to IKEA last weekend.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
It’s been a while since we’ve done this, but you should know the drill by now.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Will you learn about local flora on the Wintertime Palm Tree Ride? Or perhaps the opening weekend of the Vanport Kermesse Race Series out at Portland International Raceway is more your style?
On Sunday, you’ll have a rare chance to talk to U.S. Congressman Peter Defazio (who happens to be the Chair of the House Transportation Subcommittee). He’s throwing a party to support City Council candidate (and daily bike commuter) Jim Middaugh at the Lucky Lab (916 SE Hawthorne) starting at 5:30.
After schmoozing with politicos, there’s the weekly Zoobomb! which meets at 8:30 across from Rocco’s Pizza (949 SW Oak).
And how about some of our out-of-state readers? What’s going on in your neck of the woods?
The girls and I plan see some snow tomorrow and I just put together an absolutely stunning new bike that I can’t wait to pedal around on (hint: it’s full-luxury and it’s direct from The Netherlands).
Have a great weekend, and remember to share your adventures in the comments below…
While on your, \”Weekend Ride\”, consider. While you are biking away the weekend someone is getting on their bike because they have to, and going to work. Today, a city council member is in their home, trying to come up with more ways to remove bicycles from the public right-of-way. Today, a motorist enraged by the increasing presence of bike-centric infrastructure, will lash out, and intimidate a cyclist in traffic.
This weekend, people like Scott Bricker will be removing our civil rights to further protect his own interests, and that of his family\’s. Even though it is the weekend, the people that run this city will be busy devising new methods for punishing certain lifestyle choices.
If you ride out to Corbett today, you will be riding a route that was once scenic, and beautiful beyond description. Now you will share the route with hundreds of tourists turned resident, and have only an endless sea of the sterile condominiums built to house them, to look at.
When you go on your weekend ride today, consider the price that has been paid for your pleasure. Consider the blacks that have been displaced by the gentrification of their neighborhoods. Think about organizations like the Portland Business Alliance hiring their very own thugs to police downtown Portland.
California and its former residents have raped this city. They\’re like locusts. Think about that while you are putting in your mileage. Think about all of the people who are from here, that can\’t ride today, because of the impact on their lives, by encroaching Californians.
Bike fun, indeed.
That does it, I\’m biking around hunting Californians this weekend. I\’m also riding to and from the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering (http://www.bubbaguitar.com/festival/) and will likely ride along with the Palm Tree Ride – but only so I can destroy them. Damn palm trees displacing native firs and spruce trees…
Har har, it\’s sarcasm, folks.
I think I\’ll just enjoy the rain and relish the fact that I get to live in an area where so many want to be.
BTW I did bike to work today and was thankful for the infrastrucure that encourages me to do so.
Vance, I totally agree. As a matter of fact, it was just the other day when I saw a Californian on the street raping the city of Portland. In broad daylight!
All people from California are a horrible race of sub-humans who\’s only purpose in their tortured lives is to multiply and invade quaint little utopian towns like Portland.
Did you know that the children of Californian immigrants can attend our public schools for free? And our tax money pays for it! We should gather up every Californian living in Oregon and deport back to where they came.
Also, Jonathan I love you\’re website. I\’m glad that you are 100% not from California.
Seriously dude, don\’t be such a xenophobe.
Sheesh, and I thought I was cranky!
🙂 Kidding, Vance– you do have several points that I agree with.
AS far as bike fun: none for me this weekend. Someone\’s gotta finish the quarterly and year-end forms and reports for all our payroll clients– including W2s. And that would be me.
I\’ll be thinking of you all, though, while I slave away over a computer and several printers. Hope I don\’t run out of toner! 🙂
So,
I came here to post a sweet pic I took while riding through the country, in the snow, in NE Vancouver. (I snapped a pic of a Snowy Egret, a Great Blue heron, and a coyote hunting for mice, like twenty to thirty feet between them) I see the coyote often, I call him \”Eastridge\”. I have ridden down NE 99Th street and had him running down the ditch right next to me, his tounge hanging out. A great moment by the way.
Instead I read Vance\’s comment.
Now,
I take offense to most everything he wrote above. ( On a couple of points he is almost right, but the reality of his full comment negates those entirely)
I am not only a long term, Oregon cyclist, but also a Californian, born and raised. A fact that is not only not a problem, but something I am proud of.
I have been accused of being a troll here, mainly for having idea\’s outside the mainstream, and for not believing that cycling in Portland is the dream land most see it as.
But a guy like Vance….
Well, there seem to be deep seated issues here. It is not about caring about cycling. It is not about making changes, or changing people\’s thoughts on issue.
It appears to be about Vance feeling sorry for Vance, and all the things Vance sees around him that he is not.
I seem to recall that Vance was a bike messenger for a \”brief\” period of time.
This is something else that he is not, was not really, and in other comments, on other articles, sounded off against his past co workers.
So in conclusion,
I think Vance needs a big hug. He isn\’t happy, he is obviously having a bad Saturday morning, and he needs a hug.
Maybe one of you cute bike girls could give him a big smile the next time you ride by him?
Vance, just to start, i agree with some of your tirades but this argument that because you were here first is just plain asinine. You act like everyone who moved here after you(or your parents) has F$#@ED up portland. That is just silly. Many of the developers and construction companies are generations old and owned by oregon family\’s. So if you need to blame someone, there you go.
But if you want to play that game I can one up you for sure. I am 35 years old, born in Portland. My mother was born here in 1953, my grandmother was born here in 1933 because my great grandmother and grandfather moved to north Portland to build ships for the Navy. The influx of African Americans that you talk about being displaced came here as cheap labor for the docks, which continues into the 40\’s. They displaced the white people in N and NE because they were hired for less money than the whites. Basically the minorities took the jobs because the docks and other industries could exploit them with cheap pay.
Then as the unions got a stronger foothold and the minorities began to loose their job through the 50\’s and into the 60\’s, N and NE became \”The Hood\”
So the reasons are different for displacing a group of people in this area, but you need to stop looking at the injustices that you are ranting about, because they have happened a hundred times. Just because you have lived here for 30 or 40 or 50 years, if you look one generation back, it happened there also.
Don\’t you think the generation before you said the same thing about you or your family when they moved here.
I confess that I *drove* to Whidbey Island for the weekend, but I stopped at a dinner party in Seattle on the way through. I knew one person out of the ten, and he gave me a glowing introduction, including my history of long rides and bike advocacy. Later someone came to me and said \”So, you do bike advocacy in Portland?\” I replied that I used to (be on the board and then the staff) at the BTA but that I am not very involved anymore. She interrupted me to say: \”I just wanted to say thank you. Portland is bike utopia. We all thank you.\”
We all know there\’s a long way to go, but for the time being, I smiled and said \”you\’re welcome. My pleasure.\”
——
And a joke that was told:
Two Jews are sitting side by side reading newspapers. One is reading an Israeli paper, and notices that the other is reading a paper in Arabic. \”Why?\” he asks. \”Well,\” says his friend, \”Our papers are so depressing, but in this one, we rule the world.\”
So – As a Californian, I had no idea that I had utter control of Oregon, or that my friend Scott & the BTA were in a position to be removing civil liberties. I wonder if we should have a party to celebrate our newfound power?
Surprisingly, his blog must not have very many people reading it, so he has to try and spread his negativity here. Sadly, there are no cures for viruses, but I wish we had some medication to reduce the symptoms!
Kasandra, I\’m with you, I had no idea the power I have been wielding! I feel kind of like a viking raping and pillaging with thunderous steps and crushing blows of Thor\’s hammer! Raaaahhh!!!!
Back to bikes…
I\’m working on building some trailers out of mattress frames (free off CraigsList, if I knew I was so wealthy, I would of bought NEW material). Sunday I\’ll probably go on the palm tree ride for a taste of SoCal. Oh wait, I just remembered, the Chargers are on at noon, never mind.
vance, you are not my \”voice of the oregon bicyclist\”, and why did you not include all the transplants from the midwest and eastcoast too. are they not rapists?
toby, pretty sure chargers start at 11, but you might want to go for a bike ride; you\’re gonna be pretty disappointed in the outcome of the game. thats right, i just turned bikeportland into a playground for football trash talk.
oh, wait, my weekend. ride to and from work on saturday. ride to the gym for spin class, ride home. sunday ride to the gym for yoga, ride home and watch football, go for a night ride. monday is my sunday and thats when i will get out my just overhauled mt. bike for a little shake-down ride in scappoose. love me some scappoose. its the best in the winter with just a light coating of snow on the ground to crunch under my tires and the dog-man leading the way.
He he, believe you me, I\’m very immune from disappointment over a Chargers loss! I\’d be once miserable hombre if I wasn\’t!!
Got a few rides planned (to music tonight, and Dinosaurs tomorrow), but wanted to share that our next car outing will be sporting our new Share the Road plates that arrived in the mail today!
Vance makes a good point….
And I must confess…. 2 years ago….I copped a feel… of Portland….
We were both drunk, it was a beautiful summer evening….Her peaks (Rocky Butte and Mt. Tabor) were so round and firm…. I was overcome by the moment… plus I had just got new climbing wheels…
I\’m so ashamed….
I had a busy week. rode for around 45 hrs. I drove today. It was glorious. I wish I could ride for fun again 🙁 I\’m jealous of you all sometimes. Exept mabey Vance.
If it would do any good Iwould bike over from Vancouver and give Vance a hug, but I think he is beyound help. Always keep it real. \”Huggy Bear\”
Vance, ride it off my friend, ride it off.
I spent some time in California before finding and falling in love with the magnificent Pacific NW. How much time must I be in California before I become a locust? Is there some formula based upon cost of living or is it derived from temperature??? Can this \”locustness\” be somehow exorcised with ink and body piercings? Just looking for guidance here.
Uncharacteristically, no riding at all this weekend although I did buy bits to replace a roasted drivetrain for my fixie/commuter. btw, Yes it has brakeS.
I just got back from a glorious 200K brevet that started in Wilsonville and meandered down to Silverton, Stayton and Scio, up through Salem and back to Wilsonville. I rode with two friends and we were able to product test all sorts of lighting and foul weather gear. Fun times.
Of course, if it hadn\’t have been for all those years I spent learning to ride long distances in the Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains of California, I never would have been abble to do it . . . 🙂
Santa plans to crash the Tulsa MLK parade in the a.m. manyana!
Gawd, I just hope TPD stands DOWN. Don\’t arrest the Santa!
I\’m so lazy. I was supposed to do the Palm Tree ride, but there\’s no way I\’ll get to SE Portland in time, having just got up. So, I might just stay local and bike around the neighborhood a bit to get some coffee, enjoy my life and find some Monkey Puzzle Trees up in NE!
Oh, or maybe I should stay home and be depressed about the state of the world, African poverty and injustice, gentrification, unemployment, overpopulation, the emminent extinction of Snow Leopards and the invasion of Californians and Midwesterners to this beatiful city.
Nope, the first sounds like a better use of my time. Hugs to all!
Oh dear! Oh my! It\’s not just the Californians, though they are particularly nasty, that are ruining the Pacific Northwest in general, and Portland specifically, but I have run into myriad city-rapers from all abouts! There are folks from all over the world converging upon the once unspoilt hills of Portland. Working in the schools, I have met all too many of them, but it seems that the administration frowns upon my shouting \”GO AWAY!! GO AWAY!! GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!\” There are even some people from CANADA!!! Should I take a moment to admit that I am from Georgia, myself……? NO!
Oh, wait…. America is a migratory nation. And anyone with an once of non-indigenous blood (VANCE?) only has to go back so far to discover the transient nature of our population. A few generations in one place doesn\’t mean jack. Why, I even read in a fancy history book that native folk moved around quite a bit, too. Golly.
My weekend bike fun goes no further than a few stores and the community center getting ready for the kid\’s birthday party. She went, too, carrying stuff in her new bicycle basket. No long trips, but it\’s pretty cool doing party stuff with a kid, on bikes and off.
Watch out for ice in the morning (you too Vance).
Nothing wrong with being from GA.true as I AM ALSO FROM GA.
Dabby,
I want to see that amazing photo!
Cecil\’s friend here. Nothing like riding a 200k, with no long rides since mid-November. But I\’m better for it. Or will be, in a few days.
I have never lived in California. I moved here from Texas, 30 years ago… The bike riding (and everything else) is much better here.
So am I the only one here who went on the Palm Trees ride? There were 30 if us there; where are the rest of you? You really want *me* giving the ride report?
Meanwhile, for the REST of the rest you, who didn\’t make it, you missed some outstanding palms and other non-conifer winter greenery, but mainly you missed (a) Shorn\’s quote du ride = \”The foreskin\’s crucial; birds love it\” (or words to that effect) and (2) Carl\’s absolutely fabulous Tom of Finland combo = rugged boots + Norwegian sweater + supershort short shorts. Mwaah!
Better luck next year!
Shawn, the Palm Tree Ride was AbFab! gorgeous weather with enough cold bite to give you a nice Portland pinch.
after the Laurelwood stop, some of us continued on as Team Goodwill, then Team Lucky Lab for Middaugh\’s gathering, then Team Pix for some after-hours caffeination. ahhh, the glories of all-day, multi-stop bikeitude!
http://bowelsofjohn.blogspot.com/
The pics didn\’t turn out as well as I had liked, I just got my camera back from teh shop(again) supposedly fixed.
But if you click on it it gets bigger, and you can see the general idea of the moment I had with nature…
my bike fun for the weekend was organizing all of my bike gear. I realized that I have a lifestyle that requires a lot of \”gear\”! so I hung up stuff, folded stuff, sorted stuff. thought about getting on the trainer…but decided to relax and watch football instead. 🙂
tomorrow\’s commute will be chilly…bundle up! 🙂
I spent part of the weekend riding…but when I tried to get out yesterday to enjoy what sun there was, I was hit by a car. 🙁
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomascosauce/sets/72157603760847652/
I zoobombed for the first time! Wahoo!
The good news: I had a great time, and stayed totally safe.
The bad news: A thermos full of peppermint tea opened inside my waterproof bag, ruining my brand new camera. Bummer.
4 of us rode a bit on Sauvie Island on Sunday. It was a good day for a ride, but a bit cooler than last weekend. All four of us rode 1 lap (12 miles) and two of us added an out and back along Multnomah Channel to bring our total to 27. A short ride, but hey, it\’s January!
My pics of the Palm Tree Ride are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/reber221/4thAnnualPalmTreeRide
My favorite is a toss up between Jenny\’s flower helmet, Deepak\’s mosaic lizzard pose or Carl\’s legs.
Was on my roof fixing some shingles watching a lot of riders cruisin\’ the bike lane and blowing snot out of there noses- ewwwww! So that\’s what it sounds like 70 feet away…pretty much as bad as it does 10 feet away from said actions, except with some echo.
I was able to go on my first ride of any distance since \’cross season on sunday (~ 30 mi) and was still able to check out the chargers fall to the pats. Yesterday rode to a shop to help a friend get some parts for her bike that I am fixin\’ up and got to bottle my first batch of homebrew.
I ordered a overdue helmet and today (my monday) my Xtracycle showed up! WooHOO!
Brad, thanks for the photos of the Palm Tree Ride! I linked them to the Ride Report post I did over here:
http://urbanadventureleague.blogspot.com/2008/01/nope-that-aint-hawaii.html