March 22, 2012 Buzz: Outdoors News Shorts
Outdoors NW is Portland-bound!
The PDX Pedal Nation Bike Show is this weekend in Portland! It’s the Rose City’s largest display of bikes, apparel and gear under one roof. The vendor list looks better than ever. There is a reason the Portland show is one of our favorites every year: there are great presenters and fun bike demonstrations for the whole family.
Best of all: Outdoors NW is there! Come pick up your copy of our newly released NW Cyclist magazine at our booth. Try your bean-bag luck at our popular Corn Hole game and be sure to enter your name for a chance to win a Davidson Custom Handbuilt Frame (valued at $2,220). See you there!
Sports and fashion collide in Vancouver, WA
Sweet Spot Skirts, a new athletic skirt retailer, is now open at 105 W. 6th St., in Vancouver, Wash. The skirts, which have a unique design and fit a wide ranges of body types and sizes, are adjustable and reversible. They are meant to be worn over a variety of athletic wear, from bike shorts to bathing suits.
The new retail store is unique, as customers can come in and select custom fabrics and have a skirt made up in a few hours. The Grand Opening weekend kicked off with a Fashion Show on March 15, featuring Moxie Cycling, Proskins, Willows Clothing boutique, Bad Monkey Bikes, Skin Strong and Flipside Hats. The skirts, however, were the star of the show. We saw them at Gregg’s Cycles’ Women on Wheels event and the Seattle Bike show and love the funky patterns and practical uses. See for yourself in Vancouver or go online and check them out here:
Bike Commuter Oasis — Wrench Bike Works
There’s a new repair shop in town! Wrench Bike Works opened on Dexter Avenue North in Seattle’s booming South Lake Union neighborhood March 16, and it looks like a keeper. Rather than going the retail route, co-owners Greg MacKenzie and Buck Hazard have decided to focus solely on repair. So they won’t be selling bikes, just repairing them. They’re hoping to attract the commuter crowd, and will put their combined 30 years of bike mechanic expertise to work. Here’s a great idea from the “why didn’t I think if that?” category: Wrench offers loaner bikes to commuters on the go. Drop off your bike in the morning, borrow a bike and pick up your ride on the way home after it’s all tuned up. Call in advance to make sure there’s one waiting.
“When you bring your bike to Wrench, you’re buying service; both bicycle and customer service. At Wrench, the service is the product,” says co-owner Greg MacKenzie. “Also, when you walk into Wrench, you will always know who is working on your bike; the owners are the mechanics.”
Swing by and check them out. It’s no coincidence they are in a main commuter corridor.
Happy Anniversary Washington State Parks!
It’s almost the centennial…on March 19, 2013 Washington State Parks will turn 100. It’s not too early to start celebrating, even though we’re just passing the 99-year mark. The first of the centennial events was held this past Sunday at Discover Cama Beach Day at Cama Beach State Park. with music, food, beach walks, and a preview of summer events. Best of all, no Discover Pass was needed. Stay tuned for more centennial events, and note the next free day at Washington State Parks is June 9 for National Get Outdoors Day.
