Portlander Matt Picio (founder of Cycle Wild, an awesome non-profit that leads carfree camping trips) sent along a photo this morning of a recent bike tour he led out on the Oregon Coast. The photo captures a great example of bike activism in action…
(Photo: Matt Picio/Flickr)
The photo is of a postcard he and others on the ride sent to the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce after having a less than pleasant experience while bicycling through. Here’s the full text:
Dear Concerned Chamber Members,
Yesterday, we 7 bike tourers spent a delightful time in Newport [a city south of Lincoln City] sightseeing, shopping, and enjoying the city’s wonderful hospitality. We spent easily $550 in one evening owning to their welcoming nature to cyclists.
I wish we could have felt as welcome in Lincoln City, but there were no bike lanes, signs, or even a bike shop or road shoulder. Until Lincoln City opens to bikes, this postcard and stamp represent the total sum of our investment in your town. We hope this changes!
Sincerely,
Oregon’s Bike Economy
After reading this, I checked in with Daniella Crowder, and old friend and owner of the Bike Newport shop. Newport is 25 miles south of Lincoln City, but Daniella says it’s a world away in terms of bike-friendliness. In fact, Daniella and her husband Elliot opened a second location in Lincoln City back in May, but closed it in August due to a lack of business.
Daniella says despite a core group of people trying to get the city to install bike lanes and bike racks, the difference between Newport and Lincoln City in terms of bike-friendliness is “night and day.”
Bike Newport is an excellent shop that has become a hub for bike tourists traveling along the world famous Oregon Coast Bike Route. I’m not sure if the Cycle Wild crew’s postcard will have much impact, but perhaps it will serve as an important reminder to the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce that there’s a lot of folks who’d like to spend money in their town on something besides the casino and the outlet malls.