Like best-guitarist-of-all-time rankings, best-bike-city rankings are mostly just for fun. But in a week when Portland reportedly got a serious demotion from the granddaddy of bike rankings, reader MaxD’s reaction probably spoke for a lot of us.
Month: August 2014
Safety advocates win on Clinton: city installs barricades during Division detour
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)
Hours before a pair of protest rides were planned to start, the City of Portland on Friday used light barricades to reduce through auto traffic on Clinton Street during the remaining week of a detour for eastbound traffic on Division.
BTA throws weight behind five new greenways east of 205
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)
Fourth in a week-long series about the BTA’s five new advocacy campaigns.
Of the five new Bicycle Transportation Alliance advocacy campaigns we’re examining this week, the only one that’s almost certain to succeed is east of Interstate 205.
Jobs of the Week
Looking for your next professional adventure? Two opportunities were added to our Job Listings this week. Check them out via the links below…
- Customer Service/Tech Support – Stages Cycling
- National Inside Sales and Customer Service – HGNR, Inc.
Magazine demotes Portland to nation’s #4 bike city
Ouch.
Dirk VanderHart of the Portland Mercury broke the news this afternoon after checking his mailbox: in Bicycling magazine’s periodic ranking of the country’s best bike cities, Portland has tumbled from first to fourth since 2012.
Get pumped: The 2014 Bike Commute Challenge kicks off next week
With August’s heat lifting, we’re headed into one of the nicest times of year to be on a bicycle in Portland, and that means it’s time to convince your co-workers to give biking to work a shot.
The region’s annual Bike Commute Challenge is a free, friendly contest between workplaces, ad-hoc teams and/or your own performance the previous year to see whose commuters can bike the most or the farthest on their way to work in September.
If they’d like, participants can use bikes for only part of their trip. Routes can fall anywhere in the state or metro area, including Clark County on the Washington side of the Columbia.
Community demands change as SE Clinton remains in the spotlight
Traffic conditions on SE Clinton have created a perfect storm for concerned members of the community who are pushing to maintain the street’s status as a low-stress bicycle boulevard.
Three years ago, the Portland Bureau of Transportation was so eager to show that Clinton was a bicycle route that it became the first street in the city to receive special, bike-inspired signage. It was a marketing push PBOT called the Clinton Street Bike Boulevard Enhancement Project.
But those signs don’t seem to be doing much. Since then, Clinton has become a popular cut-through for drivers looking to avoid SE Division. Even before the City threatened to detour auto users onto Clinton during the recent paving project on Division, we had already reported about concerns and calls for more diverters to keep them away.
Thankfully, after community outcry the City reversed its detour plans. But the problem remains and now volunteer activists have taken to the street in hopes of strengthening their calls for change.
Weekend Event Guide: Cyclocross, scavenger hunt, protests, and more
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)
Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.
With a bit of a cooling trend in store, this weekend should be just about perfect for bike riding. While it’s sort of a quiet week in terms of organized rides, I know a lot of people will be hitting the streets. And with the big Cycle Oregon week ride starting next weekend, you might notice a bunch of people pounding out last-minute miles to get themselves ready.
It’s also a holiday weekend with many people taking Monday off for Labor Day. Raise your hand if you’re going bikecamping! Strangely enough, I’ll actually be completely bike-free this weekend and I take my wife and three kids on our last summer hurrah — a road trip through the Gorge and down to the John Day River Valley.
And then there’s cyclocross season that kicks off Saturday just north of the river in Vancouver. Whatever your plans are, we hope you have a great weekend!
Job: Customer Service/Tech Support – Stages Cycling – FILLED
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Job Title
Customer Service / Tech Support
Company/Organization
Stages Cycling
Job Description
Stages Cycling is a growing company that launched its first product, a left-crank based power meter, at Interbike in September 2012. Our mission is to bring power measurement to the masses at a reasonable price, while maintaining the highest standard in quality of product and customer experience. We have been growing rapidly in sales and production since our launch last fall and have a design and production office in Boulder, CO as well as a sales and administration office in Portland, OR. Stages Cycling is a part of Foundation Fitness, which first launched as a commercial fitness equipment distribution company in 2009. We are a small but ever-expanding group of hard-working individuals striving to embody our company’s core values each day: passion, intelligence, agility, creativity, and listening. If you are an avid cyclist with a desire to contribute meaningful work to a team striving for excellence, this is the place for you to thrive .
We are currently looking to fill multiple Full and Part Time positions that combine basic tech support, customer service, and inside sales. This position would start as soon as possible and will be based out of our office in NW Portland.
Job Responsibilities:
– Answering the main phone line, fielding all product and order status inquiries, technical questions, as well as placing new orders.
– Processing returns, exchanges, and warranty replacements.
– Assisting in dealer account maintenance, including entering new dealer orders, collecting payment, and providing order status updates.
– Other support for sales and operational functions within the company as needed.
Candidate Requirements:
– Experience in the bike industry both as a cyclist and as a professional, preferably in a mechanical, customer service, or sales role.
– Outgoing and personable, works well with customers and as part of a team
– Organized and detail oriented.
– Strong in prioritizing tasks and time management.
– Able to juggle multiple roles and flexible with role adapting to the needs of the company
– Takes initiative and follows up until problems are solved.
How to Apply
Please send a resume and cover letter to egaspar@stagescycling.com . Candidates that receive interviews may be asked to provide additional information and professional references. Please use the following guidelines in preparing your cover letter, 1 page is sufficient. RESUMES SENT WITHOUT COVER LETTERS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Cover letter should include:
– A brief overview of your personal cycling background – no need to impress, we’re just curious!
– A brief explanation of your professional experience in the cycling industry and how that would make you a good candidate for this role
– Specifically why you are interested in working for Stages Cycling
– How this position would fit into your career goals
– Your current availability and how a part time position would fit into your schedule
– Anything else about your personality, work style, or background that would be helpful for us to know
Job: National Inside Sales and Customer Service – HGNR, Inc. – FILLED
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Job Title
National Inside Sales and Customer Service
Company/Organization
HGNR, Inc.
Job Description
National Inside Sales and Customer Service
Full-time employment
Location: St. John’s (North Portland, OR)
HGNR, Inc. is a specialty distributor in the bicycle industry. We are hiring a full time Inside Sales and Customer Service Rep. Sales and bicycle industry experience required.
NATIONAL INSIDE SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
REP; DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT
ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
* Present a professional image to customers at all times.
* Generate new and repeat sales through regular inbound and outbound telephone and email communication.
* Educate customers about features and benefits of products to improve sales and customer satisfaction.
* Maintain complete and accurate information in GoldMine our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
* Manage time effectively, meet personal goals and work effectively with other members of the HGNR team.
* Perform other duties as assigned.
DESIRED SKILLS:
* Customer service driven
* Strong cold calling ability, resilient and persuasive
* Excellent telephone sales personality
* Proven ability to achieve sales targets
* Ability to work accurately in a fast paced small business environment
* Exceptional verbal and written communication
* Proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Word and Excel and other common software and office equipment.
* Excellent time management and detail oriented.
NECESSARY PERSONAL QUALITIES:
* Honest
* Strong people skills
* Adaptability (Life Long Learner)
* Attention to detail, organized and cooperative.
* Self-starter with disciplined work habits.
* Interested and motivated to work for a small business.
QUALIFICATIONS:
* At least 2 years sales and bicycle industry experience.
* Previous success at increasing sales and market penetration.
SALARY and HOURS:
Starting salary: $30,000; with performance bonus available after the first year. Ultimate earning range is $35,000 to $60,000 or more per year.
Hours: Mon. through Fri., 40 hours a week. Weekends occasionally required.
Vacation: 4 weeks paid vacation, 2 weeks at the end of December and 2 weeks floating.
How to Apply
TO APPLY: Please furnish letter of interest & resume by e-mail to jobs@hgnr.com
Future off-road bike park Gateway Green acquired by City of Portland
A key step toward making Gateway Green a reality was taken today when Portland City Council voted unanimously to authorize a land transfer from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Portland is now the official owner of the 25 acre property that’s slated to become what Portland Parks & Recreation referred to today as an “off-road biking facility.”
The City of Portland acquired the land from ODOT for $19,300, money they received from developers via System Development Charges (SDCs).
In a statement released today by PP&R, City Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz said,
BTA looks to revive plan for protected bike lanes through downtown
Third in a week-long series about the BTA’s five new advocacy campaigns.
With almost every street project that isn’t happening in Portland, the city’s stated reason is that it doesn’t have the money. A long-discussed couplet of north/south protected bike lanes through downtown is the exception.
Comment of the Week: Tolling Schmolling