Shop Local: Sunnyside Sports

Editor's Note:

Print magazines and brick-and-mortar bike shops go together like single speeds and denim, groms and scabby shins, tire inserts and profanity - so it should come as no surprise that, even though we don’t have a print magazine (right now), we’re working on a new series highlighting independent bike shops. We think local shops are great and we want them to succeed in this constantly changing marketplace, so we're doing what we can to help them with the bully pulpit our title affords us. Have a shop you love you think we should cover? Tell us about them here !

Sunnyside Bikes has been a stalwart in the Bend, OR, outdoor scene for decades. As they state on their website "to live in Bend, on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains, was a deliberate choice for us—one that we’ve reflected in our name and our attitude for 50 years." No matter what the world has thrown at them - from financial to political to existential crisis - Sunnyside has remained absolutely committed to two basic tenets, which, as they put it, are:

"Love's the higher law. We don't shout our politics, but if we are called to make a political statement, we will always side with love," and " We are here to serve. In our tiny place on the planet we have one thing to offer, and that is service--to our employees, to our customers, and to our community. That means we'll do anything within our power to keep people riding their bikes. It's how we serve, and what we give."

Bike Magazine caught up with Sunnyside's owner, Susan Conner, to get a bit more insight into the how and why of what they do:

Can you give us a quick history of your shop?

We started in 1972 as a small mountain town sports shop, selling bikes, cross country skis, backpacking, kayaking equipment, etc. Because our founders were college students coming over to Bend from school in the valley, they referred to Bend as the sunny side of the mountains, hence the name, Sunnyside Sports (then Sunnyside Touring). Over the years the shop became more centered around bikes and cross country skis specifically. There's a podcast that covers a lot of this as well!

What makes your shop really stand out? What’s unique about you?

We pride ourselves in being both old and very, very relevant. We have a long history of community involvement that reaches back to some pivotal moments in Bend's history—the formation of the Cascade Cycling Classic, the Pole Pedal Paddle, etc.--that make us somewhat of a bedrock business in town. That said, what customers care about is what they experience when they walk in the door today , and that is very much our focus.​ We really enjoy technology, but at our heart we're a family bike shop, so we make sure we have bikes for all ages and budgets, and that we're able to service any type of bike that rolls through our door.

What makes your local riding scene special?

Of course the riding of all types is great here, but what gives the scene its power is how important it is to the community, and the care given to trails, bikes, and riders throughout the area. I think there is very much a sense of the importance of cycling as a sport and lifestyle in Bend.

If you could change one thing in mountain biking right now, what would it be?

As much as we love high-end bike technology, we get really bummed out by how it can gentrify the sport, and make it less accessible to lower income and minority populations. Ebikes, for all their negatives, have increased accessibility to the trails for a lot of people with age-related or physical impairments. We'd love it we saw a more varied population in our shop, and out on the roads and trails.

What do you wish you could tell all your customers (could be something as simple as “Wash your bike before you bring it in” or as deep and heartfelt as you want)?

You belong here! Bikes aren't just for experts—they're for anyone who wants to ride. There is no qualification for being a cyclist beyond having your butt on a bike. We see a lot of people coming in who feel intimidated by not knowing what to do or how to fix something. It's our job to know, not theirs. ​Let us help.

What’s your mechanics’ beverage of choice?

Oh they love beer, of course. But they love a cold Coke, too, so whatever works.

Sunnyside Sports is located at 930 NW Newport Ave, Bend, OR 97703. If you're in the area, stop by to see what they're doing and say hello!

Check out the rest of our Shop Local series here .