Pacific Northwest - Prospective cycle business owner eying PDX (bike cafe)

Hey hey :)


I'm a long time business owner with a sincere adoration for the bicycle. I've been car free since '05 and have been an outspoken advocate for bicycle rights in my community. I operated a used bike shop in Sonoma County, CA and today maintain an online presence that retails Hebie bike products called Bikefront.com. I am currently making the Bay Area my home but after a recent bike tour through the Pacific Northwest (http://bikemandan.com/westcoast/) I have fallen in love with the fair city of Portland and its bike culture without compare in the US.

My entrepreneurial spirit has been caught in an updraft lately and I am sketching plans for a new business: a bike cafe! The scene I envision is a comfortable space with a definite bike vibe that offers cafe beverages and snacks within the same space as a full service bike shop. I would love to see the space used as a community gathering point and a place to hang out with friends or to just sit and read in a comfy chair.
My approach for the bike shop is down to earth, aimed at cyclists of a utilitarian nature and not your "elite" rider. The aim would focus on affordable and practical likely with a selection of recycled/preowned wares.

So, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate some input:

Has there ever been or is there currently a "bike cafe" type model in Portland?

When you think of this idea, does a specific region of Portland spring to mind that this would be best suited for?

What do you think of this idea? Your general opinion is welcome


I hope that there is nothing uncooth about this posting. I am very eager to hear from those who would be potentially served at the bike cafe (there is nothing like an insiders perspective!)

Thanks very much! Tailwinds!
Dan
BikeManDan.com

When you think of this idea, does a specific region of Portland spring to mind that this would be best suited for?


Go to central Portland, drive north about 3 hours, put your cafe/bike shop there. It's a little neighborhood called "Seattle." We have bikes, too.

Sounds like a great idea -- I know this has been done in other towns, none in Seattle that I know of. There is a small coffee bar in R&E Cycles (www.rodcycle.com), but it's more of a "coffee bar in the corner of a bike shop" than it is a real bakery/lounge around type of place.

I'm not sure why you would build a business that discourages any one segment of the Portland bike community, the "elite" rider as youu put it. Sounds like you are turning away a sizable and affluent group. I think you have a bit to learn about Oregon, we tend to be more inclusive than what you are apparently use to.

Tailwinds tend to be more advantage to riders on the open road more than the city dwellers.

I'm not sure why you would build a business that discourages any one segment of the Portland bike community, the "elite" rider as youu put it. .

I didn't read the OP as saying he was going to discourage the elite rider. I think he said he wouldn't aim at the elite rider.

Every good business needs to aim at a target market. In my mind's eye, a bike shop/bakery aimed at the "elite" rider (whatever that is) would look different from a bike shop aimed at more casual/utility/commuter/recreation riders.

I don't think aiming at a particular target market implies that one is going to actively discourage or turn away a certain kind of rider.

Go to central Portland, drive north about 3 hours, put your cafe/bike shop there. It's a little neighborhood called "Seattle." We have bikes, too.

Sounds like a great idea -- I know this has been done in other towns, none in Seattle that I know of. There is a small coffee bar in R&E Cycles (www.rodcycle.com), but it's more of a "coffee bar in the corner of a bike shop" than it is a real bakery/lounge around type of place.
;)
I love Seattle too, it is not off my list of considerations. Thanks for mentioning R+E, always interested in shops that have adopted a similar idea
Riding from Seattle to Mt Vernon it was a pleasure to have the Interurban Trail ferry me a good 20-30 miles.


I'm not sure why you would build a business that discourages any one segment of the Portland bike community, the "elite" rider as youu put it. Sounds like you are turning away a sizable and affluent group. I think you have a bit to learn about Oregon, we tend to be more inclusive than what you are apparently use to.

Tailwinds tend to be more advantage to riders on the open road more than the city dwellers.
I'm sorry you took my statements the wrong way, that is not at all what I meant. I would not like to discourage anyone especially anyone who loves bikes (for whatever reason that may be). I was simply commenting on what kind of clientele I would apply focus to which would then relate to the type of products and services the shop offered. There are plenty of shops customers can go to buy several thousand dollar carbon fiber bikes, my shop just won't be one of them. But if those customers came to me for service I would welcome them with open arms and offer them the same great service I would offer anyone coming through my doors


I didn't read the OP as saying he was going to discourage the elite rider. I think he said he wouldn't aim at the elite rider.

Every good business needs to aim at a target market. In my mind's eye, a bike shop/bakery aimed at the "elite" rider (whatever that is) would look different from a bike shop aimed at more casual/utility/commuter/recreation riders.

I don't think aiming at a particular target market implies that one is going to actively discourage or turn away a certain kind of rider.

You are correct, thank you :thumb:

Go to central Portland, drive north about 3 hours, put your cafe/bike shop there. It's a little neighborhood called "Seattle." We have bikes, too.

Sounds like a great idea -- I know this has been done in other towns, none in Seattle that I know of. There is a small coffee bar in R&E Cycles (www.rodcycle.com (http://www.rodcycle.com)), but it's more of a "coffee bar in the corner of a bike shop" than it is a real bakery/lounge around type of place.

Have you thought of floating this idea on BikePortland (http://bikeportland.org/)?

Hmmm... River City Bicycles (http://rivercitybicycles.com/)has a "coffee bar" in the shop- but it's just that- a bar. No place to sit down.

Black Sheep Bakery (http://www.blacksheepbakery.com/) has a bike-up window. Little Red Bike Cafe (http://littleredbikecafe.com/)is a cafe, no bike services. There are lots and lots of eateries in Portland that have on-street bike parking (http://bikeportland.org/2009/06/26/first-look-at-new-on-street-bike-parking-in-north-portland/), but none that are directly bike oriented, unless you count the Pix Patisserie location, which is just down the street from the new United Bicycle Institute "campus".

The Lucky Lab brewpub (http://www.luckylab.com/)caters to cyclists, and its location on Hawthorne puts it directly on one of the main bike commuting routes into downtown. There's zillions of cyclists crossing the Hawthorne Bridge everyday. It's also across the street from The Recyclery (http://www.therecyclery.com/), so there's already a bike shop/hangout area combination happening.

Both Clever Cycles (http://clevercycles.com/) and Joe Bike
(http://www.joe-bike.com/)service the "utilitarian bike" market, along with plenty of shops that carry non-racer bike stuff.

I've been to a couple shops: Cycletopia (http://www.cyclotopia.com/)in Corvallis and CAT (http://www.catoregon.org/)in Eugene that have reading areas, but no food service per se.

I wonder if you're going to creating a business at cross-purposes with itself. The successful bike shops I'm familiar with are either crammed & busy (making money by rapid turnover) or out-of-the-way (making money by lowering costs). Coffee shops succeed by being busy, but quiet, and sell cheap stuff at a high margin (I know I'm paying extra to go to these places, but they're local businesses so I support them). A busy, high energy bike shop is not a place I'd go to chill, and a coffee shop that's trying to sell me bike stuff just doesn't sound comfortable. You have an interesting idea, but it's a business with a split focus- and that sounds like it has twice the chance to fail.

i think it's an awesome idea, and i'd hang out there if it were in Eugene. **covered bike parking** would be a big plus (many cafes don't offer any, or simply offer some sad rack wit only two or three spaces). and please don't charge me for wifi (but please offer it to me!); i just check email and aimlessly surf---never torrentz or the like---all low bandwidth... like my bike!

Cool, I guess I was keyed in on the cafe aspect more than the bike shop component, I see your point. Best of luck!
Jeff offers good info there, these are all popular spots. I guess I was thinking about a place like Lucy Lab that appeals to all cycling groups very effectively.

Inside the shop/cafe bike rack parking for customers would be a big draw for me (I have a high end carbon bike)

This idea has been done numerous times and places around the US and in most cases have failed, however, if you look back a few issues of Bicycling magazine you'll find a profile on a small shop that had a great business model, applied excellent bike knowledge with outstanding "cafe" smarts and have made it work. There are other successful examples in Boulder and Madison.

The idea on paper is a good one, however, living here in Portland and knowing the bike/cafe/coffee scene combined with these financial times I see it as a tough business proposition.

There really needs to be a "hook". Bikes and coffee have been done over and over again in Portland in some form or fashion.
Is your hook, "the best used bike shop in Portland and we have coffee"? Or, "the quickest repair turnarounds in Portland and we have a cafe" or "the best bike cafe in Portland"

Business models must address target consumers but more importantly, the business must have a reason for "being", are you filling a "need", are any cyclists asking for this, etc etc or is it a "hobby" job as we call them.

Is it a cool idea, sure. Is it unique, I don't think so. Can both entities, the cafe and the bike shop produce "the best" of whatever it is they offer? Hopefully, because if they can't there's a ton of established individual places that already offer both cafe/coffee and bike repair in spades.


KRhea

For me the hook would be inside secure bike parking. My commuter bike, much less my high end road bikes are worth too much to park outside for more than the time to get an espresso to take outside while a friend watches the bikes. Some sort of rack with a key like the lockers at a bus station would be perfect.

For me the hook would be inside secure bike parking. My commuter bike, much less my high end road bikes are worth too much to park outside for more than the time to get an espresso to take outside while a friend watches the bikes. Some sort of rack with a key like the lockers at a bus station would be perfect.

++1 here! There some many places I would like to stop by along my rides, but the lack of bike security is what deters me from visiting these establishments, ie Starbucks, delis, pubs.

I love the idea of a bicycle bar if I can bring my bike indoors with me where I have some peace of mind while I enjoy my java.