s Traffic Division, Portlander Becky Morton has opened Bikeasaurus (1337 SE MLK Jr. Blvd). The new store, which has only been open a few weeks, sells locally made, bike-themed arts, crafts and accessories. Think of it as our BikeCraft event, but in a retail store that’s open year-round. I stopped by the store today to learn more about Becky and her new endeavor.
Becky, 29, lives in Northeast Portland and grew up in West Linn. After studying art at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, she moved back to Portland. For the past five years prior to opening Bikeasaurus, she had been working with a non-profit as an afterschool art teacher in Portland public schools. “I knew it wasn’t a career,” she told me today, so when an opportunity to open a store popped up she jumped at the chance.
Becky’s dad owns the large building on the northwest corner of SE Madison and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, so when he told her the Police would be moving their headquarters and there was a small corner space he could lease to her, she decided to combine her love of D-I-Y art and craft with bicycling and Bikeasaurus was born.
You might be wondering what’s with the strange name. Becky says finding one was “really difficult” and she spent five months trying to find something that fit. “I wanted something that doesn’t imply that it’s a regular bike shop, but that included bikes.” When a friend mentioned Bikeasaurus, it just stuck. “And who doesn’t like dinosaurs!?” she says. “I’ve had several people come in just because they loved the name.”
Inside the store (behind the three-inch think bulletproof glass left behind by the police), you’ll find a fun assortment of locally made products. Becky’s got dog collars and leashes from Cycle Dog, jewelry from Velo Gioielli, pannier backpacks and hip pouches from North St. Bags, bike posters from local artists, leather goods from Walnut, and my personal favorite, the embroidered, reusable bicycle coffee cozy from Flapper Girl.
Saturday is the big Bikeasaurus Grand Opening Street Party. Head down to SE Madison under the Hawthorne Bridge from 2:00 – 6:00pm to meet Becky and check out her store. Visit BikeasaurusPDX.com for hours and other details. Watch the slideshow below for more photos from my visit…