MTB roundup: Helltrack, River View planning, Sandy Ridge award, and more

Helltrack is coming!

Just because Portland isn’t known as a mountain biking mecca (yet), doesn’t mean we don’t have our share of mountain bike news. Check out the updates on several fronts below…

Helltrack at The Lumberyard
The Lumberyard has partnered up with PlusSizeBMX on an interesting event next month: They call it “Helltrack.” According to The Lumberyard’s event coordinator Amy Hardesty, Helltrack is a “multi-lap obstacle race with nine riders going head-to-head that combines indoor and outdoor features, a cereal bowl, pallets, bikes, beer, jumps, UCI Bro Barriers, Carnage, and good times.” There are racing categories for all types of riders (even kids!) and everyone is welcome. The course runs inside and outside The Lumberyard and there’s an after-party sponsored by Red Bull. Event dates are November 23-24th and registration is $20-25 per race. More info at LumberyardMTB.com or follow updates on the Facebook event page.

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Purple Peugeot 1970s

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Year: 1970s
Brand: Peugeot
Color:Purple
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530567397109&set=a.530566733439.2053074.58801457&type=3&theater
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2013-10-26
Stolen From: NW 20th and Overton
Owner: Emily Hopkins
OwnerEmail: emily.hopkins(A T)pdx.edu
Description: The bike is a vintage purple Peugeot with white handlebar grips, a black saddle, and a wire basket in the front. There are yellow “clickers” in the spokes…or there were when the bike was still in my possession.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13011038
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Long trucks now restricted on Jackson Quarry Road in Washington County

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Great for bikes — but not great for long trucks.
(Photo: Washington County)

A road in rural Washington County that’s a popular cycling route should become a bit nicer to ride on thanks to a new ruling by the county’s Board of Commissioners. The ruling prohibits vehicles longer than 30 feet from using Jackson Quarry Road (map), a narrow and winding road that connects to West Union, which is a key connector for many cycling routes in the Helvetia area.

Here’s more from Washington County’s Dept of Land Use & Transportation:

Washington County’s Board of Commissioners has authorized a 30-foot vehicle length limit on Jackson Quarry Road between Mason Hill and Helvetia roads. Signs identifying this restriction will be installed soon. Trucks exceeding 30 feet in length must use an alternate route or apply for an oversize truck permit.

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silver Trek 4500 1998

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Year: 1998
Brand: Trek
Model: 4500
Color:silver
Stolen in 97217, OR
Stolen:2013-10-27
Stolen From: New Seasons on N. INTERSTATE
Neighborhood: Piedmont, north Portland
Owner: Ben Yates
OwnerEmail: spencerchamp53(replace with at sign)yahoo.com
Description: silver Trek 4500, dinasaur horn, handle bar light, rear light, bike rack w/basket, coffee holder, no fenders
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Silver w Blue Logo and red front Raleigh M30 2000

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Year: 2000
Brand: Raleigh
Model: M30
Color:Silver w Blue Logo and red front
Size:16″ Ladies
Serial: T99082194
Photo: http://imgur.com/K9Z1p1E
Stolen in Clackamas, OR 97015
Stolen:2013-10-28
Stolen From: North end of Home Depot Parking Lot on SE 82nd Avenue and Johnson Creek Blvd.
Owner: K Lansing
OwnerEmail: thelansings(replace with at sign)comcast.net
Description: Lady’s 16″ Raleigh M30 Main Body is Silver with Blue Raleigh Logo outlined in red. Piece by front wheel is red. Red box cloth pack on rear with my Kleen Kanteen and 2 pair of riding gloves in it 🙁 Has a light on handlebars. The picture is of my husband’s matching bike.
Police record with: Clackamas PD
Police reference#: 13-33033
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

back (red/yellow) Thruster Men’s Fixie Bike 2012

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Year: 2012
Brand: Thruster
Model: Men’s Fixie Bike
Color:back (red/yellow)
Size:700c
Photo: http://i.imgur.com/ppP8ZAD.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2013-10-22
Stolen From: PCC- SE Campus
~ SE 82nd and Division
Parked at the school
Neighborhood: SE Montavilla
Owner: Donald Walters
OwnerEmail: donald.walters1.dw(A T)gmail.com
Description: Front tire is black now, not red. Had a rad pdw back light, lizard skin grips and was missing the back breaks as I had yet to re-run the broke line.
Police record with: Filed report with campus police
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

black raleigh talus 3.0 2012

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Year: 2012
Brand: raleigh
Model: talus 3.0
Color:black
Size:26″
Photo: http://mountain-bikes.findthebest.com/l/3841/2012-Raleigh-Talus-3-0
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2013-10-27
Stolen From: stolen from our garage (private property) on peacock lane and stark st.
Neighborhood: SE Stark (Peacock Lane)
Owner: colin mccarthy
OwnerEmail: cmccarthy8924(AT)gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: Raleigh hardtail mtn bike. COMPLETELY stickered downtube (beer & local portland stickers) crank bros. handle bars, had lights on handlebars and seat post. im assuming the lights are gone but the mounts should still be there. red grips with a black/red cutter seat. please contact me at cmccarthy8924@gmail.com with any information
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Reminder: A Wonk Night tomorrow about bike parking reform

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On-street bike parking downtown-13.jpg

How much is enough?
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A group of believers in low-car real estate development will meet at Lancaster Engineering Tuesday night (tomorrow!) for a free, wonky evening of creating “the manifesto for how we’ll turn Portland into the easiest place in the world to park a bicycle.”
That’s the description from organizer Chris Smith, a citizen activist who serves on the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission and also makes the trains run on time at the Portland Transport blog.

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New route through rail yard could link up North Portland Greenway

The City and Union Pacific Railroad are in talks about
how to connect the NP Greenway path between
Swan Island and lower Albina.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

As the route of the long-planned North Portland Greenway comes before Portland city council this week, there’s a new possibility in the mix that could vastly improve one of the project’s most glaring gaps: the segment between Swan Island and the Eastbank Esplanade.

Union Pacific Railroad and city planners are now looking into a possible “alternative” route through UP’s Albina rail yard that could allow what the npGreenway group described as “car-free access through Lower Albina.” This development comes after Mayor Charlie Hales described on-again, off-again talks between the City and UPRR as “going very well” as of last May. Back then, the Mayor met with UPRR officials to discuss the project.

According to PBOT Active Transportation Division Manager Dan Bower, following that meeting, the president of UPRR committed to finding a solution. Their proposal is to offer the City a 20-foot wide, two mile long piece of land on the east side of the railyard adjacent to N Greeley Ave. The proposal would take path users to Interstate and Russell. Bower says PBOT has done some preliminary designs and cost estimates but they haven’t made any final decisions.

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PBOT reaches 100th bike corral milestone

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Fresh Pot bike parking

The city installed the first on-street bike corral at Fresh Pot on N Mississippi Ave in 2004. Today there are 100 of them throughout the city.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has announced the installation of their 100th on-street bike corral. This milestone comes nine years after the first one was installed in north Portland in 2004. The 100th corral is installed at the New Seasons Market on SE Hawthorne Blvd.

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The Monday Roundup: Glowing bike paths, LeMond’s fury & more

(Image: Pro-Teq)

Before we share the best bike stories from last week, we’d like to share a word from our sponsor: Pedal PT is southeast Portland’s, full-service and bike-friendly physical therapy headquarters with a specialty in bike fit and treatment of cycling injuries. Roll into their indoor bike parking at SE 25th and Clinton (and thank them for supporting BikePortland!).

And now, here are the stories that caught our eyes last week…

Luminous path: “Pitched as an alternative to street lighting, Starpath absorbs and stores energy from UV rays during the day and then releases the energy at night, allowing particles to glow.”

LeMond vs. Armstrong: The only remaining American Tour de France champion lashes out at his supposed successor, calling Armstrong a “thug” who should have been able to place only “top 30 at best” and deserves to go to jail.

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