(Photos: Universal Cycles)
Another major Portland retail bike shop is leaving town.
“We are sad about leaving the Buckman neighborhood.”
The owners of Universal Cycles have decided to end an 18-year run in Portland and move their store from the Buckman Neighborhood on East Burnside (at 22nd) to Beaverton.
Universal began as an e-commerce site based in San Francisco in 1997 and opened their first Portland storefront in a tiny space near the airport in 2001. In 2006 they moved to a larger store at Northwest 18th and Thurman. They expanded again in 2011 with a move to East Burnside to a 20,000 square foot space that included an expansive retail showroom adjacent to their shipping warehouse.
In addition to a retail store and warehouse in Portland, Universal has a retail shop and distribution center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and warehouses in Nevada and Minnesota.
Universal is known for their vast selection and hard to find parts. I’ve found bits and bolts for various projects over the years and loved being able to pick up online purchases at the Portland store (and browse the awesome showroom while there).
General Manager Mike D. tells us the decision to leave Portland was based on their lease coming to an end. “We wanted to find a space of similar size, centrally located in the Portland metro area, that we know we can remain in for the next 20 years. Luckily, we found a wonderful locally-owned Cedar Hills mid-century former grocery store the same size as our current building.”
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The new location will have twice as much retail space (10,000 square feet) and a carfree test-riding area.
“We are sad about leaving the Buckman neighborhood,” Mike added. “With us moving and some other shops closing, if someone out there is thinking of opening a shop, the Buckman area would be a terrific area for a shop with a focus on service.”
The new Universal Cycles will be located at 12330 SW Walker Road in Beaverton and is expected to open March 1st.
Following the closure of Crank Bicycles, Western Bikeworks, Rivelo, and Norther Cycles, this is the fifth retail bike shop Portland has lost in the past five months.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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