November 2005 Archives

Cyclists are agressive, arrogant freeloaders

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Check out this letter in the recent Portland Tribune:

Bicycles are nuisance, and their riders rude

The bicycle’s contribution to clean air is at best infinitesimal and is probably negative because bicycles, bicycle lanes, etc., slow traffic and increase congestion. However, the bicycle lobby continues to receive the support of city, county and state politicians, a tribute to the power of small, vociferous, self-serving, special interest groups. By the demeanor and actions of the majority, bicycle riders could best be described as aggressive, arrogant, freeloading outlaws.

Don Robison
Southwest Portland

I’ve been having all sorts of internal struggles with my feelings about cops lately. Part of me is holding onto my long-held distrust of them and my feelings that they just “don’t get” cyclists and therefore treat us with negative bias. I’ve had my confrontations with them on Critical Mass and have generally not cared much for them in the past.

But another part of me says maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet. As I’ve talked directly with them and with other people in the bike community whose opinions I respect, I’m starting to think they might make better friends than foes.

[Rhonda Mazza]

Vanilla Bicycles, a small Portland-based framebuilder is supplying bikes to some of the best cyclocross racers in the country. In the current standings of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Rhonda Mazza (shown in photo) is currently ranked 6th in the Elite Women’s field and Shannon Skerritt is ranked 7th in the Men’s Elite field.

Another Vanilla rider, Molly Cameron is riding very strong in her first year as a pro and is currently ranked 32nd in the Elite Men’s field (read Molly’s great race reports on her blog!).

These riders are up against teams from the largest bike companies in the world like Kona and Giant.

A former bike messenger and relative newcomer to the custom framebuilding world, Sacha White has carved out a reputation as one of the best. His eye for aesthetic detail and finish, combined with technical precision and an appreciation for classic lines has won his bikes many fans and races [Disclaimer: I’m biased because Sacha is a friend and a client.].

TWO Bikes stolen Saturday Nov. 5th in NW Portland from Royal Arms Apartments on Lovejoy:

2005 Gary Fisher Tassajara GS Women’s Mountain Bike, silver with blue decals, cat eye computer on handlebars, covered in Wonder Woman stickers. Stolen with it was a 2005 Gary Fisher Mullet, blue, 19.5″, big tires, disc brakes, scratches on top tube. Both bikes have small “Alpine Shop Kirkwood, Missouri” stickers on lower frame area beneath seat, but of course all stickers and identifying marks could have been removed by now.

My wife and I are offering $100.00 reward for any info leading to us getting our bikes back. Contact peg_n_jamie@ yahoo.com with any and all info. Please keep an eye out and remember, cable locks aren’t to be trusted. I wish they would’ve just stolen our car. Stealing someone’s bike is some cold sh*t to do to a fellow human being.

Police run undercover “bike missions”

At a meeting last week between the BTA, the Portland Police Traffic Division and citizen bike advocates, Commander Bill Sinnott told us about a cool new program they’ve started.

In recent weeks they have carried out undercover “bike missions” that put officers on bikes in order to observe and ticket motorists that violate laws and make unsafe maneuvers.

Last night I heard a presentation by Matt Garrett, Region Manager for ODOT. He came to the PSU Traffic and Transportation class to give an overview of how ODOT fits into the transportation picture.

As someone who is concerned about bike safety, and the livability of our cities, it was very unsettling to listen to Mr. Garrett’s talk and it’s obvious to me that bicycles do not figure into ODOT’s priorities at all.

The word “bicycle” did not even appear in his 26 slide presentation and he made only two mentions of bicycles. One of those was to say that bicycles, “probably shouldn’t be riding on Powell, they should take Hawthorne instead.” Hmmm. Then maybe cars shouldn’t be allowed on Tillamook or Clinton.

Just came across a nifty little bike parking map on the Lloyd District Transportation Management Association’s website. It’s got information and photos on all the racks and bike lockers in the Lloyd District. You just roll over various points and a little window pops up. Neat!

However I must admit, I can’t remember the last time I thought, “hey, I wonder if there will be a place to lock up my bike?” But that’s just me.

I had no idea the LDTMA had such a good bikey vibe going on. It looks like they’re doing excellent work in getting more people to ride in this dense, highly urban area. If you live in or around the Lloyd District area, you should check out their bike information page.

Stolen: Pacific Shorewood

Dark green w/ yellow writing – on stickers, could be peeled off. Cruiser style, wide handlebars. Identical bike posted for sale on Craigslist, ironically the day before mine disappeared from my backyard in North Portland. But there’s a picture on the posting; it’s listed as “pacific shorewood cruiser”. I’d love to get the bike back, but mostly I’d like to find the creep who’s been in my yard and make sure he never ever does it again. Really. To anyone.
Thanks for any tips.

More details on police bike lights program

[UPDATE: Don’t miss this very informative comment by Greg Raisman from PDOT.]

As I first reported back in September, Portland traffic cops are embarking on a new program to install free lights on bikes. This morning, the Oregonian has a more in-depth story that lays it all out.

Making appearances in the article are traffic safety specialist for PDOT, Mark Lear, traffic cop Mark Kruger, and “Get Lit” program founder and Shift volunteer, Jeff Bernards.

A few observations:

STOLEN by some FU**ER

Purple Bridgestone Mens Bike

Stolen from 8705 SE 11th Ave In Sellwood
26” wheels
Nice bike..
Very missed : – (

So I just moved back to Portland me and my wife were so excited about coming here I grew up in Oregon city but always wanted to live in PDX so now I do.

Anyway so for the fist time in my life I actually started using a bike for new environmental convictions and the need to be healthier.

So today I take my father downtown and stop by the goodwill to buy a helmet for my bike and try and find one for my wife.

I just bought this bike two weeks ago.
Bought the lock and lights..

Well by the time I got home some ass stole it.. right from the front of my house..

I did however hear that there is a house in Sellwood 8851 SE 11th Ave that has a habit of stealing bikes.. They have 3 in their yard right now.. None of them mine..

Willamette Week tackles major cycling issue

Good thing we’ve got the Willy Week watching our backs (or should I say fronts?).

In an article titled, “Hey Numbnuts” they bring in an OHSU urologist to dispel an article in the NY Times about a link between erectile dysfunction (E.D.) and bike seats. For 95% of cyclists, this is a non-issue. But every time this pops up in the media, everyone talks about it…and the doctors that specialize in E.D. get a nice bump in business.

If you (or your significant other) is concerned about this issue, the Willy Week put together a quick quiz that will put your mind at ease:

[This post is from BikePortland.org international correspondent, Jessica Roberts of the BTA. She’s in Amsterdam with a delegation of Portland bike advocates. More info on their trip can be found here.]

Hello, friendly Portland cyclists! We’re here looking at bicycling programs and infrastructure, meeting with many bicycle professionals–planners, education specialists, consultants, and safety experts. Here’s a taste of some of the extraordinary things we’ve seen so far:

Cyclists are agressive, arrogant freeloaders

What would you ask the cops?

Vanilla mixes with cyclocross big boys

Stolen: Fisher Tassajara, Mullet

Police run undercover “bike missions”

ODOT opens old wounds from St. Johns Bridge

Lloyd District bike parking map

Stolen: Pacific Shorewood

More details on police bike lights program

Stolen: Purple Bridgestone

Willamette Week tackles major cycling issue

Exclusive report from Amsterdam

Latest Headlines

Portland to launch $10 million Bike Lane Maintenance Program this summer

Funding crisis dominates first ever meeting of Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

Portland bike shop offers e-bike subscriptions

Opinion: Portland needs more cul-de-sacs

From the Archives

Guest essay: A plan for a ‘passoire’-filled Portland