(Photo: Jeff Strange)
Sky Boyer’s big bet that Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood could support a 10,000-square-foot headquarters for bike culture is looking smarter every month.
In June, Outside Magazine named the shop Boyer owns, Velo Cult, one of the top 10 bike shops in the country. The joint “stands out as a beacon of cycling culture,” the magazine wrote:
The shop is known just as much as a gathering place as for the product they sell, a reputation they have embraced with a stage for live bands (built from an old drawbridge), a theater space with frequent cycling screenings, the de rigueur coffee roaster, plenty of picnic table seating, and an open invitation for all cyclists to come and hang.
Boyer up and moved his entire shop from San Diego to Portland last year. Since then, Boyer and his growing staff have hosted just about every type of event imaginable; including weekly live music, a meeting of a scout troop, a wedding, goldsprints, a book launch party, and more. And then there’s the basement, which is home to a screening room and a professional photo studio. Boyer’s latest surprising addition was an area at the back of the shop were local framebuilders ply their craft while handmade bike enthusiasts get to watch (while sipping a pint or two).
Other things Velo Cult’s fans have grown to love include their amazing beer selection, tasty pour-over coffee service, a free photo booth, and plenty of comfortable places to relax with friends. We’ve known Velo Cult is a special place for a while now, and it’s exciting to see more people around the country start to take notice.
— Read more coverage of Velo Cult.