On our last day in Bend, we visited Bend Velo, a bicycle shop specializing in commuter bicycles in a bike racer town. We got a chance to talk to Eric Powers about the opening of his shop and his J. Livingston bike project. He has a created a new bike business model taking reliable 80s steel bikes and transforming them into classy commuter bikes. Customers have the option of buying a bike off the showroom, or building one from scratch, selecting the paint, the components, the grips, handlebars and a multitude of other accessories.

Eric’s hope is to help create a vibrant bikey culture like that in Portland. He realizes for bicycling to be fully integrated into Bend, it has to be seen beyond just being a sport and as a lifestyle. He and his wife, Megan, walk the walk and ride their children around town in a Bakfiets or kid’s trailer. Megan is a realtor and often takes her clients out on bike rides to and from properties to show the bikeability of their neighborhood. We wish them well and know that they’ll be key in cultivating a multi-faceted bike culture in Bend.