(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland
Portland-based filmmaker Joe Biel (Cantankerous Titles) has released the trailer of his latest project: a documentary about cargo bike builder Tom LaBonty titled One Less Truck.
LaBonty is the 41-year old tinkerer (and baggage handler at PDX Airport by day) who builds affordable cargo bikes (they start at around $500 if you provide the frame) from used parts in his garage in the Lents neighborhood. When we profiled him back in August 2009, he was just starting to make a name for himself around town. Now, thanks to his website, his Flickr photostream, and Craigslist, he’s built and sold 55 bikes to customers around the country.
There’s a lot to love about LaBonty’s story, and I’m thrilled that Biel has taken the time to tell it. One Less Truck is just one piece of Biel’s Cycling Shorts, a collection of short documentaries he’s put together into a DVD.
Watch the trailer below…
For more LaBonty, peruse a slideshow I put together a few years ago…
Next up for Biel is the second edition of the “Dinner on Bikes” tour. He’ll join chef Joshua Ploeg and writer/bike activist Elly Blue for a two month adventure to far-flung towns and cities where they’ll dish up equal servings of bikes, vegan food, and DIY activism in a series of informal events.
Thanks for reading.
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Looking forward to keeping informed on this. Good luck down south.
Ooooh, I want a “One Less Truck” bumper sticker for my Adam George trailer. Joe?
Ted Buehler
Go Tom! Go Joe!
Tom is just plain awesome and the most evolved form of Portland style forward thinking I know: cargo bikes made from recycled materials replacing automobiles, including delivery trucks. Tom should be on the board of directors of this planet.
Helmets?