"Weird Bikes R Us This is a beautiful bike shop in the Hawthorne neighborhood catering to the conventional —and the not-so-standard—two-wheel transport. I was astounded at some of the new "looks" in cycling. It's eye candy even to the most disinterested shopper. The folks at Clever are knowledgable in a PDX kind of way and they wont attempt to give you a hard sell. Instead, expect plenty of anecdotes with no shortage of "I happen to commute on this..." sort of talk that keeps things real. Stop in, pedal out. Now that's clever. Whether you're a serious shopper looking for a new set of wheels or just curious about how bizarre bike design is becoming, a stop by Clever is sure to satisfy your curiosity. I went into Clever with a friend who was in the market for a high-end folding bike—specifically, the Brompton. Made in the UK, this handful of masterfully designed machine can easily set you back over a grand. Clever has some in stock and handles special orders, shipped to anywhere. My friend did buy a Brompton, special order because they didn't have his color. Critical component. More important than brakes. I couldn't help but ask myself, "Do I really need this quality in a bicycle? I mean, two wheels, a chain, some pedals, a seat and some bars, done." Apparently for the bike enthusiast, that's not clever enough."
