Momentum Mag CAN May/Jun 2011

\200\016\003 \202 \203\204\013\202 \205\205\207\206\207\235\020\240\210\207\211\212\017\020\235\240\203\255\206\207\204\004 \240\024\213\030 \034\027\026\b\024Clever Cycles got its start when two ingenious sets of strangers eyed each other's rides. It was 2006 and Martina and Todd Fahrner pedaled over to a party at a friend's house in Portland, OR. \036 ey rode their Xtracycles for all sorts of everyday activities. But their bicycles weren't exactly the standard model: Todd had enhanced each with a bright-red electric-assist motor. Portland being a bike-curious town, the Fahrners weren't the only folks who showed up on creative wheels. Dean and Rachel Mullin also attended that gathering, arriving on a tandem bike with a daisy-chain of trailers hitched to the back. "So we were ogling the Mullin's tandem trailers and they were ogling our Xtracycles," Martina Fahrner said with a laugh. "It took o\034 from there." \036 e two families quickly discovered they had a lot in common. \036 ey lived just 10 minutes apart. \036 ey viewed bicycling not as a way to burn calories, make a statement or win some sort of competition. \036 ey loved riding because it was simply the most e\037 cient and enjoyable way to get around town. Relying on bicycling for all the necessities of transportation, though, meant both families needed more from their bikes than some commuters and recreational riders. "Dean and Rachel had four kids under 10 years old and they were trying to \035 gure out how to get four kids onto one bike or onto bikes in general," Martina said. At the time, there was one Dutch woman who transported her two kids around Portland on a bak\035 ets bike, which featured a wheelbarrow-like seat in front of the handlebars. \036 at was enough to send Todd and Dean on a trip to the Netherlands to test ride some bak\035 ets for themselves. \036 ey were inspired and, almost immediately, knew they needed to import them to North America. So, in March 2007, Clever Cycles opened its doors. Co-owned by the Fahrners and Mullins, the shop sells a number of European-inspired city bikes, such as Breezer, Linus and Retrovelo. But what makes Clever Cycles unique is its impressive selection of cargo bikes. Need to transport two kids and a week's worth of groceries - and not exhaust your body and lose your mind in the process? Clever Cycles has some smart solutions. \036 ey carry bak\035 etsen and Gazelle Cabbys with big cargo seats in the front. \036 ey sell Xtracycles with hitchless trailers capable of hauling up to 200 pounds (91 kilograms) in the back. \036 ey've got tricycles, WorkCycles and a wide array of children's seats for any style of bicycle. If their mission could be summed up in one word, it would be "utilitarian." "Biking is supposed to be fun," Martina said. "You're not supposed to have to dress up for it. It's something you just do. Just as easily as you grab your car keys and head out for your car, you should be able to head out to your bike and put a laptop on the back and pick up something to eat and even pick up your kids from school. 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