Checking in on Bike Happy Hour (and announcing T-Shirt Swap and Share Night!)

I could not be more thrilled about how Bike Happy Hour has taken off since the first one back in early April. Tomorrow it will be week #7 and I’m so thrilled at all the wonderful people and “immaculate vibes” (according to one attendee) each week. My favorite thing is how many brand new faces show up. Folks who don’t know anyone at first, but by the time they leave have a whole new group of pals and a new place where they know they can always come to be heard and seen and appreciated.

Happy Hour has quickly become a community space for bike-minded people. And since it’s been nearly two months I figured it was time for a check-in.

Below is a random list of updates and other things I’ve been thinking about — including the announcement of our first themed night coming 5/24…

Next week (5/24) will be our first themed event: It’s Bike T-Shirt Swap & Share Night! If you have a favorite bike-related t-shirt you want to show off, let’s see it! Share the story of where you got that old bike tee and why you’ve kept it all these years. Or maybe you’ve got a pile of them in your closet that you want to trade or give to someone who could use one? Bring and/or wear your tees on 5/24 and we’ll be ready to listen to your stories about them and maybe pass them on to others. So far I’ve got folks from Cyclepath Bike Shop and Biketown who plan to bring some to share. That’s fine too! It’s Happy Hour, we don’t really make rules. Just show up with your shirts and we’ll figure it all out.

Did you know our host Gorges Beer Co. has installed Portland’s first ever electrified bike rack? It’s true! They bought one of those cool racks from Dero that have a standard 120V outlet on each side where you can plug in your e-bike to get a charge while you hang out. Remember to bring your charging cord!

Speaking of bike parking, Gorges (and Ankeny Tap & Table) owner Travis Preece has order a new bike parking corral with 10 staple racks. Look for it to be installed soon!

I’m thrilled that we finally have a big “Bike Happy Hour” banner that folks can see as they roll past on SE Ankeny. Take your photo with it for good karma and to help spread the word.

Someone recently asked about if the event is truly “family friendly.” I’ve said yes because I’ve seen several families show up with little kids and they seemed to have a fun time. But we didn’t have any kid-specific amenities to offer folks that showed up empty-handed. So we’ve fixed that. Expect some coloring books and crayons to keep your kiddos engaged. We’ll add more fun things in the future (let us know if you have requests).

I realize the line for drinks got pretty long last week. The staff at Gorges and Ankeny Tap are amazing people, but they can only do so much and they are not used to such big Wednesday crowds. That should be fixed now because they’ve staffed up and will have at least one additional person behind the counter. Thanks Corey, Una, Tabi, and Kendra!!

Last week we had Nick from Vvolt show up to share a prototype of their latest model. That was very smart! I want folks to know that Bike Happy Hour is a great place to show off new ideas and products. We have quite an interesting brain trust of folks that show up each week. On a similar note, I’ve met a few folks who showed up that are in between jobs and are looking for leads. That’s exactly what Happy Hour is for! Come and network! Find me if you want or need introductions to specific folks. I love connecting people.

Wednesday May 31st is the start of the famous Mt. Tabor Race Series. Racing up in the park starts at 5:20 and the last race starts at 8:00. Mt. Tabor park is just two miles up the road from the Gorges patio and I want to extend a personal invite to all bike racers and their fans to swing by Happy Hour before (remember you can get $2 off coffee drinks at Crema) and/or after your race!

OK that’s it for now. When I started this thing seven weeks ago I was worried about adding another evening “work” event to my calendar each week; but now I look forward to it every time. I’ve met so many new people and I just could not be happier about how it has evolved and grown so quickly. Thank you to all our regulars and everyone who shows up. See you on the patio tomorrow!