Every year, Our Community Bikes works with organizations from across the biking industry to develop and expand its work. Local bike shops and manufacturers play a particularly crucial role. While at first glance, they may appear to be at the opposite end of the sector to community bike shops, outlets like Steed, Bici, Obsession: Bikes, Mighty Riders, and many others have been at the heart of building better biking initiatives in Vancouver.
Indeed, across North America, despite economic challenges, the cycling industry is pulling together to support more sustainable, more inclusive biking in their local communities.
To find out more about how these partnerships are being developed, and the impacts they are having, we caught up with Portland Design Works, a US based company, which has been pioneering in their words: ‘beautiful, simple gear for everyday cycling’, while elevating community initiatives and greener ways of working.
How were you founded and how have you grown?
A couple other folks and I started Portland Design Works back in 2008 because we didn’t see a whole lot of fun, design-oriented bike accessories out there. At the time we were living in Madison, Wisconsin, but Portland was the center of cycling culture in America so we sold our homes and used the equity we had to move across the country and start PDW. We had to survive on ramen and peanut butter sandwiches those first few years but we eventually got to a point where business was more steady. At least as steady as it ever gets in our little industry.
We’ve fluctuated between two and five full-time employees over our 17 years in business, so we’re still quite small. We’ve always been more focused on being a sustainable business than growing the company every year. As long as everyone makes a living wage and has healthcare we consider that a success.
What was the market you were trying to fill/reach when you began?
We started in 2008 so we were really focused on accessories that would look good on custom city commuter bikes and fixies. There was an explosion of custom frame builders at the time making really beautiful city bikes with full rack and fender setups. A lot of those builders were saying customers would balk at the extra cost of, for example, a $600 custom rear rack for their bike. But every off the shelf product looked really basic and utilitarian and not at home on a unique custom bike. So, we started designing gear that would be functional but also look really good, really unique.
Sustainability is a core part of your operations. Can you tell me a bit more about how you have shifted towards sustainable practices, and the challenges you have faced in this?
We’ve had a focus on sustainability since day one. With every product we develop, we take into consideration re-buildability, materials, packaging, etc.
We also look beyond the product to how we power our office/warehouse (wind,) how much we travel by air, and how we commute to work. I think one of the biggest challenges we face is how to allocate our resources for sustainability. For a while, we tried to do it all. We purchased carbon offsets, donated 1% of top-line revenue to environmental organizations, and supported grassroots cycling advocacy organizations, but we quickly found out that we couldn’t afford to do everything, and we settled on really focusing on local bicycle advocacy groups because they are the most relevant to what we do and what we know.
Where do you see some of the residual challenges for the cycling sector in developing more sustainable practices?
For small businesses like us, a lot of it is just waiting for larger companies to invest in sustainable options or use their buying power to pressure suppliers to offer more sustainable packaging and materials. If Portland Design Works asks for 10 rolls per year of biodegradable pallet wrap from a packaging company they wouldn’t even bother to respond. If General Mills says they’ll order 10 million rolls, then the idea is taken seriously, and that option becomes available for all of the packaging company’s customers.
Cycling is often seen as a male (often white) pursuit. One of your slogans is #gearforallkinds, and you design gear for a range of different styles of cyclists and riders. How do you feel the cycling industry can better cater to, and encourage, riders from different backgrounds?
I think there are a couple of things we can do. First, show a wider variety of people riding in social posts and marketing materials. I’m not talking about just a more multi-racial mix of models. I’m talking about showing people who are older, who are younger, who are heavier, taller, shorter, etc. A more diverse group of humans.
The second thing is trying to show people that cycling is normal and there isn’t a high bar to entry. You don’t have to identify as a “cyclist” to ride a bike to work or to meet your friends out. You can just hop on your bike in your jeans and start pedaling. This kind of mentality exists in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, but it seems like in North America cycling is seen as something done by a specific tribe and if you don’t have all of the right clothing and components you won’t fit in. The cycling industry needs to sell cycling as simple, enjoyable, and not some kind of big deal. Normalize riding! Does that make sense?
You give away some of your profits to 1% for the planet, and support a range of local cycling programs and projects. What motivates you as a company to support these grassroots initiatives?
There have been years we’ve given ALL of our profits (and more) to 1% For the Planet organizations. We support those organizations because we want more people riding bikes and those organizations remove barriers to riding by giving away bikes, lobbying for better infrastructure, etc.
What have been some of your memorable collaborations with these?
There have been so many that it’s hard to single out one or two. Naturally, some of our strongest and longest partnerships have been with local Portland groups like the Northwest Trail Alliance and Community Cycling Center.
What are some of the leading challenges you are seeing these grassroots initiatives facing? (financial, community engagement etc)
It usually comes down to people. If you can get a dynamic leader who knows how to fundraise and inspire volunteers then you’re going to be okay. It’s always a struggle being a nonprofit and sustaining the organization, but with great leadership you can make it happen. I’ve seen a lot of organizations either rise or fall on the strength of leadership over the years.
How do you feel others in the cycling sector can support these community initiatives? And what advice might you give an organization like yours seeking to do so?
Well, you probably have time or money but not both. When PDW didn’t have a lot of money we donated our time by volunteering to table at events, organize trail building parties, etc. As the business took off and we got busier, we shifted to more monetary donations and product donations to raise money through raffles and membership gifts and such.
I once heard the leader of a mountain bike advocacy organization in Minnesota say that you’re not a real mountain biker unless you either volunteer to build trails for 10 hours a year or donate $100 to support trails per year. That makes sense to me.
It doesn’t matter how you support cycling, but support it!