(Photos © J. Maus)
Often, the most memorable part of bike events in Portland is not just the event itself, but the people who come to take part. Such was the case at Filmed by Bike — a celebration of cycling on the big screen that brought thousands to Clinton Street Theater over the weekend.
At opening night, among the tall-bikers, hula-hoopers, and scantily clad raffle ticket sellers, was 54 year-old Mark Allyn.
Mark calls himself a “hobbyist” sewer, metal crafter, “clothing artist”, and electrician. If you don’t know his name, you’ll know his outfit and his bike.
Among the many wonderful things Mark has created is a bike and riding jacket that lights up in a stunning rainbow of colors unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Red, green, blue, purple, orange — the streaks of color are intense.
Marks says the bright colors are made possible by fiber optics driven by high-powered LEDs and rechargeable nickel metal-hydride batteries.
Mark commutes around 40 miles every day from his home near SE 42nd and Division to his job as a Linux specialist with Intel in Hillsboro. He doesn’t own a car and says he does the entire trip by bike “at least once or twice a week” (other days he’ll mix bike and transit).
“I haven’t owned a car since 1978 and my doctor says biking has made a significant improvement to my health…he says I’m the poster-child 54 year-old.”
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– See more of Mark’s creations at his website, ClearPlastic.org.