2010 Archives

White Boomer Pathfinder ST 2010

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2010
Brand: Boomer
Model: Pathfinder ST
Color:White
Size:Step through
Serial: PB91709085
Photo: http://boomerelectricbikes.com/Pathfinder-ST.html
Stolen in Portland, OR 97221
Stolen:2010-03-7
Stolen From: SW Cameron Rd. Portland Oregon
Neighborhood: SW/ Hayhurst School area
Owner: Peggy Ingram
OwnerEmail: peggyingram@comcast.net
Description: White electric bike, step through style. Has double baskets. Battery could be missing unless thief was able to buy another.
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: T10001265
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Weekend Guide and Open Thread

[Originally published on Thursday 3/4]

On Saturday, help Friends of Trees
plant by bike.
(Photo: Aaron Tarfman/Flickr)

Another warm and (hopefully, mostly) dry weekend on tap here in Portland. Check out the fantastic round up of rides and events below and plan accordingly. As always, feel free to plug events in the comments if I missed something. I’ll repost this to the top of the home page at the end of the news day tomorrow so you remember to share your weekend adventures in the comments.

Friday, March 5th

1:30pm: Mayor Adams Press Conference at SE Foster and 80th
Mayor Adams will return to the site of a tragic collision that claimed the life of two people trying to cross SE Foster near 80th last year. He’ll cut the ribbon on new Rapid Flash Beacons installed a few days ago. Leaders from the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition will also be in attendance.

Green streets; where bikes, fish
and plants coexist.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has released details of his promise to find $20 million to “kickstart” funding of the 2030 Bike Plan. As expected, the money will come from the Bureau of Environmental Services budget and will be allocated toward “Green Streets projects on prioritized boulevards.”

As we pointed out last month, “Green Streets” is the name of a BES program that manages stormwater runoff through street designs that incorporate things like permeable pavers, vegetation, and bioswales. The Bureau of Transportation has worked in partnership with this program for years because some green street features — like curb extensions — are also used on bicycle boulevards.

The ordinance to be voted on this Wednesday will be considered as an “emergency ordinance” and will take effect immediately. According to language in the ordinance, an emergency exists because “the timeframe for completion necessitates beginning project development and outreach immediately.”

Intersection of SE Clinton and 29th.

A group of parents in the inner-southeast Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood are fed up with what they say are people riding bicycles too dangerously down one of Portland’s busiest bikeways — SE Clinton Street. At issue is a school bus stop near the intersection of Clinton and SE 29th that services Abernethy Elementary.

According to Liz Gatti, a resident and mom of two kids who use that stop, people on bicycles frequently do not stop when the bus’s flashing lights are on. Instead, they zoom around it while children are boarding and crossing the street. Gatti, and other parents who are mobilizing around this concern, are worried that one of their children will be struck and hurt as a result.

The parents have resorted to standing behind the bus “looking like a bunch of thugs” to try and encourage people to stop.

Below is an “Open Letter” written by Gatti and shared with BikePortland at the behest of Portland Police Officer Robert Pickett:

Are custom, personalized U-locks the next big thing in bike fashion here in Bike City, USA? After all, U-locks are pretty much ubiquitous on the urban biking scene and they’re not exactly easy to conceal. So, why not add some flair and make a fashion statement out of them? Seems reasonable to me.

Check out these examples of the latest must-have bike fashion accessory seen on the streets of Portland…

You’ll be riding in no time.
(Photo © J. Maus)

I’ve really enjoyed all the helpful advice shared in response to our new Ask BikePortland column. Several people said they’d like to read a follow-up post with the most popular answers summarized, so here goes…

This week’s question was from a reader who said she never learned to ride a bike as a kid, but wants to learn. Where/how can an adult learn to ride a bike in Portland? Below are some of the top answers.

“We just think this is an unnecessary ordinance and is really unenforceable.”
— Randy Schoen, Medford police chief in the Mail Tribune newspaper

In the southern Oregon city of Medford, local lawmakers have decided to repeal an ordinance that required bicycles to have a license.

According to a story in the Mail Tribune yesterday, the ordinance was lifted by Medford City Council because it was difficult to enforce and it lacked a clear community benefit. The paper also reported that in the past 15 years, only one or two of the $195 citations had been issued.

This guest article was written by Tori Bortman, owner and operator of Gracie’s Wrench, which offers private and group bike maintenance clinics (and more). Tori wrote a similar article for us last spring, but this one’s new and improved!

Spring is coming!
(Photos © J. Maus)

Thanks to El Nino, spring has officially sprung a bit early this year. Not that I’m complaining. More long weekend rides, less getting caught in torrential downpours — I’m all for it.

You may be ready for spring… but is your bike?

If you haven’t taken the time this winter to give your bicycle a thorough re-vamp, now is the time. That doesn’t mean you have to go running to the shop. Start slow and bring your steed back to life with some simple steps that will make your next ride practically dreamy.

Raitt, going for the stage win on the
final ascent through Riverview Cemetery.
– Watch video below –

Portlander Merritt Raitt’s dreamy commute takes him from his home in Ladd’s Addition, along the Willamette River via the Springwater Corridor Trail, and then over the river and up the hills to Oregon Health Sciences University. It’s such a nice ride that Raitt decided to make a movie about it.

But Raitt didn’t make just any movie, he painstakingly edited a play-by-play of his commute that mimics a stage of the Tour de France — complete with narration by legendary announcers Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.

The 2010 National Bike Summit gets underway in Washington D.C. next week and the Team Oregon is ready to go.

But before I introduce the fine set of advocates who will serve you at the Summit, a big thanks is order to Planet Bike. For the third year in a row they have stepped up to be the official sponsor of all our National Bike Summit coverage. As I have for the past four years, I plan to document my trip (I’ll be there from Tuesday to Friday next week) with photos and stories to give you the inside perspective on all the Summit happenings. Bookmark our special coverage page to read the latest stories.

Year: 1995
Brand: DEAN XtraCycle
Model: custom steel “Colonel”
Color:Orange
Size:21″
Serial: None
Photo: http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/bleber/ebay%20craigslist/tiffandkatie.jpg
Stolen in SE Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2010-03-3
Stolen From: Stolen from our house’s porch on SE 43rd and Clinton St.
Neighborhood: Richmond
Owner: Brian Leber
OwnerEmail: brianleber@bikegallery.com
Reward: Yes!
Description: Frame: 1995 Dean Colonel steel (853). powdercoat orange. It has a Breezer rearend with the Nickle coin cap.
Fork: Bontrager Alloy
Handlebars: Mary Bars
Parts Kit: 2008 Gary Fisher Marlin 9spd Shimano Deore
Brakes: Avid BB5
Rear Derailleur : 1st gen XTR 9spd
Front Derailleur : XT
Front tire: BIG APPLE
Front fender: Electra Classic Cruiser green
Rear Fender: 45mm Silver SKS

And obviously the Xtracycle attachment with the little feet, bags, rear handlebar/stem mount with a High Life shim, and the on-board (in bags)Bontrager air compressor powering the Halogen lighting on fender.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Editorial: When it comes to family biking, size matters

A few weekends ago my girls and I, and several other families, planned to attend a local event. Since it was a sunny day, the location of the event was fairly close, and we all tend to bike frequently anyways, it turned into an impromptu group ride. There were kids (youngest was age 7) riding bikes on their own, kids in tag-alongs, and adults with various types of family cargo bikes. There were about 13 of us in all.

While I enjoyed the company of friends and the pleasant ride, being the bike geek that I am, I also couldn’t help from noticing a few other things.

White Boomer Pathfinder ST 2010

Weekend Guide and Open Thread

Friday, March 5th

Mayor Adams releases details on bike plan “kickstart” funds

Southeast Portland parents raise concerns about speedy bike traffic

Custom u-locks; new bike fashion trend?

Answered: Learn how to ride a bike in Portland

A cautionary tale: Medford scraps bike licensing ordinance

Guest Article: Get your bike ready for spring

Video: A “Commuter Dreams” of the Tour de France

Meet the Oregon bike advocacy team headed to the National Bike Summit in D.C.

Orange DEAN XtraCycle custom steel “Colonel” 1995

Editorial: When it comes to family biking, size matters

Latest Headlines

Reminder: No riding through River View Cemetery during Memorial Day Weekend

Guest Article: Demand a pause on PBOT’s SW Alder decision

Guest Opinion: The bike beat lives on in all of us

Our 20th Anniversary Party is this Wednesday

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland