While there are more than 70 bike shops in bike-passionate Portland, shops and services are scarce in East Portland. Prior to last night there were no bicycle shops east of 106th Avenue, which meant a Rosewood resident with a flat tire would have to travel 4 miles to reach the closest shop.
Rosewood Bikes is making its temporary home inside the Rosewood Initiative Community Center and hopes to find a permanent location by mid- to late-summer. The non-profit bike shop and advocacy organization will offer weekly fix-it nights on Thursdays from 4 to 6 pm. Director Matt Martin hopes Rosewood Bikes can be part of a growing movement to make East Portland more bike friendly, especially for the families and bicyclists of all ages and types that live in the area.
The Rosewood Initiative and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance are hosting a week of events including the East Portland Bike Advocacy 101 workshop tonight from 6 to 7 pm and a Bike Rodeo and community ride on Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. Come out and support this great new resource in East Portland this week, and look for the Rosewood Bikes table at Sunday Parkways East Portland on May 10th!