Dec 24th: We're closing early.
Dec 25th, 26th: Closed
Resume normal hours Dec. 27th
Dec 31st: we're closing early.
Jan 1: Closed
Resume normal hours Jan. 2nd
Jan 3: Closing early for inventory
Jan 3: Closing early for inventory
503-265-8595
2324 SE Division St. Portland, OR 97202
Open 10:00 to 6:00 Mon through Sat, CLOSED Sun
Email us at ABetterCycle@gmail.com
We are a worker owned and collectively run bicycle repair shop in lovely South East Portland, Oregon. Come to us for full bike repair services, wheel building, and internal gear servicing.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Curious Hours for this Week
A list of early closings and closures for these weeks leading up to the turn of the new year! (which kind of sucks that the new year always comes in during the dead of winter yah? Oh to be in the southern hemisphere where you can go to the beach and celebrate in the sun!)
Dec 24th: We're closing early.
Dec 25th, 26th: Closed
Resume normal hours Dec. 27th
Dec 31st: we're closing early.
Jan 1: Closed
Dec 24th: We're closing early.
Dec 25th, 26th: Closed
Resume normal hours Dec. 27th
Dec 31st: we're closing early.
Jan 1: Closed
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Bike Cozy back in stock!
If you're looking for a Bike Cozy small tool roll, we now have all sorts of colorways back in stock including neutrals and binding colors beyond pink!
I was surprised when Ian called me (at home) from the shop yesterday saying I needed to bring more tool rolls by. "The only ones you have here are houndstooth with pink, red with pink, purple with pink and grey with pink and green." I tagged and packed up the rest of my stock from Crafty Wonderland, including my two medium tools rolls and biked them on down.
Also back in stock, the tool kits to go with the Bike Cozy tool rolls. And! Colors of toe cozies available only at A Better Cycle.
Also, we have A Better Cycle t-shirts for sale so you can show your love while out and about. $15. sizes s,m,l
Last minute holiday presents? We just stocked up on lots of Black Star Bags goodness including hip pouches (with reflective and applique options), bill folds and top tube protectors. And as always, A Better Cycle gift certificate makes a great present (and they're real good looking because I used all my good design sense on 'em)
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| merry-go-rounds of locally made goods |
I was surprised when Ian called me (at home) from the shop yesterday saying I needed to bring more tool rolls by. "The only ones you have here are houndstooth with pink, red with pink, purple with pink and grey with pink and green." I tagged and packed up the rest of my stock from Crafty Wonderland, including my two medium tools rolls and biked them on down.
Also back in stock, the tool kits to go with the Bike Cozy tool rolls. And! Colors of toe cozies available only at A Better Cycle.
 |
| Super water resistant toe cage covers in lots of colors. |
Also, we have A Better Cycle t-shirts for sale so you can show your love while out and about. $15. sizes s,m,l
Last minute holiday presents? We just stocked up on lots of Black Star Bags goodness including hip pouches (with reflective and applique options), bill folds and top tube protectors. And as always, A Better Cycle gift certificate makes a great present (and they're real good looking because I used all my good design sense on 'em)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Happy Anniversary to Us!
Happy 3rd Anniversary/Birthday to Us! We've always been pretty low key with celebrating our anniversary, Ben used to buy a cake and we'd all eat that happily. This year we've had a change in the guard. Ben is now driving a school bus professionally, and Spencer Callahan has joined the A Better Cycle crew. There hasn't been a cake yet, but I'm still hopeful!
It's no simple feat to keep all the gears oiled and moving, we're six worker/owners working on a consensus basis and this makes us a family. Thank you to everyone that has been supporting us, our customers (hey, without you, we wouldn't even be here!) as well as our loved ones at home that have been amazing through everything. A special thanks to those three lenders that loaned us the start-up capital allowing A Better Cycle to open its doors three years ago in 2007.
While winter may seem like a funny time to have opened a bike shop, it was a nice way to ease into the swing of things and we're going into our 4th winter this year. As more bike shops are springing open all over the city, it's really a special thank you we owe to our loyal customers who, by loving their bicycles and treating them right, are also showing us love by spending local and supporting our small business.
Thank you very, very much,
Rachel, Ian, Clinton, Spencer, Tim, and Aaron
It's no simple feat to keep all the gears oiled and moving, we're six worker/owners working on a consensus basis and this makes us a family. Thank you to everyone that has been supporting us, our customers (hey, without you, we wouldn't even be here!) as well as our loved ones at home that have been amazing through everything. A special thanks to those three lenders that loaned us the start-up capital allowing A Better Cycle to open its doors three years ago in 2007.
While winter may seem like a funny time to have opened a bike shop, it was a nice way to ease into the swing of things and we're going into our 4th winter this year. As more bike shops are springing open all over the city, it's really a special thank you we owe to our loyal customers who, by loving their bicycles and treating them right, are also showing us love by spending local and supporting our small business.
Thank you very, very much,
Rachel, Ian, Clinton, Spencer, Tim, and Aaron
Monday, December 6, 2010
Bike Cozy and North St Bags at Crafty Wonderland
Even if you missed BikeCraft this weekend, you still have a chance to get lots of handmade goodness for holiday presents this weekend at Crafty Wonderland.
You'll have the chance to see our Rachel showcasing all her BikeCozy Goods (including her new Medium tool roll, and lots of toe cozies and small tool rolls). Also, Curtis of North St Bags will be there (booth #172) and he is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of North St Bags with a 15% off sale!
There are going to be 200 handmade vendors, and you'll be able to gets presents for lots of loved ones on your lists.
PS Come see Rachel and Ian at Bike Cozy's booth (#137) and you can purchase A Better Cycle gift certificates for 85% the face value (ie $100 gift certificate will only cost you $85!) only available Saturday and Sunday at Crafty Wonderland.
You'll have the chance to see our Rachel showcasing all her BikeCozy Goods (including her new Medium tool roll, and lots of toe cozies and small tool rolls). Also, Curtis of North St Bags will be there (booth #172) and he is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of North St Bags with a 15% off sale!
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| People kept asking about a larger tool roll and Rachel has delivered! |
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| Some of the styles Curtis makes. photo courtesy of BikePortland.org |
There are going to be 200 handmade vendors, and you'll be able to gets presents for lots of loved ones on your lists.
PS Come see Rachel and Ian at Bike Cozy's booth (#137) and you can purchase A Better Cycle gift certificates for 85% the face value (ie $100 gift certificate will only cost you $85!) only available Saturday and Sunday at Crafty Wonderland.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Customers are great.
Sitting here drinking my morning coffee I just happened to be staring at one of the tips we were given at the shop.
The dessert tips are my favorite. I just had a delicious truffle last night that was a tip. (That's two truffles in two days because on Friday the Hawthorne Fred Meyer was sampling Lindt truffles when I was there!)
Other tips we've gotten aside from the ever welcome dollar bills:
cupcakes
beer
New Seasons gift certificates
Cake (the one I'm thinking of was from Pix and so so chocolaty good)
fruit
vegan muffins
candy
Generally food, come to think of it. I just wanted to say thank you, because it makes me feel special. Even though it's the mechanics you're tipping, they're generally pretty great guys and they share.
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| A gift certificate to Tart as a tip? Okay! |
The dessert tips are my favorite. I just had a delicious truffle last night that was a tip. (That's two truffles in two days because on Friday the Hawthorne Fred Meyer was sampling Lindt truffles when I was there!)
Other tips we've gotten aside from the ever welcome dollar bills:
cupcakes
beer
New Seasons gift certificates
Cake (the one I'm thinking of was from Pix and so so chocolaty good)
fruit
vegan muffins
candy
Generally food, come to think of it. I just wanted to say thank you, because it makes me feel special. Even though it's the mechanics you're tipping, they're generally pretty great guys and they share.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Reasons to close for holidays
Our recent change in hours has gone very smoothly. Number one response to the new hours "You were open at 8 in the morning?"
Being open 7 days a week, it's pretty rare that we get a chance to close. Sometimes we'll use a holiday like MayDay to close and have our peer review (spokes council. spokes like bike wheels, get it, we're so clever), and other times like Labor Day, we close because it makes sense and we could all use a day off.
Partially just as a reminder to ourselves, here is a list of days we know we will be closed in the upcoming holiday season. They have been historically quiet days and we feel pretty confident you'll be off doing other stuff.
thursday November 25 Thanksgiving Day
friday November 26 Buy Nothing Day
saturday December 25 Christmas Day
saturday Jan 1 New Years Day
Being open 7 days a week, it's pretty rare that we get a chance to close. Sometimes we'll use a holiday like MayDay to close and have our peer review (spokes council. spokes like bike wheels, get it, we're so clever), and other times like Labor Day, we close because it makes sense and we could all use a day off.
Partially just as a reminder to ourselves, here is a list of days we know we will be closed in the upcoming holiday season. They have been historically quiet days and we feel pretty confident you'll be off doing other stuff.
thursday November 25 Thanksgiving Day
friday November 26 Buy Nothing Day
saturday December 25 Christmas Day
saturday Jan 1 New Years Day
Friday, September 24, 2010
Baskets and bungees
The other day a customer was in the shop trying to decide whether to get a rear rack, or a front basket.
It made me think of how much I love my front basket (I think of it as the middle size basket, but Ian tells me that most people would think of it as a big basket). I have been able to carry everything I have needed (within reason) with my front basket and trusty bungee net. The bungee net is key.
Ian also has some fancy language about the center of gravity axis of the bicycle and where is best to carry the weight for the best handling/ride, and it all makes sense. I just know I love my basket.
It made me think of how much I love my front basket (I think of it as the middle size basket, but Ian tells me that most people would think of it as a big basket). I have been able to carry everything I have needed (within reason) with my front basket and trusty bungee net. The bungee net is key.
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| Me and my bike set up a couple of years ago. . . before we found my awesome mixte frame. The basket is carrying: a toaster oven, metal kitchen drawer set and a foot stool. |
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