Dec 11 2016

Lovingly Maintained Used Bikes For Sale

It is rare that we have used bikes for sale, but this winter we are retiring a few of our handsome Multi-Speed rental bikes which means they’re officially up for adoption! These Breezers are amazingly reliable and have been well-maintained throughout their tenure in our fleet. If you’re looking for a gem of a commuter cycle, any one of these just might be your new best friend!

We’ve got a few multi-speeds for sale, all internally geared, giving you more flexibility in shifting at red lights etc. They’re also equipped with equipment for easy connection of Dynamo rear lights, an easy way to avoid changing batteries on your pedal-powered steed. Each bike is sold as-is, complete with a bell and a rear rack, should panniers or a milk crate for cargo be in your future.

The frame sizes on the bikes for sale range from 19″ through 23.5″, feel free to stop by or give us a ring if you have any questions about the bikes or would like to take a Breezer out for a test ride!

We have them listed on Craigslist as well as on display in out shop in Old Town. Here are links to the listing which will be updated as the bikes sell:

Medium Breezer Uptown 7

Medium Breezer Uptown 8

K2 Mach 2.0- SOLD !

Dec 01 2016

Holiday Sale!

Attention Cycle Portland Customers! For the entire month of December, almost our entire store will be 20% off! We’re having a year-end clearance deal on all parts, accessories, components and gifts. This includes our sweet Portland-specific jerseys and other apparel like Cycle PDX teeshirts and our entire collection of “Sock It To Me” brand socks. For the bike commuters in your life, we’ve also got all of our lights, locks, fenders, saddles and more on sale. There are also a few super-sales happening, including our stock of now-discontinued Nutcase helmets (designed here in PDX!) and some of our bike light stock.

What can we say? We’re in the holiday spirit already! Come in soon to get the early bird privilege of first picks, stock will be moving quickly!

The discount doesn’t apply to service, rentals or tours, and can’t be combined with other discounts like our year-round local business discount.

Nov 17 2016

Portland Art Museum presents: Andy Warhol

The Portland Art Museum (or PAM), situated along the scenic South Park Blocks in South-West is one of our favorite rainy-day activity recommendations for Portland visitors and residents alike. Founded in 1892, the PAM is one of the oldest art institutions in the western United States. Both buildings of the museum are visible as we roll through the park blocks on our Essential Portland city tours, and participants can get a quick glance into the sculpture garden that sits between them, a quiet haven of art on the edge of the downtown business and financial district. pdxart1

From now through January 1st, they’re hosting an exhibit of some of Warhol’s iconic work. “Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” is an exhibit of work spanning the artists’ career from book illustration to the screenprinting that he is best known for. Arranged chronologically, the exhibit is a great introduction to the artists’ purpose for new viewers, and a new look into the process behind some of his most iconic work for fans. Featuring prints of Marilyn, Mao and a Campbell’s Soup can, the collection is not lacking the flare of Warhol’s most famous work.

Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Mao (II.91), 1972. Screenprint. 36 x 36 in. Courtesy of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. © 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Unlike many museums around the States, access to the Warhol exhibit is included with admission to the museum. An adult ticket on an average day costs $19.99, however the museum frequently runs promotions with discounted tickets for special occasions throughout the month. We recommend the museum as a good way to escape the weather this holiday season, and it makes a nice compliment of a half-day trip with our Essential Portland city tour, which will help to orient you in both the geography and history of the South Park Blocks.

Nov 10 2016

Brew Cruise Guest Post: Richard Hall of Baerlic Brewing

“What the hell is a Baerlic?

Say bear-lick…like a bear licking the foam off a frosty mug. Etymologically, it’s an old-english adjective meaning “of barley.” As in there’s beer and then there’s baerlic beer! But feel free to use it whenever you want to describe something that you can’t get enough of. As in: “These waffles are baerlic!”

Born out of an undying passion for the perfect pint of beer, Baerlic Brewing Company is a collaborative entity created by us, Ben Parsons and Richard Hall. After years of brewing on the small scale in a basement and winning numerous awards in amateur competitions all over the region, we decided that we should finally give in to the voices in our heads and move toward a small scale production brewery and taproom.

When we say The Beer Here Is Near And Dear, we mean it. We strive to work in as close a proximity as possible for all our ingredients, materials, vendors, supplies, and suppliers. And that allows us to absolutely love the beer that we brew.”

– Richard Hall

So there you have it! Straight from the horse’s (bear’s?) mouth! Of Barley! Who knew?

We’re proud to partner with the folks at Baerlic during our frequent Brew Cruise tours. Participants get a chance to stop at their beautiful space, located just west of the historic Ladd’s Addition neighborhood. Though they’re possibly known best for their Cavalier Classic cream ale, it’s easy to find something tasty in their ever-rotating, 10-tap selection. They’re constantly experimenting and bringing in seasonal flavors and ingredients to capture a bit of the dynamic tradition of beer. With well over 80 breweries in PDX, the Brew Cruise has no shortage of options, but Baerlic has been a favorite of ours since it opened in 2014. We were pleased when just a year later, Thrillist Magazine named it among their top breweries in Portland in 2015. Come along to visit their lovely, mellow taproom, always full of natural light and great music.

On the Brew Cruise, we take participants to two local breweries, where they can sample Portland’s flavors at their own discretion, then come back to the shop for a final microbrew pint on the house. Aside from this liquid tourism, our guides offer local and historic insight into the neighborhoods we pass through, along with trivia on the city’s brewery culture.

Next time you’re in town, book a brew cruise to find out what all the fuss is about!

Nov 01 2016

Happy Endings: Stolen Bike Recovered!

Last Wednesday was an exciting day for us in the shop– we helped recover a stolen bike! Thanks to Bike Index tweeting photos of the bike’s distinctive features, one of our employees recognized the bike when it walked through the door, and we were able to return it to its owner. Abra came in later that day for the happy reunion. Bike Index tweeted us this photograph afterwards. We were thrilled to return this sweet ride to its owner.

Like most big cities in the states, bike theft has become an unfortunate reality of Portland life. The National Bike Registry reports that bike theft has climbed around 10% in the US the last year. Bike theft is a notoriously difficult crime to both trace and prosecute. The best tool in the game, prevention-wise is a pair of anti-theft skewers on both wheels in combination with a sturdy U-Lock. The mini Kryptonite Evolution is our favorite for this purpose– it’s sturdy, and small enough that it’s tough to pry open with a car jack, which we’ve been seeing with increasing frequency around the city.

Should the worst happen, Bike Index is our best friend for stolen bike recovery. It’s also important to file a police report as soon as you are aware that your bike is missing. By registering your bike through bike index and reporting to PPD, you provide proof of ownership to shops like ourselves. The folks over at Bike Index are also experts at getting the word out to the community, which translates to more eyes out for your bike. We’re fortunate to live in a community that takes bike theft seriously, and when a bike is reported missing, shops all around the city keep our eyes open on your behalf. Most recoveries that we hear about on a day-to-day basis are the result of these community watch strategies. Happy endings like Abra’s are rare in circumstances without adequate documentation or verifiable information, so we’re in the practice of keeping a few photos and current info on all of our bikes just in case.

Meanwhile, we hope you can ride with confidence, knowing what you can do to prevent theft, and knowing that we’ve got your back when things go wrong!

Oct 29 2016

Highlights from an afternoon with the NZ Herald

Shandelle Battersby crossed the dateline and the equator back in August to experience the best that summer in Portland has to offer.

We occasionally take it all for granted out here in the Upper Left–plenty of hoppy beers, ideal cycling environment, and beautiful scenery. Shandelle Battersby from the NZ Herald came to visit Cycle Portland this summer to bring the good news back to the lands down under. After signing on to our 2pm Brews Cruise, the group set out to explore some of the exquisite beer culture that peppers the different neighborhoods on the east side of the river. Read about her time on a typical brewery tour and check out the list of our favorite breweries to explore on your own while visiting Portland! Just swing by our shop to pick up a bike for the best way to explore town.

“On a sunny Sunday afternoon in mid-August, the 35C+ temperatures of the past few days have eased slightly and our group of four — me, two girls from California, and Guthrie Straw, our affable and knowledgeable guide — set out from Cycle Portland’s Old Town HQ for the shadier eastern side of the river.”

“I think these Portlanders might really be on to something with this beer and bicycling thing …”

Oct 27 2016

Foodie Field Trip: Chicken & Guns Guest Post

a visual pun of chicks with guns — image by Duncan Bayne

Portland is known for many things, Rain, Beer, Bridges to name a few, and most people who come to visit us in Portland know that our food carts (of which we have over 500) are another thing that puts us on the map, so to speak. During our Foodie Field Trip tour, we visit one of our better know Food Cart Pods, Cartopia in which you will find an amazing treat- Chicken and Guns! This award-winning food cart specializes in Latin spiced chicken, served with either their crispy potatoes or a farm fresh vegetable salad year-round in generous portions.Without further ado, here’s their guest blog post, along with a couple of photos to get your mouth watering!

“ chicken and guns store front with firepit Chicken and Guns opened in Cartopia in June of 2015 with the goal of introducing Portland to our brand of smokey and spicy Latin American style chicken. We were influenced by dishes we found in Peru, Mexico, and Argentina and we wanted to bring these flavors along with a strong commitment to using only fresh local products and a unique aesthetic as well. We imagined it to be more of a tiny restaurant than a typical food cart. We built the cart out of reclaimed barn wood, recycled materials and installed a large wood bar and seating out front so that people could sit at the counter and see all the magic happen. Cycle Portland has been a great supporter of ours from the very beginning and we cant thank them enough for continuing to bring new guests to try us out.”

Our stop at Cartopia is the second of three stops we make during our Foodie Field Trip. If you would like to know more about this Tour or any of the other tours we lead, visit our home page for more information.

Bon Appétit!

Oct 25 2016

Bike Maintenance 101: the Daily Wipe-down

Here at Cycle Portland we love passing on our bike maintenance tips and tricks to help you keep your steed running smoothly as well as prolong the life of your components. In this post we discuss an “after every ride” suggestion…

On damp, rainy days like today (and let’s be honest, like most Fall/Winter/Spring days here in P-town), it’s extra important to keep your bike happy and healthy to keep your commute safe, fun, and timely. If your bike is a year-round commuter like mine, one of the best bike maintenance things you can do to keep your steed in ship shape is to give it a simple wipe-down at the end of every day.

dirty rags for Bike Maintenance — The Wiper-Downers

Here’s our strategy: It’s as simple as keeping a designated rag (read: old teeshirt) by your front door to give your bike a quick once over when you get home. For the sake of both your bike storage space and your bike, towel it off a bit– as your shower curtains know all too well, air drying starting from dripping wet is nearly impossible in this climate. Get rid of dirt, salt and road grit that’s collected on your frame and moving parts, paying extra attention to exposed metal (I’m looking at you, tiny paint chips!) Keep an eye out for anything collecting on your wheel’s rims– you want to make sure your break pads have a good surface to grip without risking damage to the rim by grinding any debris into the metal. If you’ve got disc breaks, give those some extra love, too!

Contrary to popular belief, water on metal alone is not what causes rust, it’s a deadly combination of water, dead leaves, road top chemicals, sweat, and other particulates that do serious damage to your bike. Keeping your bike wiped down every day prolongs the life of your bike and the structural integrity of your frame in our climate. It also helps to keep you aware of bike maintenance issues before they become safety problems.

So get down and dirty with your bike this winter, because a happy bike makes a happy commuter!

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