Display for the donation contest at the Trek Bicycle Portland store downtown.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Trek Bicycle Corp has been a very welcome newcomer to Portland for three local nonprofit organizations. The bike industry behemoth purchased six Portland-area Bike Gallery stores back in January and re-opened them as Trek Bicycle Portland stores in mid-March.

To help support the local scene — and perhaps grease the skids of acceptance in a city often skeptical of national brands (especially one that faced public pressure last summer to cancel police bike contracts), Trek launched a “Change for Change” donation contest as soon as they opened. [Read more…]

Program participant Natalie Martin is hooked.
(Photo: Kiel Johnson/Go By Bike)

Bicycling is like a drug for many people: Once they try it they get hooked and can’t live without it. Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) is so convinced of this phenomenon — and of the benefits of cycling in general — they’re willing to loan people a bike at no cost in the hopes it leads to addiction.

Working in partnership with Go By Bike, the shop that runs OHSU’s massive bike valet under the Portland Aerial Tram, the program has secured a fleet of 22 loaner bikes. Any student, staffer, or contractor with an OHSU badge can take part in the program. Bikes are loaned for 30 days and the only requirement for participants is that they log bike trips at least twice a week via the internal MyCommute system.

OHSU Program Manager Jenny Cadigan says there are about 20,000 commuters eligible. She estimates between April and September they’ll work with over 100 people in the loaner bike program.[Read more…]

[Read more…]

New merch.
(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

I knew it was going to happen, but it still felt like a shock. [Read more…]

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…]