PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN) — With 50 percent chance of rain and expected afternoon showers, Bicycle Retailer & Industry News editors and sponsors will likely get a little wet today as they embark on a three-day tour of bike shops in Portland, Oregon.
BRAIN staff and sponsors will ride to 14 retailers to talk with storeowners and learn about what’s driving a recent boom in new shops in this cycling Mecca. Portland, Oregon, has earned a “platinum” level bike-friendly community designation from the League of American Bicyclists and some 70 retailers have set up shop in this city just shy of 600,000 residents (metro area has a population of 2.2 million).
On the first day, the Dealer Tour will work its way Northeast with visits to Universal Cycles, Bike N Hike, Citybikes, Bike Gallery and Velo Cult. On Wednesday, the group will head Northwest to Western Bikeworks, UpCycles Bike Shop, West End Bikes, Athletes Lounge and Fat Tire Farm. Bikes Belong will host a reception to cap off the day of visits at the headquarters of Rapha North America at 6 p.m. Portland retailers and suppliers are welcome to attend.
Riders will head south on the final day to Lake Oswego to visit Lakeside Bicycles, then work their way back to Portland with stops at Sellwood Cycle, River City Bicycles and the River City Outlet and ending at Clever Cycles, which recently was honored with a BRAINy award for best urban shop.
Editors are joined by representatives from sponsoring companies Advanced Sports International, parent of Fuji, Kestrel, Breezer, Oval, SE Bikes and Terry; Bell and Giro; Burley Design; Yakima and Interbike.
Coverage and photos from store visits will be featured in the magazine’s December 1 edition. But check back here all week for daily online stories and photo galleries or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
