See more photos below.
(Photos © J. Maus)
With the Oregon Manifest set to start tomorrow, I’ve been thinking a lot about just what exactly is the “ultimate modern utility bike.”
I’ve also been thinking about the many people in our community who make bikes. From the visionary ‘velocipedes’ of Neal Fegan, the ‘rejuiced’ functionality of Johnnie Olivan, the large-scale production of the folks at Chris King, and of course the independent artisan craftsmen and craftswomen pursuing perfection for hours on end.
We’ll see plenty of that last group in the coming days; but there are bike constructors among us who don’t get nearly as much attention. As I shared a few times several years ago in my “Street Life” column, there are quite a few innovative bike makers among Portland’s homeless population.
I saw one such bike on my ride into work today. Out of respect for the guy sleeping next to it, I couldn’t get too close; but from what I can tell, it’s a gas-assisted bike that I assume folds into a wheelchair? I’m sure brilliant readers can this bike better than I can…
With my new office downtown I’m hoping to share more of the crazy, beautiful, head-scratching bikes I see locked up down here. Stay tuned.