Velo Cult to host big used bike sale and a final goodbye from local framebuilders

(Image: Velo Cult on Instagram)

You didn’t think Velo Cult would go quietly, did you?

The legendary shop, tavern, and community event space sadly announced the closure of its brick-and-mortar retail operations last month.

If you missed the farewell party and still need one last fix of the bike-loving vibes this place was famous for, there are two events you should put on your calendar right now: A used bike sale this Friday through Sunday and a big bike show on August 18th.

“The OBCA is forever indebted to Sky and the Velo Cult team for what they have brought to the Portland bicycle scene and the bicycle industry as a whole.”
— Dave Levy, OBCA president

The 5,000 square-foot basement at Velo Cult was full of bikes. I’m not sure where they all came from, but I assume it was a mix of repairs with AWOL owners, donations, oddities collected by owner Sky Boyer and other employees and friends, and various other sources. None of that matters now. What does matter is that Mr. Boyer has decided to sell them all.

Starting this Friday (8/10) at 12 noon, all the used bikes will be displayed on the showroom at liquidation sale prices. The sale will last through the weekend until Sunday at 6:00 pm.

And you might have heard that the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association recently pulled the plug on their annual Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show. Combined with the closure of Velo Cult, that news has caused bummer feelings for many local bike enthusiasts — some of whom think it’s a sign of major shifts in what Portland is today, versus what it used to be before the Great Influx of wealth and new residents we’ve had in recent years.

A scene from the Velo Cirque show held at Velo Cult back in February.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)

Put those feelings aside for a day and rejoice because the OBCA has decided to host A Framebuilder’s Goodbye to Velo Cult. Custom bike makers know that Velo Cult was a stalwart supporter of their work. The shop created the Velo Cirque bike show, once planned to launch an in-house frame-building studio, and VC even has its own custom bike label.

The OBCA has put together a stellar list of 15 local bike makers who will be ready to share their insights and creations with you on the 18th. Here’s the list:

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Ketelaar Frame Works

Jeffrey Bock Custom Cycles

Strawberry Cyclesport

Mahall Bikeworks

Thursday Bicycles

Ahearne Cycles

Igleheart Custom Frames and Forks

Page Street Cycles

Wolfhound Cycles

Ti Cycles

REN Cycles

Blaze Bicycles

Circa Cycles

Breadwinner Cycles

Simple Bicycle Company

In a statement about the event, OBCA President David Levy said, “The OBCA is forever indebted to Sky and the Velo Cult team for what they have brought to the Portland bicycle scene and the bicycle industry as a whole.”

For more on these events, check the listings on the BP Calendar here and here.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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9watts
5 years ago

Vintage mountain bikes, yum.

Too bad I won’t be in town.

Bikeninja
Bikeninja
5 years ago

let’s go, buy a cool old bike to fix up, raise our glass to the golden days of PDX, then raise our fist to a better future of a 60% bikeshare and happy motoring driven in the trash bin of posterity .

maxD
maxD
5 years ago

I wish Norther Cycles was on the list! They are crafting some beautiful bikes in collaboration with Jeff Lyons for a reasonable price.
http://www.northercycles.com/semi-custom-builds/

Toby Keith
Toby Keith
5 years ago

These places and events closing shop are sad indeed. At least we’ve got BikePortland!

Mike Quigley
Mike Quigley
5 years ago

Do they have an original Dursley Pedersen?

ugh
ugh
5 years ago

“legendary” “epic”
Not a bike shop, a poorly thought out bar.
They were here for barely 6 years and you couldn’t buy a handlebar.

Middle of The Road Guy
Middle of The Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  ugh

yeah, I really do not like that term “legendary” from a literary perspective. It comes up so often in advertising – “The Legendary Dodge Ram!”

What legends is it mentioned in?

ugh
ugh
5 years ago

“end of an era” you previously said. Era has gotten to be shortish.

John Liu
John Liu
5 years ago

“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”