Business News Briefs: Three relocations show expansion trend

Russell Cree of Upper Echelon Fitness
has moved into a 5,000 sq ft
facility in Northwest Portland.
(Photos J. Maus)

It’s great to see bike businesses continue to flourish in Portland, even amidst the ongoing doom and gloom about the economy. Below are updates on three Portland-based bike businesses that have recently relocated into larger spaces…

Portland Design Works

Portland Design Works
co-founder Erik Olson.

After over two solid years in business (they launched in September 2008), local bike accessory designer and distributor Portland Design Works has made a move. After starting up in a shared warehouse space in Southeast Portland (near SE 17th and Holgate), company founders Erik Olson and Dan Powell will move into a new space at 15 NE Hancock by the end of the year. The location is the former home of the Department of Skateboarding skatepark and is right off the booming bike business corridor of N. Williams.

Olson says the new, larger location will given them room to increase product inventory and to do shipping and receiving to the hundreds of bike shops around the country that carry their bike lights, pumps, multi-tools, and other accessories. There will also be office and warehouse space left over that they intend to lease out to other like minded business. Says Olson, “We see it as a great opportunity to build a small bicycle business center right off the bike path on N. Williams.”

The Bike Commuter

(Photo: The Bike Commuter)

Sellwood bike shop, The Bike Commuter, has also moved into a larger space. The shop opened less than a year ago just a few spaces south of their new location on the corner of SE 13th Avenue and Umatilla Street (8301 SE 13th). You’ve probably noticed the shop while riding on the “Sellwood Gap” of the Springwater Corridor Trail.

“We’re really excited about the new spot,” says the shop’s co-founder Eric Deady, “It’s right on a main biking thoroughfare that gets a ton of traffic—we counted more than 1,000 bicyclists riding by this corner one day earlier in the summer.”

Upper Echelon Fitness and Portland Bicycle Studio

Molly Cameron (L) of Portland Bicycle Studio
chats with customers.

Bicycling performance and training specialist Russell Cree and bike shop owner Molly Cameron have moved out of their cramped quarters on NE Martin Luther Junior Blvd (which I visited back in March) and into a spacious, 5,000 square foot facility in Northwest Portland. Cree’s Upper Echelon Fitness and Cameron’s Portland Bicycle Studio joined forces back in March, but they quickly outgrew their small space.

Now, with their larger space (1420 NW 17th Suite 388), Cree has plenty of room for his wide variety of fitness and health services tailored specifically to cyclists. Two two-floor space has a full training center upstairs with a bike treadmill, rollers, Computrainers, and more, as well as a fully equipped strength and conditioning area, a state of the art bike fit studio, a yoga studio, massage and physical therapy and more. Also upstairs is the home of Portland Bicycle Studio, which offers fits and consultations (by appointment only) to a large line of custom bike brands including Independent Fabrications, Crumpton, Ridley, and Guru. Downstairs is a lounge with a TV (to watch the latest races), espresso, and bike magazines.

There’s an open house event on October 22nd. See the Upper Echelon Fitness website for details.