Just a few words about Seaside, Oregon’s great local bike shop: the Prom Bike Shop.

My plan was to have my 2016 Surly Disc Trucker torn down and boxed by my LBS in Palmer, Alaska, and shopped directly from there to Prom Bikes for assembly and a quick but thorough check over before starting Side2Side. I can (and have done) both ends of this process myself in the past, but figured it would be a great idea to have a second pair of eyes take a good look at my bike before starting on a ride this epic. I also, regardless of one’s ability to do her or his own bike maintenance, think that is best to have anything but the most basic work done in a shop with a stand and the full range of bike-specific tools available. It goes without saying that the baggage area in an airport is sadly lacking in this department.

Les and Debbie Clark, who own and operate the Prom Bike Shop, couldn’t have been better people to work with. From my first contact with them while still up in Alaska they understood completely what it was I would need for the shop to do and my concern about having the bike ready to go on June 23rd so that i could start on schedule. I felt reassured that my bike would be in good hands, and the price I was quoted for readying my bike for the road was very reasonable.

When difficulties arose with the shipment I was alerted to them first by the shop. I was very concerned about any delay in delivery of the bike to the shop impacting the time that had been set aside to work on it, but Les and Debbie went out of their way to reassure me that my Surly would get immediate attention when it arrived. Ultimately the bike was several days late in making it to Prom Bikes, but when I went there on Saturday, the 22nd, to pick it up it was ready as promised, and for even less than I had been quoted.

Les Clark told me that not that many transcontinental bike riders start out or end their trip in Seaside, saying that Astoria to the north and Newport to the south seemed to get most if that business. That’s too bad, because beyond being a nice and interesting place in general, Seaside has a great local bike shop that can, and will, bend over backwards to get you on your way.

Prom Bike Shop
622 12th Avenue
Seaside, OR 97138

(502) 738-8251
http://www.prombikeshop.com/