The front page of today’s Metro section of the Oregonian has perhaps one of my favorite headlines ever; “In Oregon, bike culture isn’t partisan.”
The story, by the O’s Salem staffer Harry Esteve, is about how Republican Senator Jason Atkinson is behind a bill that would re-word existing bicycle equipment requirements to exclude fixed-gear bicycles from requiring a separate brake.
Atkinson’s involvement with this issue is nothing new to regular BikePortland readers. Back in August I reported that he was “in rebellion mode” after hearing about Ayla Holland’s infamous fixie ticket trial.
What’s ironic about the timing of Esteve’s story is that several commenters have been discussing partisanship and bike politics in response to my recent story highlighting opinions I read on the NW Republican blog.
But back to the article in the O.
Here’s the final paragraph:
“Whether his bike bills get traction is anyone’s guess at this point. The Legislature has plenty of bigger issues on its plate. In the meantime, Portland’s fixie community must put its hopes in probably the only man in the Legislature who knows how to shave his legs.”