This is a long ago stolen bike (Sept. ’05) but I’m still hopeful…Red Cannondale circa 1990 touring road frame with white bar tape and SunTour Bar-end shifters. Shimano mix 105/XT drivetrain with SPD 747 pedals. Lemond saddle, rear Blackburn rack and fender. Frame is about a 53 cm with 27″ wheels. Serial no: 5210 1908004
Year: 2006
Help Boring become bike-friendly
Boring is a small town southeast of Portland. Last night, uber-advocate Jessica Roberts of the BTA met with the Boring Community Planning Organization and they discussed several exciting trails projects, including:
- Finishing the unpaved portion of the Springwater Corridor between Gresham and Boring
- Developing a trailhead park in Boring with trail user info
- Several proposals to extend the current Springwater corridor eastward, eventually to the Pacific Crest trail and Sandy
- A Fourth of July weekend ride with a sleepover at the school, a barbecue, a pancake feed, and fireworks!
The folks in Boring have already got the ball rolling on these projects and support from cyclists here in Portland could be instrumental in making them a reality. For more information on how you can get involved, read this forum post by Jessica.
Take a virtual bike tour of Portland
Aaron Tarfman, local bike activist and the man behind YourBodyPower.org, has completed a series of Virtual Bike Tours of Portland. His virtual tours include detailed route descriptions and photographs of nine different routes covering the entire Portland region. These are an excellent resource and a great way to learn how to move around the city by bike. Here’s his list of tours:
- North Portland – From Columbia Park to downtown.
- Southwest Portland – From Sunset Transit Center to downtown.
- Marine Drive/Northeast Portland – From the I-205 path to downtown.
- The I-205 Bike Path – From the Columbia River to Milwaukie.
- Outer Northeast Portland – From Outer Northeast Portland to downtown.
- Northeast to Southeast Portland – From the I-205 path to downtown.
- Outer Southeast Portland – From the I-205 path to downtown.
- The Springwater Corridor – From the Springwater Corridor to downtown.
- Milwaukie – From Milwaukie to SE Portland.
It’s people like Aaron who make Portland such an amazing city for bicycles. Thank you Aaron!
Journalist wants TriMet feedback
I just got an email from a local journalist who’s working on a story about TriMet and he needs feedback from cyclists. Here are the details:
I’m working on a story about how TriMet handles complaints from passengers, bike riders, pedestrains, and so on. I’m interested in any stories people have about their interactions with their system. Are you happy or dissatisfied with how your complaints were treated? Were complaints followed up? Any help you can offer would be much appreciated. I can be reached at (503) 294-4109 or jimmayer@news.oregonian.com. Thanks!
Airport adds public bike parking
[New and improved PDX bike parking*]
In response to your feedback from my post, Airport bike parking “for employees only”, I have just learned that the Portland Airport has re-designed the employee bike parking area to accomodate the general public. Here’s the scoop from Aviation Planner Jason Gately:
We recently modified our employee bike parking area to include an area for the general public. It is now split 50/50 between the general public and airprot employees (about 40 spaces each side). The employee side is still behind a secure gate, while the general public side is open (for now). We are looking into ways to secure this area, but still make it easy for the public to access at any tme of the day. It is located in a somewhat visible area near the terminal across from administrative offices below the E Concourse. It is located at the end (or beginning) of the new off-street multi-use path that parallels Airport Way into and out of the terminal.
Oregonian picks up “Stumptown” saga
The “Stumptown” incident is far from over. The Oregonian covers it in their business section today with a front page article by Helen Jung. Helen also writes about it on her blog.
This story has sparked 139 comments so far on this site alone and has spread all over the Internet. Specialized has definitely struck a nerve and 99% of the feedback so far has been vehemently opposed to their decision. This article by the Oregonian will take the bad PR for Specialized to a whole new level. It makes me wonder if their response will stay the same or if they’ll change course and back down before more damage is done.
One thing’s for sure, there will be more developments in this story. Stay tuned.
Michael Wolfe helps us escape the city
[Portland to Longview, sans car]
Michael Wolfe has a seriously high bike IQ (or would that be bi-Q?). I met him at the PUMP swap meet and have kept in touch ever since. He recently introduced himself to the Shift email list and has already started sharing some of his vast biking knowledge. One of his interests is figuring out car-free ways of escaping the city.
Here are three routes he’s got so far, complete with Google map assistance from the always handy Gmap Pedometer. File them away for summer, or tackle them next weekend:
Stolen: very small LeMond – Recovered!
[Update: This bike has been recovered!]
[Posted by “Megaroni1983”]
Someone stole my bike today. It’s a size 47 lemond big sky. It’s black and white and BEAUTIFUL. I loved it, and havent even had it a year.
http://www.lemondbikes.com/2005_bikes/big_sky_s.shtml
that is it. It has a flashing red light attached to the back end. It had a light on the front. It detaches, though the base is still on the bar. Silly. I took that off so nobody would steal my light, they just decided to take the whole dang bike.
I WANT IT BACK. I wish that were easy.
if by some chance you see a big burly man riding my little bike, knock him off and use some kung fu. then email me at meghanmeghanbobeggan@gmail.com
Thanks.
heh
Cycle Oregon unveils route at kickoff party
[Art meets sport]
It was fitting that the Cycle Oregon crew unveiled the 2006 route at a classy place like the Portland Art Museum. I’ve never seen such a big hoopla just to announce a ride. It was really impressive.
From the covered and guarded bike parking to the 20 or so smiling, official-T-shirt-clad volunteers who greeted me before I even hit the lobby. If this is how they run their ride, sign me up. Once inside, I saw white linen cloaked tables, bottles of wine, and hundreds of smiling, beautiful baby boomers wearing everything from sport coats to spandex…and this was just the pre-party!
Shift hosts bike love-fest
The bike fun rampage continues…
Shift to Bikes presents Valentine’s Day Mocktails on the Hawthorne Bridge
When: Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 4:30 to 6:30pm
Where: On the south side of the Hawthorne Bridge, on the east end (under the I-5 overpass, where the path spirals down to the Esplanade).
Details: Volunteers will be out demonstrating our love for Portland’s bicyclists by serving juice, soda, tea, heart-shaped cookies, and other snacks to riders commuting home — or on their way to a date. The event will also include bike heart art for sale, flowers and candles, bike maintenance, and random acts of bike love.
Contact: Elly Blue, 503 810 9443 (cell)
That “random acts of bike love” part sounds interesting…
A special delivery
[Sharky and Velo]
I snapped these photos downtown a few days ago. I noticed this guy riding around with a kid in his messenger bag and had to stop for a closer look.
Turns out he goes by “Sharky” and his boy’s name is “Velo”. I heard from some other messengers that Sharky is “an animal on the bike” and “sort of a messenger legend”.
Checking in with the Community Cycling Center
[Tom Knipe]
Last week I sat down with Tom Knipe, interim director of the Community Cycling Center (CCC). For the uninitiated, the CCC is known for their great programs, parts recycling, used bike shop, and their Holiday Bike Drive which donates bikes to kids.
When I got there, programs manager Gabe Graff gave me the full tour. I’d never seen the CCC’s basement and it was quite a sight to behold. Bikes and parts were stacked everywhere…and impressively clean and orderly too. They really need more storage space so get in touch with them if you’ve got some laying around.