Members of the Portland Police Bureau Central Bike Squad will soon be rolling around on sweet new rigs. That’s because the agency is poised to spend $500,000 on new patrol bikes.
According to the City of Portland’s procurement services office, the funds will be spread out over five years and will go toward the purchase of 15-30 bicycles per year. There are currently eight officers and two sergeants on the PPB’s Central Bike Squad who regularly use bikes on patrol. According to PPB Public Information Manager Mike Benner, in addition to the Central Bike Squad, a few North Precinct officers ride bikes occasionally and as staffing allows.
A company named Volcanic Bikes won the contract. Volcanic was based in Skamania, Washington before moving to Omaha, Nebraska in 2022. The specialize in police bikes and are well-reputed across the law enforcement industry. The International Police Mountain Bike Association, a nonprofit that trains bike-mounted officers, reviewed a Volcanic Bike and said, “The toughest patrol bike on earth.”
A document posted online by the City of Portland Procurement Services office touts Volcanic’s lifetime warranty and special frame features that add strength needed to carry an officer’s gear: “The chain stay and seat stay yokes are machined from solid alloy bar stock, which is far superior in strength to other processes.” Large tires on 29-inch wheels are also a selling point for their “better traction, angle of attack, and the ability to ride over obstacles, such as curbs.”
According to a Procurement services staffer, an initial purchase of 88 bikes costing $2,447 will be made. “After initial purchase we plan to buy 15-30 bikes per year, over 5 years, to meet Bureau demands and cycle out old bicycles,” the staff person shared via email.
And the money won’t go to a local builder or bike shop because it was awarded as a “sole source procurement” without a competitive bidding process. Oregon law allows sole source contracts when, after completing market research it’s determined that “only one known capable source of the needed product” is available. This purchase fit that definition, said the city’s procurement office in response to questions from BikePortland.
Benner says the bikes can be used bureau-wide and will also be available to the Rapid Response Team for use in working large events and protests. The new contract will also allow the bureau to replace some of their current bikes that Benner says are over ten years old. They also plan to have a fleet of bikes for training purposes and for use during the hiring process.
Asked whether the new contract means we’ll see an increase in full-time bike squad members, Benner said, “Chief [Day] Chief is incredibly proud of the work conducted by the current Bike Squad. If resources allow, he’d consider expansion in the future.”
While it’s a lot of money for bicycles, $100,000 represents just .03% of the PPB’s $295 million annual budget.