Stolen: Trek 1400

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Sadly, I’m writing to get my bike listed on the stolen bike registry. It
was stolen today, Aug. 13, between 4:30-7:00pm, right in front of my work
at 4321 SE Hawthorne, where it was locked with a Kryptonite U-lock.
It’s a blue Trek 1400 aluminum frame road bike with white lettering and a
piece of yellow tape wrapped around the top tube; yellow and black tires;
Shimano 600 component group; frame is 46×51 cm, roughly from 1997 or so.
Serial number is 449495.
Thank you so much for your help.
Erinn Roberts
erinnkr1@
hotmail.
com
503-233-1368

KATU-TV covers Wilberding tragedy

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In case you haven’t noticed, KATU (our local ABC-TV affiliate) has been doing some quality reporting on bicycle-related news stories lately.

I can barely stand to watch most network TV news, but KATU reporters Anita Kissee-Wilder and Brian Barker are doing great work. As avid cyclists themselves, they bring a much-needed perspective and sensibility to the newsroom.

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Stolen: Trek Pilot 1.2

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My 2005 Trek Pilot 1.2 was stolen today.

I don’t have a picture at my fingertips but none of mine would be as
good as this one anyway:

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/trek_pilot_12xl.jpg

Mine looks exactly like that with the following exceptions:

– second set of brake levers added to top of handlebars
– Kryptonite lock mount and water bottle cage on inside of frame
– wireless bike computer transmitter strapped to inside front fork
(and that magnet thing secured to one of the spokes on the front wheel)
– about a season’s worth of miscellaneous dings and scratches

The bike was stolen from the bike rack in the garage at 735 SW Saint
Clair Avenue, just a block off Burnside and 23rd. The thief left the
rear wheel and the Kryptonite lock on the bike rack. Yes, I know, it
was really really REALLY fucking stupid of me to leave a $1000 bike
secured only through the wheel, but it never sits for more than a day
and I guess I was naive enough to think that the locked garage I keep
it in was security enough. (Or that my neighbors weren’t thieves, if
that turns out to be the case.)

I can’t even begin to find the words to express how angry and
frustrated and depressed I am right now. My bike is more than my
preferred means of transportation – it’s my declaration of
independence from this noisy, polluting, soaked-in-gasoline-and-blood
culture of ours. I don’t ride because I have to, I ride because I
love to, because biking is part of what my life is about, one of the
best parts actually, and now that part of my life has been taken away
by some tweaker who’ll forget about it the moment he pawns it to get
his next fix. Stupidity and cruelty and the way things are: 1,
idealism and respect and the way things should be: 0.

My only consolation is that – ironically enough – it was stolen the
day AFTER I did the 10-bridge ride for the first time. If someone
had been heartless enough to steal my bike the night before the
Bridge Pedal – I can’t even imagine how I would feel.

Anyway I am honestly not expecting to see my bike again, but if
there’s anything you can do to help, I’d appreciate it. If you need
any more information from me just let me know.

Sincerely
Eric G
egerhardt[AT]gmail[DOT]com

Riding along with Officer Hoesly

riding along with Officer Hoesly

[Traffic Division officer Ron Hoesly]

Last week I joined Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division officer Ron Hoesly for a ride-along.

Why go on a ride-along?

First and foremost is my ongoing desire to build good, working relationships with the cops (especially the Traffic Division). Whether you like them or not, I think our experience as cyclists will be much better if we continue to work with them, not against them.

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Exclusive look at fixed-gear trial transcript

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Mark Ginsberg, lawyer in the Ayla Holland case, has just sent me the official transcript (PDF, 2.1MB) from her traffic court trial. It’s an interesting read.

If you don’t get around to downloading the file, here’s the excerpt from the judge’s final decision:

Judge Lowe:

“The testimony here is that there was no brake. By that, I mean…there was no specific device specifically designed to slow the vehicle down. All right? Your argument, Mr. Ginsberg, si that the gearing could be used to slow the bike down. And the defendant said her feet could be used to slow the bike down.

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Nonproliferation, Portland style

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Bridge Pedal 2006

[Click here to see
the rest of his display.]

We have a lot of highways in Portland. Maybe too many of them. They require huge public subsidies to build and maintain, they break up neighborhoods, they promote sprawl, they encourage more driving and thus more pollution, they are the site of daily fatal crashes, and their on and off ramps create deadly conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

What’s the best way to solve the highway problem? To paraphrase the anti-nuclear proliferation activists: Just stop making them.

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Beaverton Mayor responds to crash concerns

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Citizen bike advocate Susan Otcenas just forwarded along an email response she got from Beaverton mayor Rob Drake.

The email (full text is below) was also sent to several other citizens who had written Drake about their questions and concerns regarding the recent death of Mike Wilberding.

Most notable is the mention that the “failure to yield to a bicycle” ticket has been thrown out and the case has been turned over to the District Attorney for, “possible prosecution for criminally negligent homicide.”

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Stolen: White Peugeot SS

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Had my bike stolen on NE Multinomah Sunday night, August 13th. By the
dead end that leads to Fred Meyer.

It was a white peugeot single speed road bike with blue lettering and
lines. The break cables were routed in the body, it was changed into a
single speed, free wheel – not fixed. The lower bracket/bearings were
starting to click a bit, there was (will probably be removed for sale)
a veloshop sticker on the bar coming straight down from the seat, on
the frame. The sticker was covering the only real rust spot on the
frame. It also has three light holsters, all were empty (again maybe
removed for sale..) two on the front, one on the back. Black handle
bar tape, no handle caps.

I want to say that the break cables were blue, I’m sure they were, but
I’ve strangely forgotten.

That’s all I can describe – Um please get in touch if there’s sign of
it. It’s how I get around everyday, all day. And I’m broke.

Zachary
971-285-1750
onomatolabel AT gmail dot com

Oregon Senator in “rebellion mode” over fixed-gear ruling

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[Jason Atkinson,
Oregon State Senator.]

Republican Oregon State Senator Jason Atkinson read about Ayla Holland’s court case on CyclingNews.com and was furious. Atkinson—who was elected to the Oregon State Senate at the ripe age of 30—is an avid cyclist and traveled through Oregon on a fixed-gear bike during his campaign for Governor in ’05. Atkinson splits his time between Portland and his district in southern Oregon.

He told me he plans to introduce new legislation in January 2007 to fix what he calls this, “ridiculous problem.” Right now, his office is researching the law and comparing legal definitions of “brake” and “stop” in other states. He has also been in touch with Holland’s lawyer Mark Ginsberg.

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Taking time to savor Bridge Pedal

Bridge Pedal 2006

Usually when I go to an event like Bridge Pedal I’m running and riding around like crazy, trying to get good photos and talk to as many people as I can. I enjoy that tremendously, but this time I brought the family along to savor the spectacle with them (and 18,000 or so fellow Portlanders). It was nice to just ride and not be in full reporter mode.

We planned on doing the 10-bridge route, but arrived at the Morrison Bridge only to hear that the route was closed so we started with the 8 and 6 bridge riders.

Once at the start, I noticed Rick Baumann, the man behind it all. I can’t imagine the amount of stress on this guy’s shoulders that must come with shutting down so many roads and bridges and trying to make 18,000 people happy.

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Stolen: Trek 2200

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Stolen: White Trek 2200
2003 model; 54 cm; Bontrager wheels and Shimano components
Serial #: WL 3043103

This bike was stolen on August 8 in front of 1900 SW 4th Avenue. It was parked at a bike rack and locked with a newer cable lock. It was taken between 1 pm and 6 pm.

Owner Name: Liza Mickle
Phone: 503-823-7666