volunteer Ted Buehler at the start of the
Transport Your Activism Ride
on Saturday.
(Photo © J. Maus)
I’ve been wondering how best to share and spread the word about all the great bike stuff that happens on the weekends in and around Portland. I’ll try to be more consistent in posting a Weekend Open Thread, but I thought I’d try something new… Below is a recap of events that happened over the weekend that I was either able to attend myself or that I came across a report and/or photos of.
streetcar tracks during a quick
stop in the Pearl District.
On Saturday, fledgling livable streets activism group Active Right of Way held their second Transport Your Activism ride. The idea behind these rides is to empower people by giving them the information to make a difference. It’s like a meeting on wheels for livable streets activists. The ride stopped at four project or issue locations where someone volunteered to give a short presentation.
We learned about TriMet’s planned Orange MAX Line, the bike-friendly efforts at PGE Park (and we also had a discussion about Canzano-gate), upcoming plans for NE 12th across I-84, and the exciting plans for the Holman Neighborhood Greenway. See more photos from the ride in our gallery.
I didn’t make it out to the Tour de Lab, but I saw tons of riders streaming through my neighborhood and I’m sure it was a big success (anyone care to share?).
The inaugural, gravel road endurance fest, the Oregon Stampede also took place on Saturday. Organized by Velo Dirt, the 127-mile, unsupported race race took most riders about 12 hours to complete. I talked to a few intrepid souls who did it and heard it was epic, painful and beautiful. Shout out to to Team Beer for riding as a team and bringing their indomitable spirit to the event. Read a recap and see more photos on VeloDirt.com.
On Sunday, I checked out the PDX Cycle Swap. There vendors were mostly old and used parts collectors, but there were also some local bike crafters in attendance like Curtis from North St. Bags, Caroline from Little Package Cycling Caps, and Geoff from Walnut Studios.
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The turnout was definitely not what the organizers (or myself) had hoped for, but it wasn’t bad for a first time event competing with a beautiful sunny day. I think this event has a lot of potential. The guy behind the Cycle Swap, John “Coop” Cooper, wants to bring the community together each month in the huge warehouse space under the Fremont Bridge. The question is, what’s the best way to do that?
Coop’s vision is to make it like a Saturday Market for bike stuff where people can enjoy handmade bike crafts, new and used parts, great food, hear live music, and take in bike-centric performances. I love that vision, but launching a new bike event in Portland is not easy, especially for someone without a lot of previous connections in the community. I plan to help Coop with this event and I’m sure he’d welcome input from the community. See more photos from the event in the gallery.
It was a gorgeous day Sunday. I hope everyone got to pedal around and enjoy it. Share your weekend memories and links below and stay tuned for our Weekend Event Guide so you can start planning the next one!