PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN) Friday August 10 2012 4:45 PM MT—Molly Cameron, owner of the Portland Bicycle Studio, recently consolidated the operation's bike and repair shop, formerly The Veloshop, and the fit studio into a single, larger location.
After closing The Veloshop in May, Cameron moved its contents and employees to Portland Bicycle Studio’s address at 1420 NW 17th Avenue and leased out the neighboring space to accommodate the consolidation.
“Once the studio took off I found myself bouncing back and forth between the two locations, and it just made sense to consolidate everything,” said Cameron. “Even though The Veloshop had a great spot downtown, the hole-in-the-wall with barely any commuter traffic wasn’t worth it. There was an obvious need to expand.”
The new store. Click for larger image
Entering its third month of business, the expanded Portland Bicycle Studio offers a mixture of bike fitting and sales, with bikes displayed on the floor and a service course in-house. Benefits of the new location include increased retail space, lots of light and abundant customer parking.
A professional cyclocross racer, Cameron takes pride in handpicking bikes and changing up the store gallery according to season, acting as a “personal shopper” for clients. Top-selling brands include Parlee and Ridley.
Cameron also works closely with Russell Cree, owner of sports medicine and training facility Upper Echelon, located next door to Portland Bicycle Studio. The two stay extremely active in the community by working with local teams and hosting talks, video nights and other events.
“We want to support the racing community. It’s honestly more active here than anywhere else in the world,” said Cameron. “You can’t open a bike shop in Portland and rest on your laurels. You have to be continually active because those are the shops that people remember and those are the shops that do great.”
With the shop on an upward trajectory, Cameron contemplates further expansion, but not for a couple of years. “For now I just want to fill out this space and grow it and make it beautiful.”
—Marisa Shimano
