Year: 2006
Cross buzz boosted by NY Times
“Cyclcross fans’ race-day festivities rival those of Nascar and die-hard college football fans.”
-from the New York Times article
The buzz about Portland’s vibrant cyclocross scene got much louder today when the venerable New York Times published an article on last week’s USGP race in Hillsboro.
Times reporter Oakley Brooks took advantage of the muddy conditions and rabid fans to introduce the “burgeoning pro tour for the sport of cyclocross,” to the world.
Updated: Bike industry makes the front page
[11/26: Update – Here’s the story]
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The front page of this Sunday’s Oregonian will feature a story about Portland’s bicycle industry.
The cover story and photo essay will report on how Portland has become a hotbed of activity for bike-related businesses; from frame builders and clothing designers, to major manufacturers like Chris King and Sapa Inc.
The story will also cover the PDC‘s efforts to help develop this burgeoning sector of our local economy.
A tale of two races
Is there room for two big-time stage races in the Pacific Northwest in the same month?
Just last week I reported about a multi-million dollar funding request for a major new stage race to be based in Portland.
Gus Van Sant teams with Zoobombers
“Handsome” Dave]
Acclaimed movie director Gus Vant Sant — who won was nominated for an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting — has tapped the Zoobombers for an upcoming performance piece with the BodyVox dance company.
Van Sant and the Zoobombers will be guest artists at First Impressions V. 5, a show that runs from December 7-16 at the BodyVox Studio (1300 NW Northrup).
Zoobomb ringleader “Handsome” Dave wouldn’t divulge too much info about the performance, so you’ll have to show up to find out what happens when you mix the talents of Gus Van Sant with guys that like to ride mini-bikes down hills.
For more info call BodyVox GM Una Loughran at (503) 229-0627.
Server changes coming over the weekend
This is just a note that over the next few days I will finally be ditching my current host for greener (and local!) pastures.
Since the big server disaster I had last month, I’ve been using a temporary solution and now I’ll be transferring everything over to a new host.
I hope it all goes smoothly, but there’s always the chance of some bumps in the road.
Everything should (hopefully) be OK by Monday. Think good thoughts.
What bike stuff are you thankful for?
I know it’s cheesy and cliche, but I couldn’t resist.
Here’s the bike stuff in Portland that I’m most thankful for. I encourage you to share yours if you’d like.
Washington DC fixes their fixed gear law
Dabby, (a veteran Portland messenger and regular commenter) just sent me an interesting bit of news.
The Washington Area Bicyclists Association, an advocacy group in DC, has worked with the Washington DC Department of Transportation to amend their law to explicitly allow fixed gear bicycles to be used without separate hand brakes.
What we’re up against
propaganda film. (Click to watch)]
America’s pervasive car culture is a major barrier to making bicycles a respected mode of transportation.
Many of the decision makers, planners, and traffic engineers in cities throughout the country were brought up to think that driving everywhere in a private car was an essential part of the American Dream.