Chris King’s marketing director Chris Distefano (L) and Jay Sycip at an event in Portland back in May.(Photos © J. Maus) Portland’s reputation as a hotbed for custom bike building has just taken another major leap forward with news breaking over the weekend that Chris King Precision Components has hired SyCip Designs co-founder and renowned … Read more
Coming to Portland October 10-12. The Oregon Manifest show has come a long way since I last reported about it back in May. Organizers have nailed down exciting venues, a new presenting sponsor, and an impressive list of over 40 exhibitors (that includes several surprises). As the official media partner of the event, I’m proud … Read more
While riding down NE Alberta Street yesterday I noticed a new cafe with some fantastic bike parking. The Radio Room has devoted a considerable portion of their property at NE 11th and Alberta to bike parking.(Photos © J. Maus)
(Photo: PedaltoProperties.com) Pedal to Properties, a Boulder, Colorado-based real estate company that shows homes by bike, plans to open up an office in Portland. Co-founder Chris Sweeney told me via telephone this morning that they’ve already met with commercial real estate agents in Portland and they hope to nail down an office space in the … Read more
Tony Pereira in his shop.(Photos © J. Maus) This afternoon I stopped by the shop of local bike builder Tony Pereira. Tony has come a long way since I first made note of his arrival in Portland (via Salt Lake City) back in November of 2005. Since then, his business has matured, he’s moved into … Read more
Detail from event poster.(Large version here) A custom bike show in Southern Oregon will feature builders from Oregon, Washington and California, including the debut of two new builders from Portland. The first-ever Southern Oregon Custom Bicycle Show is a joint effort between the Ashland-based United Bicycle Institute (UBI) and the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association (OBCA, … Read more
Inside the Sapa factory.(Photo: Sapa) A company based in Northeast Portland that produces tens of thousands of bicycle frames per year might be on its way to Vancouver. A story published on July 30 in the The Columbian, Aluminum company might bring 900 jobs to Vancouver, details that documents filed with the City of Vancouver … Read more
It seems I jumped the gun with my story about the former McCall’s Restaurant site in Waterfront Park being turned into a cafe and bike retail, rental, commuter facility operated by Bike Republic. I published my story after reading a story in The Oregonian that I interpreted as meaning it was a done deal. I … Read more
[Editor’s Note: Please read my follow-up to this story. It seems I jumped the gun a little bit and the deal isn’t quite “official” yet. Sorry for any confusion.] Ken Nichols, seen here at Bike to Work Day in 2007, is the man behind Bike Republic.(Photos © J. Maus) According to The Oregonian, the Portland … Read more
A sign of the times in Portland. Portland real estate broker Kirsten Kaufman knows that in order to sell a home, you’ve got to first sell the neighborhood. And increasingly, in addition to the quality of local schools and proximity to parks, Ms. Kaufman’s clients want to live in a place that is bike-friendly.
BikeRacker is a new business that has sprung up to meet the local demand for temporary bike parking.(Photos © J. Maus) A local bicycle and pedestrian planning firm has announced plans to update a groundbreaking study on Portland’s bicycle-related economy. Back in March of this year, I reported that Mia Birk, a principal with Alta … Read more
(Image: Google Maps Streetview) Gateway Bicycles, located at NE Halsey and 119th, has decided to close their doors. A reader forwarded me an email sent out by the shop’s owners. Here’s the message (also posted on their website):