She/Her
Owner/Operator/CEO of bad puns
Specialties: Wheel Building, boutique fender installs
My fascination with bicycles was sparked by my brother shortly before college. He bought me my first Peugeot Mixte for $100 and I’ve been riding and tearing apart bikes ever since. After college and a stint at United Bicycle Institute in Portland, I managed to snag my first job as a mechanic at Free Range Cycles under the seasoned eye of then-owner Kathleen Emry. My first year as a bike mechanic was a learning curve the size of Rainier, but Kathleen’s patience, a lot of grit and hundreds of youtube videos finally forged me into a passable wrench. After Free Range, these skills were solidified in my role as an instructor and Program Manager at Bike Works, a non-profit in Columbia City that helps youth and adults connect with bikes as riders and mechanics.
In the spring of 2018, Kathleen announced that she was retiring and I began to allow myself the secret dream of taking over the shop that had brought me up. The quirky and kind customers, the beautiful steel bikes, and the opportunity to carry on a woman-owned bike shop pushed me to make the jump. My hope moving forward is that this shop continues to have the same spirit of wackiness, inclusivity, and kindness that has made it a haven for me and so many others over the years.