After spending months helping Cleveland police evaluate which patrol bike to buy for this summer’s Republican National Convention, a Northeast Ohio bicycle shop manager says he feels betrayed.
The city of Cleveland has posted a bid to buy 300 patrol bikes with part of a $50 million federal RNC security grant. Landon Tracey of Eddy’s Bike Shop says he worked hard helping police find a suitable bike, and recommended models sold through his and other local bike shops. But, he’s learned the city has posted a bid that points to a model made by a Seattle, Wash., manufacturer that only sells its bikes directly from the company.
“We were kind of under the impression that they were going to go with bikes they could get local. They actually came in, (we) went through building the bikes with them, came up with a bunch of prices for them. Then, kind of right at the end, we heard through the grapevine that they were going outside.”
Cleveland city officials will not comment on on-going bidding processes. The bidding for RNC security equipment also includes 15 motorcycles, body armor and more than 3.5 miles of steel security barriers.
