We’ll be seeing more Rivendell builds from Golden Pliers, like this pleasing Hunqapillar. (Photo: Golden Pliers)
With all the doom-and-gloom news about local retail lately, I’m eager to share good news from the bike shop front.
Golden Pliers on North Skidmore and Interstate has been a bright spot ever since they opened two years ago. For a very small shop where the owners still put in most of the hours, Golden Pliers seems to have found a workable niche.
This week they announced news that will help expand that niche a bit: Golden Pliers is now an authorized Rivendell Bicycle Works (adding to their current offerings from Crust, All-City, Velo Orange, and Surly) dealer. Rivendell is a small but mighty brand from northern California that has retained its culture and values through many changes in the bike industry. Their steel bikes offer ride qualities and designs you can’t find from any other company, are wonderful for unpaved adventures and urban rambling, and they have a devoted Portland fan base. Their previous Portland area dealer, Rivelo, passed along the business when owner John Bennett decided to retire late last year.[Read more…]
When Velotech announced the closure of their 10,000 square foot Western Bikeworks retail store in the Pearl District in September, gears were already turning to expand the company’s showroom at their warehouse location near the Portland Airport.
Tucked into an industrial park just north of Columbia Boulevard at 87th, the warehouse had always had a walk-up counter to represent their three brands – BikeTiresDirect.com, Western Bikeworks, and TriSports.com. For years there wasn’t much of a display and the space served primarily as Velotech’s offices, product warehouse, and bike assembly facility.
On Saturday (1/18) that will officially change as a new retail showroom is unveiled after significant renovations. [Read more…]
Another large Portland bike retailer has decided to shut down its brick-and-mortar location. Western Bikeworks is set to announce today that their 10,000 square foot shop on the corner of Northwest 17th and Lovejoy will close before the end of this year.
Jay Torborg, CEO of Western Bikeworks’ parent company Velotech Inc, told us via email yesterday that the move comes as their lease is up for renewal and they’ve decided to prioritize their online business. “The expected future costs of operating the store have cast doubt on our ability to operate this store profitably,” he shared. [Read more…]
Portland has a new bike shop whose owners hope to be a part of the local fixed-gear and track riding scene.
Retrogression (2315 SE 11th Ave, just north of Division) is owned and operated by Dave Gattinella and Angie Beaulieu. Fixed-gear riders themselves, Gattinella and Beaulieu couldn’t find track-related parts and gear at local bike shops, so they started sourcing their own.
Retrogression started as an online-only shop in 2009 and opened a brick-and-mortar location in Massachusetts shortly thereafter (they are both from New England). They moved the business to San Diego a few years later; but quickly outgrew their space and went on the hunt to find a new location that would offer them a combination of warehouse (for the online business) and retail shop. [Read more…]
A neighborhood bike shop in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood will close its doors next month after over a decade in business. Owners of A Better Cycle announced their decision last week. [Read more…]
Block Bikes owner Ben Helgren is on the lookout for seven bikes after being hit by thieves on Sunday night (3/10).
In a post on his Facebook page, Helgren said the theft happened after the shop celebrated its sixth anniversary over the weekend. “As a small local business, our margins aren’t as big as some of the other shops and this certainly makes a dent right as the season is starting,” he wrote.
The thieves grabbed seven, yet-to-be assembled Marin bikes from the shop’s storage trailer. Here are the models and sizes: Marin Muirwoods size XXL in Red/Gold/Green fade; Fairfax SC1 sizes XL and L in Black; Marin Four Corners sizes M and XL in Black; Marin Stinson ST7 size Med in Light Blue/tan.
Keep in mind the bikes hadn’t been built up yet, so it’s hard to know exactly how they’ll look when built — and it’s possible they might be resold as-is or for parts. [Read more…]
