Eben "Bike Snob" Weiss in the Wall Street Journal.

It was big news on the bikey interwebs yesterday when the man behind the most popular bike blog in the world BikesnobNYC revealed his identity. Eben Weiss is the Bike Snob and his coming out day was a pretty big deal.

In addition to his uber-popular blog, Weiss is a regular contributor to Bicycling Magazine and now he's got a new book to promote (hence the big reveal). He'll be in Portland this June to promote it (details below) so I thought it'd be fun to ask him a few questions. Read the Q & A below for his feelings on bike advocacy, the Portland bike scene, and how he is (or isn't) selling out bike culture to make a buck. (more...)

Cover of The Lost Cyclist.

David Herlihy's forthcoming book, The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance, has a Portland connection that's over a century old.

Herlihy, author of the award-winning Bicycle: The History, got in touch recently to tell us a bit about the story of Frank Lenz, the "lost cyclist."

Back in 1892, Lenz set off from Pittsburgh on his innovative "safety" bicycle (a prototype of the modern bicycle design) with an aim to cycle around the world. According to legend, and Herlihy's book, Lenz disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Turkey two years later. (more...)

In the world of print, most bicycle-themed publications are novice-level — they tell you how to fix your bike or guide you through gaining skills and confidence to ride in traffic. Then there's the other end of the spectrum — the ivory tower of transportation theory.

That's why I have to bless Boneshaker's scrappy heart and 104 information-packed pages for filling the much needed void between these two genres.

This small volume communicates on a level for those who just want to ride their bikes and then talk about it afterwards. It fully lives up to its subtitle, "A Bicycling Almanac." (more...)

Perhaps BikeCraft yielded the perfect holiday gifts for every bike lover in your life. But if you need that one last perfect item, check out the book suggestions below -- or browse through our Bookstore for even more inspiration.

December 21st is your deadline for shipping via priority mail; or if you're in the Portland area, you can buy books online here and pick them up at the Powell's location of your choice. (more...)

Publisher's note: Despite a recent BTA survey showing that 90% of respondents own a car, many people are finding that living without one (or several) is not only possible but enjoyable. Even the New York Times has noticed that in America, people are falling out of love with cars.

On that note, here's a review of a very highly recommended book about how to take the carfree (or just car-light) plunge. It was originally published by Elisa Munoz on her Birmingham, Alabama-based blog Bike Skirt, and has been republished here with her permission. We're looking forward to publishing more reviews from Munoz in the future.

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Cover of Kurmaskie's latest book,
on store shelves February 2010.

Remember two years ago when we checked in on local author and self-described "adventure dad" Joe Kurmaskie right before he and his family embarked on journey across Canada?

Well, somehow the family is still together (joke) and Joe has just finished a book about the adventure.

Known to thousands of fans across the country as the Metal Cowboy, Joe's latest book, Mud, Sweat and Gears: A Rowdy Family Bike Adventure Across Canada on Seven Wheels, isn't slated for mass release until February 2010, but he gave us a sneak peek at the cover art and copy from the bookjacket. (more...)

David Byrne will be back in town soon to
promote his new book, Bicycle Diaries.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Several additional books and movies have made their way into the BikePortland Bookstore in recent weeks.

Among them are two titles supported by upcoming live author appearances. David Byrne will be at the Bagdad Theater September 30, 2009 to talk about his experiences pedaling urban environments around the globe. This is a ticketed event and includes a copy of Byrne’s new Bicycle Diaries, which is being released today.

Also, Anthony Flint, author of Wrestling with Moses will appear at Powell’s on Burnside October 15 at 7:30PM in a public discussion along with PSU Urban Studies and Planning Professor, Carl Abbott. (more...)

I've just spent a lovely but overly warm summer morning hunkered down in the cool basement reading the latest edition of Boneshaker.

The small volume's attractive recycled brown cover is reminiscent of an army field manual, but with an attention grabbing color illustration of a bicycle enticing me in to the table of contents. It turns out that the postcard-sized zine is dense with inspirational words and imagery; poetry, conversation, hope, art and community. (more...)

The law isn't always entirely clear when it comes to bikes on the road -- are you required to be in a bike lane? What if you want to make a left turn? Do you need to put your foot down every time you stop? How would enforcement work if we had an Idaho-style stop sign law?

The University of Oregon is holding a free event next week (7/30), Rules of the Road: Bicyclists' Rights & Responsibilities, to help you learn to navigate these issues and many more.

Here's more from the event flyer: (more...)

Need something to occupy, amaze, and inspire you as you lie on the beach, in your backyard, or on your couch in the coolest room in your house at the end of a long day this summer? Check out the BikePortland Bookstore for ideas, or browse through our most recent additions below.

Through our partnership with Portland’s own Powell’s Books, BikePortland.org will receive a portion of all sales on Powells.com made through the links on this page (including any books and DVDs, not just the ones we link to). (more...)

Mapes, seen here at the '07
National Bike Summit, spent
four years working on the book.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Author and reporter Jeff Mapes is living the first-time authors' dream. His book, Pedaling Revolution, is winning popular and critical acclaim, he has become a sought-after speaker, and it is selling at an unexpectedly brisk pace.

Last week, the book found its way into the prestigious Sunday Book Review of the New York Times where it was reviewed by none other than bike-lover and musician David Byrne (who's coming out with his own bike book this fall). Byrne, not surprisingly, sang the book's praises.

After just three months since it was released, the book's publisher, Oregon State University Press, is already calling it "a smashing success." OSU Press Associate Director Tom Booth told me yesterday that the book is their fastest-selling title ever. (more...)

Remember the BikePortland Bookstore? It's still out there, and we've recently added a handful of new books, mainly thanks to your suggestions. We've got a hot new popular book about kids and safety, some titles on framebuilding, a recommended new kids' book, a travel tale and a classic movie. Any other ideas for titles we should let the world know about? Please send them to elly(at)bikeportland(dot)org.

Through our partnership with Portland’s own Powell’s Books, BikePortland.org will receive a portion of all sales on Powells.com made through the links on this page (including any books and DVDs, not just the ones we link to). (more...)

David Byrne (R), with transportation
advocate Noah Budnick.
(Photo: Streetfilms)

David Byrne, NYC resident, former Talking Heads front man and biking's coolest celebrity endorser/advocate, will be in Portland this summer and he's got a bike book set to be published in September.

Byrne -- a daily bike commuter for 30 years -- has made a big name for himself in biking circles for (among other things) his advocacy and involvement in the New York City bike scene. He collaborated with the NYC Dept. of Transportation to design a series of art racks, and in February 2007 Byrne joined carfree advocate Gil Penalosa and staffers from NYC's Transportation Alternatives for a bike ride that was captured by Streetfilms. (more...)

A bike from Portland-based Vanilla
Bicycles graces the cover of
Custom Bicycles;
A passionate pursuit.

With the publication later this spring of, Custom Bicycles: A passionate pursuit, the handmade bicycle renaissance in America seems to have taken another big step forward. And, as you might have expected, Portland's reputation for bike building did not go unnoticed.

We received an advance copy of the book here at BikePortland headquarters earlier this week. With its 240 pages and 300 glossy color photos, the $60 book is definitely coffee-table ready. The book is published by Australia-based Images Publishing Group and features 5-8 page profiles of 39 builders (see photos below). (more...)

Author Jeff Mapes (R) speaking
with the BTA's Scott Bricker at the
2009 National Bike Summit.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Author and senior political reporter for The Oregonian, Jeff Mapes, will be at Powell's Books tonight to talk about his new book, Pedaling Revolution.

Mapes is riding a wave of excellent reviews and buzz about his book. The influential Library Journal (which many schools and libraries base their purchasing decisions on) gave it a coveted "highly recommended" rating. Library Journal said the book is, "a deftly drawn portrait of contemporary bike culture and politics," is that it is "readable and engaging". But, far from being something only the staid Library Journal could love, the Willamette Week also liked it. (more...)

It's been a while since we last added new titles to the BikePortland Bookstore. In the meantime, some new books have been released, most notably local author Jeff Mapes' Pedaling Revolution, and many more old, good ones brought to our attention. A selection of newly featured titles is below. (more...)

The Ride of Your Life author David Rowe riding high above the Columbia River Gorge.

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The cover

This morning I received an advanced copy of a long-awaited new book by Jeff Mapes; Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists are Changing American Cities.

Mapes is the senior political reporter for The Oregonian (he also writes a politics blog) and, while I've known about this project for a long time, he's kept the details secret. I'm excited to dive into this book and see what he's come up with.

For the past few years, I've watched Mapes tote around his notebook interviewing folks in the local and national bike scene. But this book goes far beyond Portland's borders. Mapes' book shares the impact of bike culture and activism in places like New York City, Davis, Chicago, and others. He also has a chapter titled, "Learning from Amsterdam", based on his findings from a trip he took to that bike mecca back in 2005. (more...)

I've just added more books that were recommended by readers. Thanks, and enjoy! -- Elly

Kids love books about bikes!
(Photo © J. Maus)

The kid's bookshelf at the BikePortland Bookstore is growing rapidly. We've rounded up a stack of recommendations that have come to us from biking families all over Portland.

These new additions are all picture books and simple story books that will be fun and inspirational for very young kids. Do you have any favorites which don't appear here? How about bike-related books for older kids and teens?

Via the links below, you can order books to be shipped to you -- or better yet, pick them up by bike! Just choose the "In-Store Pickup" option at checkout to have the books held for you at any Powell's location.
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We are continually adding new titles to our shelves at the BikePortland Bookstore. Below are some recently added titles. We're always looking for more suggestions. Feel free to head over to the Forums to discuss!

Also, in bookstore news, we just learned about this: on the Powell's site you can order books to be shipped to you -- or better yet, pick them up by bike! Just choose the "In-Store Pickup" option at checkout to have the books held for you at any Powell's location.

New titles

Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life by J. Harry Wray In this newly released book, Wray travels the country seeking every permutation of the 21st century resurgence of bicycle transportation. He writes about politicians, advocates, regular folks with kids, and even includes a section on Portland's own bike activist group Shift.

Need for the Bike by Paul Fournel An avant-garde meditation, translated from the French. Here's the publisher's blurb, which ought to give you the basic idea: "In his attention to the pleasures of cycling, to the specific “grain” of different cycling experiences, and to the inscription of these experiences in the body’s cycling memory, Fournel portrays cycling as a descriptive universe, colorful, lyrical, inclusive, exclusive, complete."

The Chainbreaker Bike Book: A Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance by Shelley Lynn Jackson and Ethan Clark Half DIY bicycle repair manual with hand-drawn illustrations; the other half reprints the first four issues of Chainbreaker zine, one of the lesser-known casualties of Hurricane Katrina. Packed with history, stories, and passion for bicycles. Another excellent, affordable title from Microcosm Publishing.

Bicycling Science by David Gordon Wilson Ever been riding along and wondered just what exactly, physically, you were doing? And what your bike is doing? And how? If you're trying to hone your cadence, improve your speed, better understand your maintenance issues, or if you just have a burning curiosity about how things work, this book is for you. Physics and physiology alike are accessibly delivered.

Effective Cycling by John Forester This is the man who brought us Vehicular Cycling, the idea that cyclists should act, and be treated, exactly as if we were driving a car. Interesting and influential, this book deserves attention from anyone who wants to understand one of the major debates in bicycle planning and advocacy. And it's an excellent manual for how to ride your bike confidently in traffic, while taking the lane. Worthy of respect, whether or not you agree with every single point.

Click on the icon below to search the Powell's Books website. Any purchases you make on a visit that starts on this page will help support BikePortland operations.