Portland Pedal Power met Tori Bortman, founder of Gracie’s Wrench, through the Portland Society, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting women, business, and bikes. Tori is an inspirational bike based entrepreneur with serious street cred. As female bike entrepreneurs ourselves (more than half of PPP’s owners are women) we wanted to be sure to get the word out about Tori’s business. If you want to learn more about your bike and how to keep it running in prime form, be sure to check out a class at Gracie’s Wrench!
Tori Bortman of Gracie’s Wrench offers educational and consulting services on bicycle maintenance and repair, including two student, custom classes and one-on-one lessons. She also provides consulting services for companies that want to create a bicycle infrastructure to support and encourage their employees and clients to use bicycles for transportation, recreation and create healthier work environments.
No, her name is not “Gracie”. So who is this “Gracie” and where did she come from? When Tori was a child she lacked a considerable sense of spatial relations. This manifested itself in bumping into things, falling down, and generally bumbling about her life. Her mother often chided her at those moments saying, “Nice one, Grace.”
“Gracie’s Wrench” is a nod to the girl Tori was from the woman she’s become. The company is proof positive that if a hapless girl with two left hands and two left feet can fly on a bicycle and learn to become a master mechanic then the joy and adventure of cycling is within the reach of anyone, no matter what skill or confidence level. Bicycles changed her life, now Gracie’s Wrench can help you tune your ride and your workplace to make a happier, healthier world.
