Go By Bike now offers e-bike test rides at their showroom in South Waterfront under the tram. (Photo: Go By Bike)
Electric bike sales are skyrocketing nationwide and Portland is doing its part to stoke the boom. Now a new partnership between local bike shops, Oregon’s electric vehicle advocacy group, and Portland’s largest employer will make it even easier for people to purchase one.
According to market research firm NPD Group, e-bike sales were up 84% in March, 92% in April, and 137% in May. It’s no surprise given how the bikes have evolved in recent years. When they first arrived on the scene they were clunky and mostly the realm of early adopters and garage-tinkerers. Then they trickled into local bike shops, but there were only a few brands, battery technology was subpar, and prices were relatively high for what you got. Lately the bikes have made massive leaps in quality and affordability and there are tons of great brands and models available.
Now the nearly 13,000 people who work at OHSU are eligible for a $200 subsidy and there’s even a convenient place to take one for a test ride. [Read more…]
Window of Pedal Bike Tours on SW 2nd Avenue. (Photo: Pedal Bike Tours/Instagram)
While Portland’s protests in the name of the murder of George Floyd and ongoing police brutality in America have gotten more peaceful in recent nights, several downtown bike shop owners are still recovering from thefts that happened last week.
We’re aware of over 30 bikes that have been stolen so far. Most of them were taken on Friday, May 29th when some people who were downtown during the protest smashed windows and took products from a number of stores. The hardest hit shops have been Bike Gallery on Southwest 10th and Salmon and Pedal Bike Tours on Southwest 2nd near Ankeny.[Read more…]
Most shops, like Upcycles in Woodlawn, have implemented serious distancing procedures already. (Photo: Upcycles)
Amid a growing number of coronavirus infections and pressure from concerned Oregonians and public health officials, Oregon Governor Kate Brown has issued an executive order to encourage people to minimize physical contact.
The “Stay Home, Save Lives” order clarifies which type of businesses must close and how to go outdoors without violating the order. Bike shops are not on the list of businesses that are required to close. The Governor has also not prohibited or discouraged bicycling. In fact, “biking in your neighborhood” is among the things called out in her official statement — as long as you maintain six or more feet distance between yourself and other riders. [Read more…]
As the grip of coronavirus tightens around Portland, bike shop owners are caught in the middle. Stay open and risk the health of their workers and customers? Or close and give up much-needed sales revenue and leave people with diminished access to a vehicle that in many ways is needed now more than ever?[Read more…]
A bike shop with close ties to Portland is the latest to announce that it’s closing.
Veloce Bicycles opened in 2003 in Portland and was located on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard until 2017. Original owner Demetri Macrigeanis sold the business to current owner Brent Engstrom in 2011.
Engstrom announced earlier this week on the shop’s Facebook page that the shop will close and their last day will be May 31st. “After 17 Years in the Portland area, Veloce Bicycles is closing,” he said. “We have been very proud to serve our great customers throughout the years. Thank you all! Unfortunately due to various reasons we forced to close.” [Read more…]
The former location of Clinton Street Video will soon be bike shop.
Joe Bike owner Joe Doebele says he plans to open a second location at 2501 SE Clinton late next month. The corner location will put him in the heart of a bustling Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood commercial district and right next door to Pedal PT, a cycling-focused physical therapy and bike fit studio. This section of Clinton is also a neighborhood greenway route and popular cycling thoroughfare.
“One of our musts is to be on a greenway.” — Joe Doebele, Joe Bike
Joe Bike moved into its current location on SE Cesar Chavez and Lincoln in 2012. Doebele says the new space on Clinton will become his main store with more space for an expansive showroom for new bikes and accessories. The old store will be reorganized into a repair and service-oriented location. [Read more…]
