PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN)—Portland’s burgeoning bicycle industry gets another boost this weekend with the Oregon Manifest Handmade Bike Show that runs through Sunday.
The show is designed to showcase Portland’s bike culture through the lens of local frame builders and the bikes they create.
Sponsored by Chris King Precision Components, the Oregon Manifest show received its initial funding and support from the Portland Development Commission (PDC) and the office of Commissioner/Mayor-Elect Sam Adams. Other partners are bikeportland.org, Rapha Performance Roadwear, Cross Crusade, Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association and Wieden+Kennedy.
“Portland has created a thriving, signature bicycle industry, one that produced $63 million dollars in revenue in 2006 and has continued to grow steadily. The Oregon Manifest show is a perfect platform for frame builders to share ideas and continue to develop the industry,” Adams said. “We see cycling as a primary form of transportation for many Portlanders, and as transportation costs continue to increase bikes should be the mainstream alternative for efficient and cost-effective transportation.”
A recent report by Alta Planning points to significant growth for bike-related industry in Portland, with a 38 percent increase in the value of the sector in Portland since 2006. According to Alta, the total number of companies in the bicycle-related sector rose from 95 in 2006 to 143 in 2008, a growth rate of 50 percent. New businesses are primarily small and locally-owned, with the notable exception of Rapha, an international company which opened a Portland office in 2008.
“PDC is proud of the work we’ve done with the bicycle industry in the past two years,” said Bruce Warner, PDC executive director. “We’ve convened industry roundtables, encouraged the development of events like the Oregon Manifest, connected new and existing businesses with our own programs and invested significant dollars in infrastructure.”
The Oregon Manifest show kicks off today at the Leftbank Greenroom, 1618 N. Vancouver Avenue in Portland, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., followed by an opening party at Wieden+Kennedy. The show continues at the Greenroom on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the Rapha Cross Roller Race beginning at 8 p.m.; and concludes Sunday in Wilsonville with the Cross Crusade Cyclocross Race along SW Ravenna Loop. Tickets are $10 for one day or $15 for both show days.
“This event will raise Portland’s visibility even more as a leader in the cycling industry. We have an amazingly bike-friendly culture and we want to promote the business side as well,” said Diane Chalmers, vice president of operations for Chris King Precision Components.
Special bike parking will be available to custom bikes at the event, creating an ever-evolving installation immediately outside the show venue. Additional bike parking will be available nearby.
