People on Bikes: The Williams Ave bike corridor

Welcome to the latest installment of People on Bikes.

Yesterday on the way home from work I stopped on the bustling North Williams Avenue bikeway. The images below are just a sampling of what I saw in about 15 minutes. Not surprisingly, I noticed a lot of people riding quite fast. This location was actually one of the more difficult ones to photograph because I had to pan and focus much more quickly than other places. I think people’s high speeds have something to do with the design of the street. Riding on Williams can feel hectic and stressful because of the narrow bike lane, the door zone, and all the fast car and bike traffic swooping by.

There’s a project lined up that should make bicycling on Williams more pleasant. It was supposed to be implemented already; but a lengthy public process resulted in a larger and more costly project, so PBOT has applied for a federal grant which they’re still waiting to hear back about.

With the rain pouring down right now, I also thought these images would be fun to share as they might be the last time we’ll see dry and sunny streets for a while. Check the out below, and I even included a little bonus for your dog lovers 😉 …

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-1

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-2

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-3

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-4

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-5

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-6

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-7

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-8

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-9

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-10

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-11

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-12

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-13

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-14

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-15

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-16

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-17

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-18

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-19

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-20

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-21

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-22

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-23

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-24

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-25

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-26

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-27

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-28

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-29

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-30

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-31

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-33

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People on Bikes - Williams Ave-32

Like People on Bikes? Check out past editions here.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Joe
Joe
11 years ago

ha, dude with a cig in his mouth.. awesome! love that almost everyone smiling while riding dont get that with cars.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  Joe

cig? Nope. I think it’s a lollipop.

Lance P
Lance P
11 years ago
Reply to  Joe

That’s John! He has the record for the longest bike move. Hillsboro to Kinton.

Jonathan
Jonathan
11 years ago
Reply to  Joe

I only counted 4 out of 33 smiling. Hardly everyone.

Syzlak
Syzlak
11 years ago

#11 and #16 are twins?

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  Syzlak

Thanks for catching that Syzlak. I repeated one on accident. Fixed now.

Anthony
Anthony
11 years ago

Ha, love the one of the guy eating. And I will never understand the preponderance of backpacks. At least they’re all wearing their helmets correctly this time…

SilkySlim
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

That dog must have left his at home. What an interesting bike on number 25. Do I see pedals and a hand crank?

John Lascurettes
11 years ago
Reply to  SilkySlim

yes, I want to know more about that bike!

Indy
Indy
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

Backpacks because I walk beyond my bike. Because I don’t want my space/footprint taken up by side bags. Because they are more convenient for me?

mark kenseth
mark kenseth
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

I was hit by a right-hooking truck once, twisted in the air off my bike, and landed on my backpack. I’ll never fear the preponderance.

TonyT
tonyt
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

I like backpacks because I don’t have to carry a pannier in my hand once at my destination, and because I can choose among any of my bikes without having to put a rack on them all. Once when my commute was 12 miles each way, I set myself up with a rack and panniers. Otherwise backpacks work just fine.

No fenders? Now THAT’S something I don’t understand.

John Lascurettes
11 years ago
Reply to  tonyt

There are convertible backpack-panniers.

Rachel
Rachel
11 years ago

And they are -very- expensive, where your average Jansport can be had for $30-$40. Not everyone can afford a $200+ modular bag.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

Its easier to corner at high speed with a backpack and panniers are fussy theft magnets.

Oliver
Oliver
11 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

Agree with spare_wheel. Bike handling (balance, cornering, acceleration/ deceleration) is just thrown off too much for me to carry my load anywhere but strapped on to me.

Caleb
Caleb
11 years ago
Reply to  Oliver

I could see that being the case for many, so due to my already messed up shoulders I consider myself fortunate that heavy weight in my single pannier in the rear doesn’t affect my handling enough to even make it a slight annoyance for me.

jram
jram
11 years ago

Number 25 looks awesome. Hand and foot power? Sweet.

9watts
9watts
11 years ago
Reply to  jram

There’s got to be a good story behind bike #25. Anyone?

It would appear that hand and foot power revolutions are out of phase; otherwise intriguing.

TonyT
tonyt
11 years ago
Reply to  9watts

I’d think you’d want them out of phase. I wonder if you can hand crank and not pedal, and pedal and not hand crank.

9watts
9watts
11 years ago
Reply to  tonyt

except for the potential wrist:knee interference

Patrick
Patrick
11 years ago

You’re getting REAL GOOD at those pan shots, Jonathan–well done.

Richard Allan
Richard Allan
11 years ago

Beautiful, Jonathan. Thanks for a photo record of biking on the last day of a record stretch of dry weather!

scaryseth
scaryseth
11 years ago

Thanks for another great people on bikes!
3 How can you ride like that with the drops and brakes facing that way, ouch. Looks very happy though.
6 eating dude, needs some air in those tires, wont talk about the angle of the rack 😉
15 Think is my favorite. The doggie in back looks happy and the look on the guys face looks like he is making and engine sound.

Paul in the 'couve
Paul in the 'couve
11 years ago

#25 – NICE!!!! I want one, wife already says no – or sell some bikes first

#33 – catalog cover material – BSNYC might make that the new face of PDX

#3 #10 #14 #15 & #25 all smiling – 🙂 have fun!

#30 at first glance – “Is that Barack Obama?”

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
11 years ago

#33 – catalog cover material – BSNYC might make that the new face of PDX

He’s retired?

Paul in the 'couve
Paul in the 'couve
11 years ago

#33 made it and #25 TOO! http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2012/10/aftermath-dawn-of-new-error.html – he hasn’t made #33 the new poster child for PDX yet ….

David
David
11 years ago

MORE!!!

Rick
Rick
11 years ago

A lotta attitude from #33. That is a cool shot. That one should make you some bucks somewhere.

Chris I
Chris I
11 years ago

#33 is so awesome in so many ways.

2wo Wheel
2wo Wheel
11 years ago
Reply to  Chris I

Is it because #33is pedaling backwards?

Chucklehead
Chucklehead
11 years ago
Reply to  Chris I

Complete cliche of the portland hipster.

Jim Lee
Jim Lee
11 years ago

Fixies rule, viz. #33!

Charlie Burr
Charlie Burr
11 years ago

I had just gotten my Raleigh (#10) back from Metropolis — and back from the brink after a neighbor left it on the curb — so very cool to see it here. Thanks, Jonathan!

Paul in the 'couve
Paul in the 'couve
11 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Burr

Nice bike – good save – I noticed those fenders right away!

jim
jim
11 years ago

As allways you have a talent for great photo’s

DIMcyclist
DIMcyclist
11 years ago

#33 is truly an archetype. It would definitely move copy, were it a magazine cover.

steve
steve
11 years ago

Sad. Only one who does not need a new bike or a fitting is #27

Paul in the 'couve
Paul in the 'couve
11 years ago
Reply to  steve

???? What the heck? On some of them how can you even tell? Seriously, just for the sake of argument what is egregiously wrong with the bike fit on #s 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 28, 30 and 32 ??? By my count roughly half look like reasonable fits – especially allowing personal preference and for riding style

Tom
Tom
11 years ago

don’t see how #14 can even reach brakes ? or shift …if an emergency stop ?…no way.

maxadders
maxadders
11 years ago

So many bikes…so many inflated egos.

John Lascurettes
11 years ago
Reply to  maxadders

Methinks you doth protest too much.

maxadders
maxadders
11 years ago

Oh, you can’t laugh at yourself from time to time?

John Lascurettes
11 years ago
Reply to  maxadders

Oh, is that what you were doing?

Chris I
Chris I
11 years ago
Reply to  maxadders

Interesting that you see that in these pictures. I see a lot of people just getting where they need to go.

Ted Buehler
11 years ago

Great shots, good to see Portlanders riding bikes, enjoying those fabulous sunny first two weeks of October.

bob
bob
11 years ago

25% Trek

Travis Fulton
Travis Fulton
11 years ago

I love these photo series posts, even with all the “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG” comments.

Ed
Ed
11 years ago

not one Cannondale 🙁

Paul in the 'couve
Paul in the 'couve
11 years ago
Reply to  Ed

#14 ???? Cannondale

larry english
larry english
11 years ago

that isn;t portland – how is it not raining?
wle

Sam J
11 years ago

Love these pictures. This is what it’s all about. People going places. Not so much their machines (even the more interesting ones). People.

Fred Lifton
Fred Lifton
11 years ago

People do ride Williams fast. It’s like the Cat 6 proving ground of PDX. Makes it hard for me to stick with my “no hammering on commutes” rule.

Joe
Joe
11 years ago

Almost time to get some rain action shots. haha

Bill Stites
11 years ago

#25 hand and foot cranked bike is owned – and ridden there – by Jane. Pretty sure the cranks are synchronized, that is, not independently rotatable.
These are incredibly difficult to ride. Note the steering pivot just under the front of the seat, connecting rear green and front yellow frames. Every time you apply any power input it affects the steering, such that you must learn to counter this effect in your pedal and arm strokes … good luck with that … yet people do that – and unicycles – all the time.
Hard to tell from the photo, but I think she’s rocking a Rohloff here.

There is an interesting predecessor to this design – the ‘manuped’. Twas designed and patented in the 70’s, I think in the Eugene area. One big difference is that the manuped had the pedal crank going THROUGH the front wheel hub, but didn’t drive the wheel directly – chain came up from the crank on the left side, drove an intermediate hub [which also rec’d the chain from the hand crank]. This one did have INDEPENDENTLY rotatable cranks – OMG I couldn’t even roll down a hill clutching the hand crank and not pedaling … maybe 3X tougher than Jane’s!
Friend of mine “Manuped Fred” won the world IHPVA speed championships in ’79 and ’80 on one, IIRC.

I think Dave Levy of TiCycles built her this crazy bike. And you thought he just built titanium diamond frames. 😉