[Matt Bracken] This morning I met Matt Bracken, a 20-year bike industry veteran best known for his work as President of Independent Fabrications, a company widely respected for their custom-made bicycles. Matt was in town for some dealer visits (including Veloce on Hawthorne) and I caught up with him at Albina Press in North Portland … Read more
[Update: Download the meeting notes (PDF, 130K)] Last night in City Hall, a rep from the Portland Development Commission (PDC), Commissioner Sam Adams (and staff) and other interested stakeholders joined a group of Portland’s bicycle industry leaders in the first meeting in a burgeoning effort to make Portland the most desirable place in the country … Read more
[The inside cover] Raleigh Bicycles may be based in Seattle, but their 2007 catalog is based in Portland. The catalog includes some great photos of local riding spots and several articles about various aspects of Portland’s bike culture and community.
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about Xtracycle, the company that sells kits to convert bikes into longtail, cargo-hauling machines. Besides besides a great company with a solid product, much of the recent excitement has revolved around the news from Interbike that Surly now makes the first Xtracycle-equipped bike, their new Big Dummy model.
[A scene from the Madein Portland Bike Showlast June] The PDC wants to bring the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) to Portland. Reps from the PDC, Commissioner Sam’s office and the Portland Oregon Visitor’s Association met with the founder and director of the show, Don Walker at Interbike in Las Vegas last week. The … Read more
[PDC’s Jennifer Nolfi] Ever since City Council passed a bicycle-related industry resolution back in July, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) has been working behind the scenes to add some teeth to the effort. The PDC has designated Jennifer Nolfi as their official liasion to the bicycle industry. She will travel to Las Vegas next week … Read more
[Chris King at the Alice B. Toeclips Awards] Chris King, founder of Portland-based King Cycle Group will be inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame later this month at the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. King, who moved his company to Northwest Portland a few years ago, developed his first headset in 1976 … Read more
[Former owners Matt Labadie andRon Hinckley] After 32 years, the owners of Northwest Bicycles have decided to move on. The well-loved shop in the heart of Northwest Portland (21st & Lovejoy) has been sold and a new bike shop will open in its place November 1st. According to co-owner Ron Hinckley, the shop has been … Read more
The final chapter in the long-running saga of Mountain Cycle has now been written. Mountain Cycle was once a beloved local brand with a factory in North Portland, a presence on the local cyclocross scene and even a ‘cross bike named the Stumptown. According to a press release I just received, the new owners have … Read more
[Click photo to enlarge.] [*Update: Kris Schamp from the Bike Gallery has posted some up-close and detailed photos of the Trek Lime.] A while back I posted about how Shimano had chosen Portland as a pilot city to unveil their latest and greatest component group called Coasting. This new group is supposed to revolutionize city … Read more
Portland’s youngest bike shop owners look to serve a busy route right outside their door.
[Chris and an old friend.] While at the Chris King Tour de France party last night, I heard someone mention that a guy rolled up on a bicycle made by Chris King himself. In all my years in the bike industry, including a stint as a King employee, I was surprised I’d never heard about … Read more