Pdxguide

The default for most bicycle shops in North America has for too long been “performance”. Too many shops (along with the bicycle industry in general) have catered to the sport-racer types, in bikes offered and in accessories provided. (Of course, there are the mountain bicycle geared shops, but those also suffer from a different thread of performance.) Right now, more than ever, we need cycle shops geared towards the bicycle commuter, the utility cyclist, the student, the “everyday cyclist”, however you want to phrase it—people who don’t need to don a special, separate set of clothes to hop on a bike. Thankfully in places like Portland most shops know about everyday cycling. But Clever Cycles has brought the everyday cyclist to a new level. Heavily favoring a “Euro” cycling esthetic (i.e. Amsterdam, Copenhagen), Clever stocks many unique, stylish, functional bikes that are hard to find, like Brompton folding bikes, Dutch city bikes, and the “bike of the moment”, the Bakfiets, a Dutch utility bike with a big bin in front that can hold li’l ones. Many accessories abound, including clothing that doesn’t make you look like a day-glo banana. Sure, the prices aren’t what you call cheap, but the stuff is well made and well thought out.