(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.