Month: July 2005

Ride to St. Johns Window Project

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Bike to St. Johns Window Project
Bike to St. Johns Window Project

Had a great ride out to St. Johns with the illustrious Carye Bye. She led us out to the peninsula via a circuitous route that included Willamette Blvd. and the neighborhood streets of University Park. Once we pedaled through Main Street parade-style, we stopped to check out the beautiful (yet not bike-friendly) St. Johns Bridge.

We all locked up in front of Patti’s Homeplate Diner and walked around to check out the various art installations. We made stops at Tulip’s Bakery, Weir’s Cyclery, and Blue Moon camera shop. I had to peel off a bit prematurely but the remaining crew had a bite at Patti’s before heading home.

It was a great day to pedal a bike and it was great for me to explore St. Johns a bit more. For a few more photos of the ride, click here.

Thanks to Carye for leading and to Shawn for bringing the strawberry-banana smoothie!

Is Portland a safe cycling town?

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There has been a lot of talk this summer about the amount of cyclists killed on Portland’s roadways. In my opinion no amount of infrastructure, bike lanes, signs, or clever engineering can truly make cyclists safe on the streets. Let’s be honest, we’re 100% vulnerable to cars whenever we’re out there.

That being said, I think the most important thing we can do is spend more effort and money on education to change behaviors on both sides of the equation (no, not all cyclists are innocent). If both cyclists and drivers had a good grasp of the laws, a heightened awareness of each other, and more mutual respect and consideration, we would all be safer.

For some authoritative opinions on the subject, check out the recent post on the new Portland Transport Blog.

“Conserve by Bike” in the Energy Bill

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[I received this information from an inside source in the Oregon bike advocacy scene, I will post a link to the full press release when it is available online.]

This just in from the office of Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore):

‘Conserve By Bike’ Provision Included in Energy Bill
$6.2 Million Pilot Program Designed to Spur Bike Use

WASHINGTON, DC – A new pilot program designed by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D – Ore) has been included into the final version of H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The initiative, called “Conserve By Bike,” establishes within the Department of Transportation a program to oversee up to 10 pilot projects across the country designed to conserve energy resources by providing education and marketing tools to convert car trips to bike trips…

…Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved the legislation, and the Senate followed suit this afternoon. It is widely expected that the President will sign the legislation in the coming days.

Bike to “Last Thursday” on Alberta

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Juli at 8+ months!My ladies and I cruised over to NE Alberta Street last night to check out the monthy “Last Thursday” street fair and art walk. First, let me just say how proud I am of Juli (my lady). She could give birth any day now and she was still pedaling around the ‘hood (see photo!).

Alberta was really hopping full of great music, beautiful art, interesting characters, and…well, it’s really hard to capture in words the amazing energy of the place.

The infamous Clownhouse was really busy, they always draw a large (and incredulous) crowd. When we were there the mud wrestling pit was full, a bunch of well-costumed “clowns” were milling about and everyone was having some good old-fashioned vaudeville fun.

I also ran into Carye Bye of Pretty Dress Ride, Bunny on a Bike and Red Bat Press fame. I forgot to pick up a few of her great woodcut notecards. She’s got a ton of fun designs to choose from.

Bike Town coming to Portland

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biketown logoYou might have noticed the mention of Bike Town coming to Portland in Jonathan Nicholas’s column today.

Bicycling Magazine is giving away 50 commuter/city bikes to “the most compelling entries” about why you should receive the free bike and/or what you’d do with it. If you’re interested in playing along, just go to the Bicycling Magazine website to submit your entry.

Here’s more info direct from the press release:

Portland’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Bike Gallery will be providing vital local support for the program.

The free bike giveaway will kick off the Bike Commute Challenge, an annual competition to see what workplace can achieve the highest level of ridership throughout the month of September.

Beginning today and through August 15, any Portland resident interested in receiving an Electra Townie bike as part of the Bike To Work program can visit this website and submit a short essay (50 words or less) on how, or why, they would use a bike as part of their daily commute. Fifty of the most compelling entries will be selected by the editors, and all selected participants will be asked to keep track of their commuting experiences with the bike for three months.

So there you have it. May the best bike lover win!

Welcome Bike Fun readers

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If you’re just clicking over from the Bike Fun blog on Oregonlive.com…welcome! I hope you like the new look (and name) of my blog. I’ve still got a lot of work to do to make this a valuable resource for the Portland bike community, so I hope you’ll be patient while I tweak things around.

So you might be wondering how BikePortland.org is different than the old Bike Fun blog?

  • You can now search through all 150 or so posts. Go ahead, type in “ice cream” and see what you get!
  • You can leave comments!
  • You can check out the Bike Portland photostream on Flickr.
  • You can sign up for email notification whenever a new entry is posted.
  • And much more…stay tuned for more features and content coming soon.

The Bicycle Maid

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Came across this in my inbox:

The Bicycle Maid
Eco-friendly Housecleaning, Brought to you on a Bicycle

  • People/Pet/Earth friendly cleaning products
  • Experienced, reliable, immaculate service
  • Weekly and bi-monthly service in NE Portland
  • References Gladly Provided
  • Free Estimates

Please call Petra at 503-287-3922

REI will make you famous!

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REI is looking for “real people” to be in their catalog. They’re holding a casting call on July 31st from 11AM to 5PM. If you’re a cyclist and you think you’ve got what it takes to grace the covers of the REI catalog head down to their downtown location at 1405 NW Johnson St.

If you can’t attend, you can email your photo and contact info.

Great rides for the weekend

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Saturday:
Women on Bikes Ride
If you’re a lady and you like to bike, grab your girlfriends and head to Laurelhurst Park (SE 33rd and Oak) for a 10-12 mile ride on the Springwater Corridor along the Willamette River. This ride is part of the “Women on Bikes” series put on by the City of Portland Office of Transportation. Ride meets at 9:00AM. Contact Janis McDonald: (503) 823-5358, or email janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org

Sunday:
Heritage Trees Ride at Peninsula Park
Join a local bike-loving arborist on a ride that will explore the majestic trees of the St. Johns neighborhood. Meet at 1:00 at Peninsula Park (700 N. Portland Blvd). Ride will last about 2 hours.

Have fun and don’t forget to bring plenty of cold water along…or a few dollars to get a drink if necessary.

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