If surviving 30 years as an independent bike shop were easy, everyone would have done it. With that perspective, the more you consider the dozens of bike shops that have come and gone in Portland over the past three decades, the more impressive it is that River City Bicycles has not just survived, but continues to thrive.
The shop celebrated its 30th year with a party at its central eastside location on Saturday. There was music, cake, and even champagne poured from bottles cut open with a traditional French saber. But the most important element of the party — just like for the business itself — were the people who showed up. The shop buzzed with customers, fans, and employees past and present.
Through myriad bumps in the bike industry and in Portland since 1995, River City has held a steady hand on the bars. Even through a 16 month closure during the pandemic, Guettler and his devoted staff found ways to keep Portlanders stoked on cycling. “That was the craziest moment of River City’s history,” Guettler shared in an interview last week. “If somebody would have told me that we would have to shut our store down to customers for 16 months, I would have said, ‘Well, let’s just close now, because there’s no way we could survive that.'”
But they survived. So it was fitting on Saturday that bubbly spilled from bottles onto the pavement of that same parking lot where River City set up tents to serve customers during Covid.
Guettler moved to Portland in 1994 with a clear vision to open the world’s best bike shop. Not just a place to buy stuff and get your bike worked on, but a destination in-and-of itself — a place he would love to hang out in, complete with fine wood furnishings he made himself, a shrine to one of his cycling idols (Eddy Merckx), his impressive personal bike collection hanging from the ceiling, and free espresso. It’s rare someone so keen on the business of bicycling (Guettler was previously part owner of a seven-store chain in northern California), builds a successful shop where “doing business” doesn’t feel like the top priority.
Don’t get me wrong, the customer experience at River City is more akin to a luxury department store than a greasy bike shop, but the vibe is often anything but transactional. Guettler has set River City apart by putting people first, staying creative, and keeping things fun.
The shop boasts several employees who’ve been on staff for over 20 years. It was named “Most Female Friendly” in the nation in 2008, and that same year ran a series of extraordinary ads in local newspapers and pulled off a publicity coup with a contest that awarded a free commuter bike to one lucky customer if they could guess when gas prices would hit $4.00. In 2011, Guettler had a concrete skate ramp installed in the parking lot and in 2023 hosted a cello concert where the star of the show was a former customer and professional road racer.
As title sponsor of the venerable Cyclocross Crusade race series, Guettler himself has dressed up in a “Black Night” costume and chased people during races. If you’re caught, you get a prize. “That makes it fun for everyone, not just people who are the fastest and can win a prize,” shared River City customer Mielle Blomberg at Saturday’s party.
From providing a first landing spot for bike lovers no matter where they are in their cycling journey, to hosting hundreds of events over the years, River City is a welcome third place in a world of ever-increasing digitization and social isolation.
“It’s a cultural staple that I figured out was the place to go when I first moved here,” said a local rider naked Nikolai. “I think it’s really valuable, and I hope it keeps going for another 30 years,” said another fan. And former employee Kirk Whitemen, who went on to start a cycling and pilates studio nearby told me that, “Dave game me my first job. I knew nobody when I got to Portland and went from zero to 65 friends in one day.”
Saturday’s party was full of people with similar comments and stories. River City Bicycles is an institution and an enduring symbol of strength for our local cycling scene. I hope lasts for another 30 years at least.
