Southeast Portlanders are mourning the loss of Seven Corners Cycles after owner Corey Cartwright announced he will close the shop by the middle of August. The shop, on SE 21st just north of Powell Blvd, has been in business 22 years. (The name of the shop comes from its first location in the Seven Corners neighborhood around SE 21st and Division.)
Cartwright says he’s curious what else life might have to offer him and that, “I think I’ve begun to feel the effects of 22 years in my brain and in my back!”
In a Facebook post this week Cartwright said he’s sad to be moving on but also excited about what the future holds. He plans to have a progressive liquidation sale to get rid of existing inventory through next month.
Seven Corners was one of those dependable neighborhood shops that people came to love and rely on. Much of that had to do with Cartwright’s fun-loving and familial vibe and the shop dog “Hammy”.
If no one takes over Seven Corners, it will leave a gap in our community in more ways than one. It’s currently the only bike shop in a nearly 1.5-mile stretch between SE 12th and 36th. If you live in the Ladd’s Addition, Richmond, Brooklyn, Woodstock, or Creston-Kenilworth neighborhoods, check out TomCat Bikes (3117 SE Milwaukie), Beezle Bikes (2505 SE 11th), Retrogression (2315 SE 11th), Missing Link (4635 SE Woodstock Blvd), or Cynergy E-Bikes (3608 SE Powell) as alternatives.
And if you’re mad or sad about this news, you can blame it partly on Taylor Swift.
“I’m not sure how it happened, but a handful of years ago I discovered that I was an actual fan of Taylor Swift,” Cartwright wrote on Facebook. “In her monster hit ‘22’, Swift states ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.’ Maybe it’s the fact that our store is approaching twenty two years of business?”
Check out 7-corners.com for info on the liquidation sale.
I am sure going to miss that place! Truly a neighborhood shop in all the best ways. Corey and Gretchen are always so kind and welcoming, and for years Corey has been helping out needy folks in any way he can. They are truly a gift to the neighborhood, and I feel privileged to call them friends, as can countless other customers who have been taken in by them as part of their Seven Corners family.
Wait – what does him being a Taylor Swift fan have to do with this?
Bought my first bike (as in, with my own money as an independent entity of my parents) from Seven Corners, and been going back for all my bike needs since (up until very recently when I got a folding electric bike from Clever Cycles). This is very sad news indeed.
I’ve been sitting on a couple of bikes I’ve been meaning to take in for work for months – another lesson not to procrastinate!
I’ll miss that shop. Not a regular, but once brought in a bike with a creaking sound that I couldn’t localize. I was worried about a frame issue. The bike was expertly diagnosed with having a crappy old cracked and creaky saddle (I paid for the exam). I was encouraged to peruse their selection of new saddles, but I passed, content with the knowledge that it was just the saddle. Should have bought a replacement. Sorry I didn’t.
Super bummer. I’ve been a customer since the shop was still full of treadmills over on Division. 7 Corners is my favorite shop, hands down. Best of luck Corey, and thanks for all the years of great service!!!
So sorry to hear this sad news. Corey is great! And will be much missed.
I hear that Bikes for Humanity is still happening (3366 SE Powell Blvd) though it’s now by appointment only.
Corey is a rare and wonderful personality, he will find success wherever he goes. Sad to lose him from the local bike industry, I can’t think of anyone that matches his warmth and enthusiasm. Now where will I sent my bike-curious friends to get stoked?
I haven’t been in since the shop left “7 corners.” There is nothing I can find on the website about the progressive stock liquidation, and I could sure stand to replace the Ortleib I bought used 15 years ago.
Another sad reminder of the old Portland lost.
Seven Corners is a great shop and will be missed. All the replacements for no-attitude shops like Corey’s want to sell something much more expensive and less compatible with many lifestyles.
Dang, this is the closest shop to my work and it was great to be able to walk over during lunch to get a part or just peruse and talk bikes. Great people there. They knew I was on a budget usually and liked to work on my own bikes and there were several times they could have sold me something that was more expensive but instead advised me on how to get a cheaper alternative, even though they also knew I’d be doing the work myself. Once, I needed a part for a crank that they didn’t have extras of and it would take several days to get it ordered, but I was stuck without it. Corey just ripped it out of some cranks they had in the shop so I could get back to riding again. Not sure if he even charged me for it, if so was only a couple bucks. Service like that is hard to come by.
Count me in as another person lamenting the closure. 7 Corners was definitely my most visited shop over the past 10 years or so. As many have said, it was much more than a spot to pick up some spare tubes. Corey helped me map a particularly good route out to Timberline via Still Creek Road (which goes “behind” SkiBowl). It was the type of care and interest that had me drop back in post trip just to give a little report on how it went. Best of luck on whatever venture comes next.
NOOOOO!!! I had no idea and I was just there yesterday because I had a serious pedal malfunction while on my way to Woodstock from my home in NoPo. The issue was fixed in 10 minutes. I also bought a bike there 10 years ago because they had the exact one I wanted and could afford at the time (Jamis Coda Sport). Please, please, PLEASE support your neighborhood bike store!!!
I’ve been a Seven Corners customer and fan since I first moved to Portland 20 years ago. I bought two bikes there, including my Extra Smoothie which now has over 50,000 miles on it. I’ve had dozens of wheel sets laced, tune ups galore, purchased many baskets and enjoyed the deluxe treatment Corey and Gretchen offer cyclists. It’s sad for us in the cycling community, but it’s happy for Corey and Gretchen so they may embark on other adventures and most importantly start going on weekend bike rides!!!! Love you guys.
Love you Corey and wish you and everyone at Seven Corners a great future.
Corey and Gretchen are the best. My go-to shop for the last twenty years. Having a bike shop you trust 100% is not to be taken lightly. The thought of finding that again is daunting. I wish them the best and hope to see Corey on the trail somewhere.
Corey & Gretchen are indeed the best, so much fun to stop in with my bike issues…they’ve been my go-to shop since the BIke Repair Collective in my neighborhood closed. Not the most convenient bike shop for me, but always worth the trip. Happy travels to both of you, you’ll be missed!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!