Kyle Ward, Owner and builder at Machine Cycles LLC (aka Machine)

 

This company was started because Kyle desires to see a re-growth of steel bikes into the world of bike racing. "Creating a steel bicycle that has the necessary characteristics that racers demand and being able to appeal on all other fronts when sitting next to the big names, say on a retail floor certainly has it's challenges. But for those who already know the advantages of steel: those are the people that Machine has been created for- the people who don't want to live in a 'throw-away' world and know that the technology behind the metal industry has never lied dormant." 

One of the qualities in a bicycle from Machine (aside from a beautiful finish) is that Kyle, not only races bikes but has a background in biomechanics and fabrication. Three required experiences to understand what we expect from a bike in todays world.

 

Machine, located in NE Portland is now offering exclusive services to bike racers to keep their race Machine in top shape (not only servicing his brand but all race bikes). Kyle says, "I've worked in bike shops and they all have this blanket business model where they over charge the people who know how to take care of a bike because they know they will have to service those who don't as well. I want to help keep the whole bike working like a "Machine". It helps keep people safe and makes riding more enjoyable. On a call ahead basis.

EarthShare Oregon

As fellow bike enthusiasts I am sure you all care about your health and the wonderful environment that we live in here in Portland, and now your business can be a strong supporter of the healthy environment and lifestyle that Oregonians cherish. From rushing, salmon-friendly rivers to delicate desert ecosystems, the natural gifts of Oregon are appreciated by EarthShare business partners and their employees who share a commitment to healthy living that sustains the planet and who understand the work it takes to maintain and protect our wild and precious places.

A workplace campaign introduces EarthShare's 70 member groups to employees in the workplace, linking these conservation groups with people in your organization who want to make a difference in their environment and community. Both employers and their employees benefit from having the convenient opportunity to learn and share. In fact, everybody wins with workplace giving! Considering a Campaign?

Earth Share is proud to partner with businesses of all sizes and recognizes that a complete giving campaign may not be the best choice for small businesses and self-employed professionals. Because of this, EarthShare provides partnership options well suited to your small enterprise. It’s still the easiest way to help 70 environmental organizations with just one gift.

For more information, meet Meghan from EarthShare at the next Business on a Bike ride, visit http://earthshare-oregon.org, or call 503-223-9015.

We're Back

After a few months off we are back to ride again and promote business amongst people who love cycling and need to network. Our new ride will start this Friday 3/26 at 12 PM and continue each Friday meeting at the Submarine at OMSI. We will also mix in some Saturday morning rides from time to time that will be posted on Twitter, LinkedIN , and Facebook. Again our ride is always at a conversation pace and will be approximately an hour. We decide the route the day of the ride based on who shows up so don't feel intimidated because it may just be a flat ride out to Sellwood back on the Springwater Trail. Hope to see you out soon and the features will start again next week. Email us if you would like to be featured in the future.

Also check out our new donation feature to the blog to help us keep this thing going, for those that are new we do this for fun but have incurred costs over the past year and anything would help for us to keep this moving along and make it stronger.

BIKEmpowered

Brian Lacy created BIKEmpowered to offer detailed riding and repair coaching both in person and on the web, to help like-minded cyclists find each other and to support their goals to ride safely and often. If you are wanting to get out and start riding with Business on a Bike but have lacked an operable bike, bike handling skills or just the confidence to ride with a group; Brian will quickly, thoroughly and affordably give you the bike services and skills you want.

Does your ride give you odd noises? Sketchy shifting or braking? Wheels not staying straight? Brian will spot your bike’s needs right away. His costs are reasonable - a typical tune up costs $40 plus parts. He’ll show you the need, give honest, clear advice – then do what you ask him to do. Simple as that. Want to learn how, even do parts of the repair? He will teach you. Follow this Repair Services link to get started.

With a brief talk about your riding goals and where and when you hurt, Brian will design for you a short list of parts (so your body feels right, not wrong anymore) and riding position coaching that will make it fun to ride again.

Classes are designed for people ages 8 and up, and of all abilities. Courses include basic and comprehensive repair, wheel truing, wheel building, handling, trip planning and motivation. Classes are mobile, so can be held in your community. Classes can fill quickly, so visit the Class Schedule link to learn the skills you want – and become more BIKEmpowered.

Missionary Chocolates

If you missed yesterdays ride you missed out. We had a chance to sample some incredible truffles. Below is a little info about this weeks featured company.

Missionary Chocolates truffles are handmade in SE Portland, in a certified domestic kitchen operated by owner & chocolatier Melissa M. Berry. We have been in business for 1 ½ years, and have been in several Portland Farmer’s Markets during the last two seasons.

I combine local organic berries, NW-sourced essential oils, and many other organic & fair-trade ingredients with organic coconut milk, which is the base for most of my ganache, or the inside of the truffle. During the summer I pick many of our raspberries, blueberries & blackberries that go into our popular seasonal truffles from organic farms on Sauvie Island, and fill my 2 freezers to the brim to carry us through the winter!

I use a variety of dairy-free chocolates in the truffles, but mainly use a 55% fair-trade chocolate from South Africa called Akoma, finding its delicate sweetness gives the truffles a nicely balanced, never bitter flavor that is often associated with other dairy-free chocolates & confections.

Since beginning in February2008 I’ve had the honor of winning 2 awards for my creations, the Meyer Lemon Explosion snagging Peoples Choice: 1^st Place at the NW Chocolate Festival last September and I won a general “best confectioner” medal at the Chocolate Soiree in Salem, a benefit for the Children’s Theatre Foundation last December.

We are a company whose “mission” is to be a philanthropic organization, not a non-profit but a company that makes money to fund causes, most specifically in the area of natural medicine.

It’s my dream to use proceeds from Missionary Chocolates to open and help fund a inpatient holistic healing center here in downtown Portland, and is why I named it ‘missionary’ – I want a place for the broader community to connect with natural medicine services, because it offers & increased choice and better overall health. I want to create a wellness facility where people can come and be immersed in every type of health professional’s care, and focus on healing, inside and out. Our vision and purpose is to delight Portland’s tastebuds, but also further wellness in our community – body, mind and mouth! :)

If you are interested in our truffles visit our website at www.missionarychocolates.com

DynoLight

I have noticed something early this fall and that is the fact that we have less daylight these days so we wanted to feature something that can benefit all of you and keep you safe as the sun goes down and the clouds come out this fall and winter. With that I would like to introduce you to a great local company Light On LLC and their "DynoLight".

Local cross racer, dad, engineer and all around good guy Brian Engelen is at it again. He has developed the “DynoLight” which is powered by you. Or, more accurately, you pedaling your bike with a 6 volt/3 watt hub generator (Shimano, Sram, Schmidt). This light has a number of mounting options, doubles with a tail light and most importantly is a product that will help keep us safe as we are faced with less and less daylight...I would definitely recommend using the “DynoLight” on dark cloudy days as well.


Brian’s work will be featured on 2 possibly 3 bikes at the Manifest Design Challenge. In fact, look closely at the orange bike in this bikeportland.org article and you will see a DynoLight mounted to the rack.


Also, Halloween weekend he will have a booth at the Frame Builders show…make sure to stop by and say hello. If you are unable to make either event take a look at the Light On! website DynoLight where you can order the DynoLight along with a number of other great products.

Time To Change

Hello everyone, I want to start off by saying we truly appreciate those of you that follow us and have made it out to the rides. We have been a little slim the past few weeks in attendance and it has been hard for me to attend myself. So I have looked to the Brady Bunch for some inspiration which came from their classic Time to Change. "When it's time to change, then its time to change. Don't fight the tide, come along for the ride, don't you see. When it's time to change, you've got to rearrange"

So starting Thursday October First we will move the regular ride to Thursday evenings at 3:30 PM. I have also heard quite a bit of feedback to move the ride to the East side so we are moving the starting location to the Vera Katz statue on the Eastbank Esplanade. For those of you that aren't familiar her bronze statue is located on the South end of the esplanade just off of Madison Ave and next to the Portland Fire EMS Station. We will also start with one main route of heading out the Springwater trail and depending on weather on the crowd we can go as long or short as we would like. From time to time we may change the route but again this is meant for people to meet and chat.

I also know as a lifelong Portlander that the rain is about to come which may detract people as well. As we get closer to that time where only the die hards go for joy rides we most likely will move the ride inside where it is warm and cozy and most likely this establishment will serve wonderful Portland beer. If anyone has ideas or a place that would like to host us let me know?

I hope to see more of you out there in the coming weeks with this change and I hope I don't make this more difficult to those who have come out in the past.