Month: August 2009

BMX stars roll into Portland with Dew Tour

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Austin Coleman pulling a
“downside whip” during practice
yesterday.
(Photo: Dew Tour)

[This article was written by our BMX correspondent Brendan Vail. Brendan is a promoter of local BMX events and the proprietor of Your-Inn.com.]

It’s that time of year again when the nation’s top BMX riders come to Portland to compete and add their color to the local bike scene. The Wendy’s Invitational/Dew Tour began Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Rose Quarter. The traveling tour started in 2005 and features the nation’s top competitors in BMX riding (as well as skateboarding, and freestyle motocross).

There are three BMX events at the Dew Tour; BMX Vert, BMX Dirt, and BMX Park.

In BMX Vert, top pros such as Jamie Bestwick and Chad Kagy compete against one another on a 12 foot tall half-pipe ramp performing a variety of aerial tricks.

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Man on a bike dragged 150 feet following traffic altercation (Updated)

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

The Oregonian is reporting that 31-year old Kevin Stevenson is in serious condition after a traffic altercation resulted in him being dragged 150 feet by a vehicle near NE Couch Street and Sandy Blvd.

We have not confirmed any details of the story with the Portland Police Bureau, but according to The Oregonian the incident occured at 1:15 am Thursday morning. Here’s an excerpt from their story:

Several bicyclists were going eastbound on East Burnside near Sandy Boulevard when a vehicle seemed to be tailgating them, said Detective Mary Wheat, a police spokeswoman.

When the vehicle started to go around, one of the bicyclists started yelling at the driver. Wheat said the bicyclist leaned into the passenger window of the vehicle and tried to grab the driver, apparently upset because the car was too close to the cyclists.

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New retail shop in Pearl will sell electric bikes from Germany

From the Kalkhoff USA website.

In the latest sign that e-bikes are becoming more mainstream, a new retail bike shop is set to open soon in the Pearl District.

According to sources, a company named Greenlight LLC will open the shop. They are the U.S. distributors of Kalkhoff Bikes, a German brand that has been in existence since 1919 and has a full line of electric bikes.

After we learned about Greenlight a few days ago, an unemployed reader tipped us off to a job listing for their new retail store (they’re looking for a manager).

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Tonight: MTB advocates will find inspiration in ‘Freedom Riders’ movie

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Tonight’s screening of the new movie, Freedom Riders, has local off-road riding advocates pumped up. The movie — which creators call “the Dogtown and Z Boys’ of mountain biking — chronicles the eight-year journey of a group of mountain bikers in Wyoming who established the first network of freeride trails in the lower 48 states to be officially sanctioned by the U.S. Forest Service.

Kris Schamp, local off-road advocate and communications director of the Northwest Trail Alliance, says the film is about how the culture of freeriders (riders who like jumps, and highly technical trails) is changing rapidly. “Riders and local advocacy/trail building groups nationwide have come to realize that they need to partner closely with land managers and agencies when designing, building and maintaining trails.”

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Portland Police host bike cops for annual training conference

Bike cops in Portland-4

Joe Scalise is a bike patrol officer
in Charlotte, NC and the training
coordinator for LEBA.
(Photos © J. Maus)

If the streets feel a bit safer this week, it’s because Portland is playing host to a Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA) training conference.

The Portland Police Bureau is hosting LEBA for one of their ongoing instructor training courses. Held throughout the country, the week-long course trains the officers in the many skills specific to doing police work on a bike.

I caught up with the group as they rode down Burnside (riding two abreast, taking the full lane, and nearly running a red light at MLK Blvd.) en route to a skills training session under the Morrison Bridge this morning. According to LEBA Training Coordinator Joe Scalise of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD, 15 officers from around the country are in Portland to sharpen their bike patrol skills.

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An in-depth look how bikes fare in the East Burnside Couch project

PBOT Drawing of new
streetscape on Burnside.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams and a host of dignitaries and bureaucrats held a groundbreaking ceremony for the East Burnside-Couch couplet project yesterday. The $17.8 million project will transform the streetscape of Burnside and Couch by turning them into one-ways, adding traffic signals, bike lanes, trees, curb extensions, and more.

The City is doing the project for several reasons: They hope it will trigger development, improve safety and traffic flow, enhance the business environmen, and in the end, make Burnside into a kinder, gentler street.

Yesterday I sat down with City of Portland Bureau of Transportation project managers Bill Hoffman and Chris Armes to learn more about how people on bikes will navigate through the couplet.

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silver/green specialized sequoia 2008

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Year: 2008
Brand: specialized
Model: sequoia
Color:silver/green
Size:small woman
Serial: WUD70511831B
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2009-08-7
Stolen From: NE 19th and Prescott
Neighborhood: Sabin
Owner: Kelly Rodgers
OwnerEmail: portlandkelly@gmail.com
Description: Bike rack on back.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Blue DiamondBack Edgewood 1999

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 1999
Brand: DiamondBack
Model: Edgewood
Color:Blue
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2009-08-13
Stolen From: Taken from my front porch, lock and helmet left behind
Neighborhood: Laurelhurst
Owner: David Power
OwnerEmail: dpower@multnomah.edu
Description: Older blue Diamondback, torn seat and right handle, distinctive Springer bracket on the seat stay as well as an indicator of its place of purchase in Illinois.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

white Motobecane mixte 70’s-80’s

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Year: 70’s-80’s
Brand: Motobecane
Model: mixte
Color:white
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2009-08-12
Stolen From: SE 22nd and Division
Neighborhood: SE Portland
Owner: Amanda Bishop
OwnerEmail: amandabis@gmail.com
Description: White mixte frame ten speed, original components. Brand new seat with reflective strip on back. Red grips. Gold Japanese bell. Double wire basket on rear. White fenders.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Yellow Trek 4300 2001

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2001
Brand: Trek
Model: 4300
Color:Yellow
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2009-08-11
Stolen From: My house, 22nd and E. Burnside. Bike was attached to a wooden spindle on the front deck. The spindle was kicked out.
Neighborhood: Kerns
Owner: Brian Kramer
OwnerEmail: kramerb1@gmail.com
Description: Had a rear tire splash guard, street tires instead of stock mountain bike tires, 4 digit combination U-lock on top bar.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 0971667
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike