A Portland bike component manufacturer has been recognized for their earth-friendly production methods.
Chris King Precision Components — based in Portland’s northwest industrial area — is part of the third annual Swell Future show, an exhibition of “future friendly design” being held in Vancouver, B.C. Chris King is one of 28 companies from around the world to be chosen for the show.
From the looks of a casting call (below) that made it’s way onto the Shift email list (via ExtrasOnly.com), Trek Bicycles plans to film an upcoming national commercial in Portland — and they’re looking for a few good bicyclists.
Check out the flyer…
I can’t really keep up with all the bike events these days — but below is an attempt to share a few that have come to my attention.
By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, May is National Bike Month and it’s an ideal time to spread the word about biking to your friends and neighbors and prod them into showing up at an event to learn more or meet other newbies.
Here are some great events coming up in the next few days…
People’s Co-op (3029 SE 21st Ave) thanks cyclists with Bike to Market Day
Wednesday May 14th People’s Farmers Market will reward everybody who rides their bicycle by providing free bike tune-ups, free workshops on how to repair your own bike, fun live music and free snacks.
Roll on over between 2 and 7pm to People’s Market and check out our beautiful local spring foods while getting your bike spruced up for summer. People’s will thank you for riding your bicycle by offering you:
— Free workshops on bicycle maintenance hosted by A Better Cycle 2-7pm
— Free tune-ups and repairs from Seven Corners Cycles 3-6pm
— Free cycle-powered home delivery of your groceries (within our neighborhood)
— Free tasty treats and bicycle powered smoothies and an amazing variety of Oregon’s locally grown and produced foods
Come join us in celebrating Portland’s growing people-powered community.
Here’s an interesting idea that was spotted by City of Vancouver transportation planner Todd Boulanger on a recent trip to Amsterdam.
Boulanger visited the Netherlands in April to attend the Intertraffic Conference and he ran across what he calls a “new application of a traditional tool” — convex mirrors placed on traffic signals. They’re called black spot mirrors or “dead angle mirrors”.
According to Boulanger, the mirror is heated for all-weather use and it can be turned to any angle, independent of the existing traffic signal.
This is a monthly feature to remind you that when you buy a used bike from the Community Cycling Center’s retail shop (1700 NE Alberta) you are not just getting a cool bike, you’re also helping fund their amazing education programs for low-income youth and adults.
Like I mentioned back in April, Portland will be prominently featured on a TV show to air on the Sundance Channel later this month.
Our bike-friendliness will be on the national stage yet again when their Big Ideas for a Small Planet series turns its attention to transportation. The episode features Mia Birk (former PDOT bike program manager and now consultant at Alta Planning), as well as one of Portland’s time-honored bikey traditions — the bike move.
Check a “webisode” of the segment below (or watch it here):
According to a post this morning on the BTA Blog, the 2008 Alice Awards and Auction event brought in $150,000 for the Portland-based non-profit:
“During dinner, bidders raised their paddles in the live auction for a trip to France, a private dinner party, fancy bikes, and more. After screening a short film advocating for safer streets, the whole audience was invited to donate toward the cause, and guests pledged over $34,000!
Combined, the live and silent auctions, ticket sales, and restaurant raffle raised a total of $150,000.”
There’s a lot going on with the Columbia River Crossing project.
The much-anticipated Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been released and we are now in a 60-day public comment period (that ends July 1st).
Comments on the DEIS will help regional decision makers choose which alternatives move into the next phases of the project. Two informational open houses where you can comment (either in person or in writing) have been scheduled for May 28th and 29th.
With just over one week left before ballots are due, here are my thoughts on the race to fill Seat #2 on Portland’s City Council.
Nick Fish
(Photos © J. Maus) |
Jim Middaugh
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— Location: Clever Cycles Bike Shop, 908 SE Hawthorne Blvd —
The BTA has an exciting new workshop on family bike commuting and it’s happening tonight in inner SE and on Thursday downtown. If you’re an experienced bike commuter, come learn about commuting with little ones. If you know or are a new or bikecurious folk, please stop by!
Here’s the details:
Getting Started in Family Bike Commuting
Nervous about mounting a bicycle with little ones? Confused by all the options for carrying kids on bicycles?
The BTA’s Family Biking Commute Workshops discuss the common challenges that families face when considering bike commuting. They are also a place for seasoned bicyclists to learn more about commuting with kids and share what they know about commuting with new riders.
Topics covered include:
* Building confidence as a bike commuter
* Safe and legal riding
* What you need to know about different kid-carrying bicycles
* Carrying stuff other than kids
* Time management
* What to do about rain
* Route planning and maps
The informative presentations are followed by time for questions and discussion. All workshop participants will receive free maps and lists of resources. Presenters also spend time offering route-planning assistance on a one-on-one basis after the presentation. Workshops are led by BTA staff members.
Over the weekend, Seattle P-I columnist Joel Connelly traveled to Bend (175 miles SE of Portland) to cover Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign visit.
In a column he published this morning, Connelly wrote:
Sen. Barack Obama talked wistfully about taking a bicycle ride in the high Oregon desert, but plunged back into what is both a victory lap in the Democratic race and the warmup for a long general election campaign.