(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.
Hard to believe they’ve only been here a year…I’ve come to think of them as a Portland institution.
I’m stopping by Velo Cult tonight! I went in earlier this week looking for a specific tire, they didn’t have it, but they gladly ordered it for me! I also appreciate having a place where I can buy bike components late in the evening.
I do love that place.
Yeah the late night thing is awesome. I needed a spacer while replacing my stem last year, and I was able to cruise over there at 9 pm and pick it up.
Great mechanics, always new beers, a unique way of serving coffee, and Tour De France at 5 pm every night. Great place.
Well deserved. They are a great shop!
I visited Velo Cult just after it first opened even though I live in Beaverton. As a retired bike mechanic, I couldn’t resist seeing at how the shop works to be so great at so many facets!
This is awesome to hear! VeloCult graciously hosted the clandestine Filmed by Bike Jury Screening – a secret gathering of jurors every January where selections are made for the festival – in their downstairs screening room. We also partied in the downstairs swank lounge (which doubles as a photo studio). Such a cool facility with tons of potential. Sky and crew have just started scratching the surface of what’s possible.
The shop has all the vibes of the smaller not-answering-to-dealer-reps or inventory concern shops (let’s say like UpCycle in Woodlawn –who are also awesome), but a huge space, late hours, and mechanics from varied backgrounds.
Seriously, I’ve wandered in needing spokes replaced at 9:45pm, sat down for two beers, and walked out with a solid wheel.
Cascadia Cargo Bike Fair & Disaster Relief Trials after party there on Saturday night!