The owner of six Bike Gallery retail store locations in the Portland region has decided to sell the business to Trek Bicycle Corp.[Read more…]

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…]

Map of bike shop statuses during the COVID-19 outbreak created by Chris King Precision Components and Portland Design Works [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…]