July 2013 Archives

Stars aligning for a bike tourism boom in the Mt. Hood area

Riders scope out routes at Sandy Ridge, a popular trail-riding
destination built specifically for mountain biking.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Nobody in Oregon gets more of its tourist dollar from bikes than the Mount Hood region, and people in eastern Multnomah and Clackamas counties are taking notice.

Whatever happens in the controversy about a planned mountain bike park near Timberline Lodge, the area seems to be thinking more and more about biking. Consider a few elements:

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Aftermath of a collision on the Highway 6 yesterday.
(Photo: Oregon State Police)

The Oregon State Police are investigating a collision that happened yesterday afternoon on Highway 6 (Wilson River Highway) east of Tillamook. According to an OSP statement, 29-year old Portland resident Joel Westrom was riding westbound on the shoulder of the highway when he was struck from behind by Suzanne Flood, a 65-year old Milwaukie resident driving a Mini Cooper.

The OSP statement says Westrom, “reportedly moved into the car’s path” prior to the collision. Investigators believe Flood was driving 55 mph prior to the collision. Westrom has sustained serious injuries and was flown to OHSU. The police statement also says he was not wearing a helmet.

Sean Martin outside the Chrome store
in downtown Portland.
(Photo © Alex Milan Tracy)

If you think urban fixed-gear riding was just some fad that has been played out, you couldn’t be more wrong. In cities all over America, urban fixed gear riding has gone from a death-defying, extreme sport dominated by messengers, to a more established discipline with organized events, races, and big-time sponsorships. And Los Angeles resident Sean Martin is one its stars.

Martin, 33, is captain of the CBNC Cycling Team and a charismatic and talented blogger who’s taking track bikes to a whole new level. His big break came last year when he was featured in Fixation, a documentary about the world of fixed gear cycling.

Brand: Hoo Doo
Model: Voo Doo
Color:Yellow
Size:Mountain
Serial: S9TM00401
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2013-07-2
Stolen From: Taken from basement of residence apartments located at the intersection of NW 23rd Avenue and NW Raleigh in the Knobhill area of Portland.
Neighborhood: Knobhill area in NW Portland
OwnerEmail: ProOptions(replace with at sign)comcast.net
Description: Mountain bike. Bright yellow frame with red Manitoo front fork. Frame has Hoo Doo on top, Voo Doo decals on lower frame. Speedo, bell, and Cats Eye headlight on handlebars. Cats Eye rear taillight mounted to ToPeak storage bag under seat. Also has a bright round pink/black “Suicide Girls” decal mounted to the frame directly under the seat. Serial number: S9TM00401
Police record with: Online Portland PD report
Police reference#: 13-154328
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

What caused Portland’s biking boom?

Chart by Rutgers University professor and noted bicycle researcher John Pucher. This was one slide from a presentation he gave last week in Seattle.

N Williams Ave Open House-N Williams Ave Final Open House-9

Detail from a PBOT poster about
the Williams project.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

As we reported last March, the City of Portland has about $1.5 million to spend on the North Williams Traffic Safey & Operations project. That’s enough money to build all recommendations put forward by the project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) in April 2012.

However, PBOT was in a tricky spot when they found out the state grant that’s funding the project ($1.3 million of the total) could not be used for one small but crucial piece: the “Honoring History Streetscape”. That element of the project is a $100,000 piece of public art that will, “honor N Williams Avenue’s importance in local African-American history.”

Wider is better. (Note the old bike lane stripe
that has been scraped off.)
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

PBOT is nearly finished with a project to improve bicycling conditions on the NW Broadway ramp south of the Broadway Bridge. The $30,000 project is expected to be finished by tonight but most of the new striping was completed early this morning before rush hour.

In order to create the additional five feet needed for the buffered bike lane, PBOT reduced the amount of vehicle lanes from five to four. Instead of a five-foot bike lane and four, 9.5-foot standard lanes, there is now a 10-foot bike lane and three, 11-foot standard vehicle lanes. The change was made because of the huge amount of people who ride bicycles down this ramp and the need to create safer and more pleasant conditions for them.

I rode it this morning and took a few photos.

Year: 2009
Brand: Kona
Model: Zing Deluxe
Color:Black
Size:56
Serial: 635700HSG
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=133663756648473&set=t.620078856&type=3&theater
Stolen in Portladn, OR 97203
Stolen:2013-07-01
Stolen From: The Streetcar Lofts parking garage
Neighborhood: Pearl
Owner: Bill Michielsen
OwnerEmail: michiels13(AT)up.edu
Reward: 250
Description: It is a custom black, white and red paint job for Rad Racing NW. Has silver Mavic Ksyrium elite wheels and a sticker near the seat tube for University of Portland Public Safety registration
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13005805
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Carnage: Three hospitalized in Foster wreck; Driver slams into house on Skidmore – UPDATED

KATU jokes in their headline,
but this is no laughing matter.

The carnage on Portland’s streets show no signs of letting up.

In the past 24 hours alone, three people failing to control their cars has led to serious injuries and significant property damage.

At about 8:15 pm last night, the Portland Police reported that two people driving in the intersection of SE 92nd and Foster (map) collided with each other. The driver of a Jeep then rolled his/her vehicle and it went up onto the sidewalk where two people were standing. Both people standing on the sidewalk appear to have been either riding bikes or standing their bikes and both sustained “serious but not believed to be life-threatening injuries.” The driver of the Jeep was also injured and taken to the hospital.

Sorry. This job has been filled.

Job Title
Morning Bike Valet Attendant

Company/Organization
Go By Bike

Job Description
We are looking for a morning bike valet attendant to join our exciting business. We provide a free bike valet service to the public at the lower aerial tram in South Waterfront. People drop their bikes off throughout the day and we securely park them. We also loan bikes out and provide bicycle repair service.

The morning bike valet attendant is responsible for opening the shop up on time, and parking bikes during the morning commute. A second attendant joins them to help park between 100-180 bikes by midmorning and take bike repair orders.

A competitive applicant will have some experience and appreciation for riding bikes, a history of being punctual and reliable, and enjoy early mornings. The hours for this position are:

6am-10am mon-fri
the starting compensation is $10/hour

How to Apply
email gobybikeshop@gmail.com with resume and a short description of why you would like the job.

silver/white Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe 17.5 2009

Year: 2009
Brand: Gary Fisher
Model: Hi-Fi Deluxe 17.5
Color:silver/white
Size:26″
Serial: WTU326G0413D
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2013-06-30
Stolen From: Asa Flats & Lofts, 1200 NW Marshall St., Portland OR
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Owner: Karl Parandjuk
OwnerEmail: jctmeadows(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Reward: No
Description: This was a stock 2009 Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe, full suspension mountain bike
Police record with: Portland Police Bureau
Police reference#: 13-53468
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

From e-bikes to recumbents, Portland’s niche bike shops find success

With (at least) 69 bike shops in Portland — that’s one for every two square miles, in case you’re keeping track — we’re often asked how they can all survive. The bike shop business isn’t easy; but one way to stand out in the crowd and be successful is to find a niche (or create a new one) and then develop it into a healthy market. Several Portland bike shop owners have done precisely that. And they’ve done it well.

Powered by high-touch marketing and nurtured by Portland’s seemingly bottomless love of interesting bikes, a handful of small-scale entrepreneurs have taken big risks on bike shops that fit both their personal passions and market niches that bigger companies either couldn’t serve or didn’t even know existed.

Here’s a quick take on each of three specialized Portland bike shops whose bets are paying off.

Stars aligning for a bike tourism boom in the Mt. Hood area

Portland man seriously injured in collision on Highway 6 near Tillamook

Meet urban fixed-gear star Sean Martin

Yellow Hoo Doo Voo Doo

What caused Portland’s biking boom?

City commits funds to honor history in Williams Ave project

First Look: Wider bike lanes on NW Broadway ramp

Black Kona Zing Deluxe 2009

Carnage: Three hospitalized in Foster wreck; Driver slams into house on Skidmore – UPDATED

Job: Morning Bike Valet Attendant – Go By Bike – FILLED

silver/white Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe 17.5 2009

From e-bikes to recumbents, Portland’s niche bike shops find success

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From the Archives

Opinion: If we’re serious about cycling, let’s get serious about cycling infrastructure