Please use any of the methods shown below to contact us, or come visit us at one of our retail stores in Beaverton, Oregon or Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
For questions on orders you have already placed or received, please contact us through the e-mail on your order confirmation.
Monday - Friday: | 10am - 7pm |
Saturday: | 10am - 6pm |
Sunday: | Closed |
Monday - Friday: | 11am - 7pm |
Saturday: | 10am - 6pm |
Sunday: | Closed |
* Pacific Standard Time | |
Mondays: Will Call Only. In Store sales and service not available. Orders placed online for In-Stock products will be Ready for Pick Up within 1 hour. |
Who are you and how long have you been with Universal Cycles? - My name is Brad and I am the Retail Floor Manager. I have been with Universal coming on two years now, but like to say that I have been selling for them for about 12 years....as I did sell my first product back when we were still located on 81st and Columbia. I was there after work one day, waiting to go on a ride with Mike D and a customer needed some help...I just happened to know a little something about the MTB wheelset he was looking at and helped him get the purchase done....I am sure that the customer was not expecting to be helped with mountain bike product from a guy in a full roadie kit, but it all worked out it in the end.
What bikes do you have in your stable? - Ridable bikes are a little low right now as I have a lot of maintenance to do, but I have a 26" Ti Single Speed, a Horst Link Turner Flux, a DW Link Turner Sultan, a Trek 5500, a Desalvo Cross, a Ti Salsa El Mariachi, Specialized Langster, and an SE Langster Wood version. My next bike that I want to get is a Salsa Vaya for touring and I am kicking around the idea of getting a 27.5 Hardtail as I really want to test one of those out. The bike that I ride the most is the Langster...there is just something so much fun about riding a fixed gear - in fact a year ago I did my first mini-tour on the Langster. My body and mind are so tuned into riding a fixed gear that my buddies often have to tell me to shift or that I can stop pedaling when I am on a normal bike!
Describe your ideal ride - To me any ride is an ideal ride. The bike is used as a way to clean out the thoughts and the cobwebs and no matter the weather or ride, I always end them with a smile. The best rides are the ones done with great friends and end with everybody sitting around, eating, drinking and laughing.
What is your first cycling memory? - The one that sticks out the most is when I cracked my head open at the age of 4.5 on my big wheel....In my mind I was standing up, no hands going down a hill and then I ran into the back of a car...the only questionable part of that memory is if I was really going without hands or not!
I have been working in the bike industry for 29 years. I started out in the service department of a high end shop, so I have some good technical skills. I have always been very passionate about bikes, since the moment I learned to ride them. When I was 13, I was bored one day and went for a bike ride with my friend. I have been riding seriously ever since. My current bikes include 29ers, both single speed rigid, and full suspension, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Eddy Merckx, Surly Pugsley (pictured here), SE Lager, KHS Cross bike, and a few others. I enjoy connecting with other riders and riding simply for the enjoyment of riding a bike.
Happy riding!
Who are you and how long have you been with Universal Cycles? - I like working on all types of bikes and have a real personal passion for vintage bikes. I grew up in the "Dirty South" and have been riding bikes since before I can remember. My dad always told me that whatever type of transportation I choose, it's crucial to know how it works and how to fix it. Since then I have moved all over the country and worked in a handful of different shops over the past 15 years.
Describe your ideal ride - The open road. I want to feel like I am in a White Snake video, the wind blowing through my hair. I love touring and am pretty excited to get in to bike packing. I moved to Oregon three years ago and there really are so many places I want to visit in the Pacific Northwest.
What is your first cycling memory? - 5 years old, raging super hard on my old rusty steed through the woods in the south without caution or shoes. The story of my childhood.
I've been fixing bikes in Portland, OR and New York City since the late 80's. I got my first job detailing new cars in the 70's just to pay for my first "new" bike - a Schwinn Sports Tourer with a "Campy" rear derailleur! I still have it! The old Schwinn has about a dozen various stall mates since then ranging from old pieced-together, urban assault vehicles, several versions of mountain bikes and some racy road bikes. The roads and hills around Portland offer countless options to test the limits of all my trusty steeds when I'm not busy talking bikes here at Universal Cycles.
Chat with you soon!
I've been riding since 1989, so I've pretty much been a bike geek since 1989. I've tried most riding, but mountain biking is my passion. Like most people into cycling, I have a serious bike addiction. I have an all-mountain bike, a DH bike, 5 single speeds and a road bike (I'm not going to put a number on the partials and the projects). My philosophy is you need a different bike to ride to work everyday...and then a spare bike (or two) just in case.
Keep the rubber side down!
PS. I bought my first mountain bike from the shop that Mike was working at in 1989. Small world...