Cycling — already one of the more popular activities in the Willamette Valley — has boomed during the pandemic as a safe, socially distanced way to get outside, explore one’s surroundings and get a little exercise, and Aurora is eager to support and cater to the growing community with a new bike repair hub conveniently located alongside the town’s public restroom facilities.
“The two things that will ruin a ride really quickly are a bathroom emergency and a bike emergency,” cycling enthusiast and Aurora Parks Committee member Ronan Feely, who helped coordinate the project, said with a laugh. “You can take care of both here.”
Feely said he got the idea from seeing the hubs available on the Banks-Vernonia bike trail — and studying cycling heat maps on sites like Strava. Feely says the town has seen a surge of new cyclists coming into — or more typically, through — town over the past 12 months.
“We were seeing that a lot were cycling in from Lone Elder or from Canby,” Feely said. “They would come into town and they either go straight through Aurora or they turn around and go back toward the airport. We thought this would be a nice place to stop off.”
Aurora City Recorder Stuart Rodgers recognizes it as an opportunity for economic development and boosting Aurora’s tourism appeal.
“This is one of our efforts as we explore ways to connect with folks that are outside of Aurora, invite them to come on through and to our backyard and visit some of our local shops and restaurants,” Rodgers said.
The hub is nestled amid the antique shops, salons and tasting rooms of historic downtown Aurora, and within easy walking distance of the Aurora Colony Pub, Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen and the White Rabbit Bakery.
Bike hubs tend to be like a Swiss Army knife, with every tool you need in a compact presentation, and this one is no exception. This one includes an air pump, hex keys, wrenches and a hanger arm to mount your bike while you’re working on it.
It also includes a water bottle filling station — in addition to the all-important restrooms. Check it out on your next ride, on the gravel portion of 2nd Street NE.
New signage is expected to be installed in the coming weeks.
