Many people ask me, “How did Portland become such a bike-friendly city?”
I tell them it’s got nothing to do with bike lanes, and everything to do with the amazing people that put so much of their energy, creativity and heart into their belief that bicycles really can change the world.
Here are just some of them:
Thank you to everyone (that includes you!) whose hard work makes Portland the greatest bike town in the world…and here’s to another fun and bike-friendly year in 2007!
Thanks for reading.
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Dude, where’s your picture? 🙂
Man…biking sure makes you happy!
You should have added yourself, Jonathan. Thanks for a wonderful 2006 full of bikeportland.org.
no, its there, just sit 3 feet away from the screen, cross your eyes, and the image blends together creating the image of jonathan with a chainring halo.
I’m sick of hearing people call Portland “bike-friendly”. This is the only major city where police will ticket you for not signaling a turn signal, not being in bike lanes (which are usually littered with leaves & debris or flooded), not having a brake, going straight in a right turn only lane and other pathetic traffic “crimes”. I’d rather ride through West Philly where people sitting on their stoops throw shit and yell at you as you ride by.
I disagree that being forced to scan the streets for what are apparently vindictive police officers at the risk of my personal safety can be called “friendly”.
Just because we have this fancy web site, a bunch of hipsters and faux-messengers on track bikes, punk-rock clowns on tall bikes, and people supporting Rev. Phil is in his semi-bike related legal issues, shouldn’t make us bike-friendly.
+1.
bravo. that is an amazing collection. thanks for showing me what a bunch of creative, resourceful people can do while goofing off on bikes.
see you down the road.
happy holidays.
Happy Holidays, y’all!
Thanks to all of you guys for all your hard work and dedication for making P-town a great biking town.
p.s. I didn’t mean “biking sure makes you (Jonathan) happy,” I meant “biking sure makes you (everybody) happy.”
Sounds like a good movie! Who is going to make it? Deadline is March 1st for Filmed by Bike. A little documenetary to celebrate Portland?
that dingo ate my baby.
J.Lu,
I feel your pain. I agree that there are many things we still need to work on…but I also think we have much to be thankful for.
back and to the left. back and to the left. back and to the left.
let’s all agree to shelve our complaining(or, at least do it via muttering to yourself) until 07?
in 2007, the bike community is going to take this city back.
We will never be “Bike Friendly” until the PPD digs their panties out of their butt-crack.
Hey, don’t go ruinin’ the holiday cheer now!
😉
Jonathan — thanks for the gallery, but I’m with everyone else. Your pic needs to be there too.
Happy New year to everyone in BikeLand!
I can’t help but notice there are no messengers pictured here. some of these people, like Hazel Gross, James Adamson, Ira Ryan, and others have contributed greatly to Portland’s bicycle community not just over this year, but many years past. Through projects like “Bikes to Rwanda”, these messengers have demonstrated a larger sense of responsibility, and a bigger collective heart than simply giving out pastries or lights could show.
These people deserve credit and thanks from commuters and bicycle advocates alike, and I would appreciate their being mentioned here.
Bill, what do you mean? Are you saying messengers just don’t give cyclists bad names? Who would have known by what I read around here…
/sarcasm.
“These people deserve credit and thanks from commuters and bicycle advocates alike, and I would appreciate their being mentioned here.”
“Thank you to everyone (that includes you!) whose hard work makes Portland the greatest bike town in the world”
Hmmm…. I would have thought that Jonathan’s statement pretty much covered it. I mean, come on – if Jonathan listed EVERYONE who does something for the bike community, there’d be a list here of a couple hundred names at least, and he’d spend all Christmas holiday trying to remember and list them all.
Happy Holidays, all! Hope that everyone has a pleasant holiday season and time & opportunity to ride.
Hey, where’s my picture? haha, just kidding. Happy holidays to you all.
Portland’s bike scene rocks. The only reason the police give cyclists a hard time is because they are jealous that there are so many of us!
Rock out, -T
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year!
Lets get some more trails built!
Happy New Year everyone! Mia
I love all the pictures. Thank you Jonathon for celebrating the bike culture. Happy New Year everyone – be safe out there. Janis
When I was at the airport last week, outbound, my sweetie pointed out this cool bike at the airport racks with a fender on the front. I was like, Cool! That’s Timo’s SU Bike! It was nice to see a friendly bike at the airport.
Better yet, when we got back, there was Timo and his SUB on the MAX with us. It really made me feel at home again to run into a bike friend right away. It’s sure to be a good 2007 for bikes and F.O.B.’s (friends of bikes).
Merry everything, everybody!
man! I sure miss Portland.
man! I sure don’t miss PPD