Portland Design Works’ Erik Olson on Making Products for the Everyday Cyclist

Since 2008, Portland Design Works (PDW) has quietly been designing products that inspire people to commute by bike, ride to the grocery store, or to simply hop on and go somewhere fun. Today, we’re catching up with founder Erik Olson about his history in the bike industry, why being fluent in Chinese was integral in building relationships in Taiwan, his first products and getting PDW off the ground, his commitment to sustainability, what’s in his coffee mug, and more. RELATED LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredTOPICS & TIMES:Coava Coffee (1:04)Riding with his Dog in the Basket (2:17)Erik’s history in the bike industry (3:11)Studying and working in China (7:44)Transitioning from Planet Bike to starting your own business (10:01)Starting PDW in Portland (12:36)PDW’s First Products (14:41)Expanding the catalog (19:55)Sustainability (24:40)Navigating challenging times in the industry (27:15)Development & distribution (30:37)Their Most Popular Products (35:48)E-bike specific products (38:33)What’s the future look like for PDW? (44:47)Donating to Grassroots Advocacy Organizations (47:22)What Erik’s Riding (49:50)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicGEAR:30Blister PodcastCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What this episode covers

Since 2008, Portland Design Works (PDW) has quietly been designing products that inspire people to commute by bike, ride to the grocery store, or to simply hop on and go somewhere fun. Today, we’re catching up with founder Erik Olson about his history in the bike industry, why being fluent in Chinese was integral in building relationships in Taiwan, his first products and getting PDW off the ground, his commitment to sustainability, what’s in his coffee mug, and more. RELATED LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredTOPICS & TIMES:Coava Coffee (1:04)Riding with his Dog in the Basket (2:17)Erik’s history in the bike industry (3:11)Studying and working in China (7:44)Transitioning from Planet Bike to starting your own business (10:01)Starting PDW in Portland (12:36)PDW’s First Products (14:41)Expanding the catalog (19:55)Sustainability (24:40)Navigating challenging times in the industry (27:15)Development & distribution (30:37)Their Most Popular Products (35:48)E-bike specific products (38:33)What’s the future look like for PDW? (44:47)Donating to Grassroots Advocacy Organizations (47:22)What Erik’s Riding (49:50)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicGEAR:30Blister PodcastCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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This episode is 59 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 26, 2025.

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