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Year: 2013

‘Freak Bike Fall’ starts tomorrow

See larger version of flyer here.

“Freak Bike Fall” kicks off tomorrow night with alley cat races and the monthly Dropout Bike Club ride. Then on Saturday there’s a big Freak-Cross Race which is followed by a BBQ and live music. A hearty Zoobomb or three will wrap things up on Sunday night.

For more info on the what’s in store, check out the event website.

What exactly is a freak bike? It probably depends on who you ask. To me, it’s a bike that has been hacked/welded/put together by its owner to create something out of the ordinary. They often take the form of a tall bike — but as you can see by the photos below, tall bikes are just the tip of the freak bike iceberg.

In honor of this weekend’s event, I thought I’d share a few Portland freak bike photos from through the years. I love these bikes and the people who build them! They are true expressions of playful ingenuity and they show vast amounts of creativity and skill…

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E-bike news roundup: Seminar at PSU, Bike N’ Hike pilot program, and more

Currie IZIP’s will be part of an e-bike-at-work
program at Kaiser.

E-bikes are here to stay. We don’t have sales figures for Portland, but my hunch (based on how many I see around town) is that there popularity is increasing. Beyond more people buying them, Portland happens to be a hotbed of e-bike innovation and industry (surprise, surprise). On that note, check out a few bits of e-bike news that have landed in the newsroom in the past few weeks…

Bike N’ Hike partners with Kaiser and Drive Oregon for e-bike pilot program

Local bike retailer Bike N’ Hike has teamed up with the non-profit Drive Oregon to supply 32 Currie IZIP E3 compact e-bikes to employees of Kaiser Permanente. 180 employees are part of the program and the bikes will be placed at three designated sites at local Kaiser campuses. The bikes and how they’re used will be monitored and analyzed by the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), which is based at Portland State University.

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black/bright green Cannondale Road Woman’s synapse 2011

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2011
Brand: Cannondale Road
Model: Woman’s synapse
Color:black/bright green
Size:48 cm
Serial: qm72088
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2013-10-10
Stolen From: 1255 NW 9th ave (NW 9th and Northrup)
Neighborhood: Pearl
Owner: Kate Piper
OwnerEmail: kathryn.c.piper( atsign )gmail.com
Description: white handle bar tape, rear fender, rear rack with OR marriage equality sticker and catholic saint sticker
Police record with: PPD

Black Fuji Tahoe Comp 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Fuji
Model: Tahoe Comp
Color:Black
Size:Medium
Serial: gt467m3
Photo: http://www.performancebike.com/images/performance/products/large/30-2107-BLK-SIDE.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97233
Stolen:2013-09-25
Stolen From: It was taken on the old Morrison bridge loop between naito and 1st.
Neighborhood: Downtown Portland
Owner: Don Oswald
OwnerEmail: dynamo057(A T)gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: It is a stock Fuji Tahoe Comp with 29″ tires. I had a set of quick-release fenders on it although they may not be on it now. One distinguishing characteristic is the bash-guard in place of the large sprocket in front. I also put business cards inside the frame with my name on them from Aboy Plumbing.
Police record with: PPD
Police reference#: 13-81153
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

ODOT challenges Oregonians to ‘Drive Less’

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Ready. Go!

The Oregon Department of Transportation has stepped up to join a promotional campaign aimed at encouraging Oregonians to drive less. For the first time since the state-funded Drive Less Save More marketing program started in 2006, the effort will be statewide this year. Past campaigns have only focused on the Portland region, but in a statement today, ODOT said they’re spearheading the week-long Drive Less Challenge, “as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage alternative transportation to reduce congestion.”

The Drive Less Challenge starts October 21st and runs through November 1st. In those 12 days, ODOT has set a goal of eliminating 500,000 vehicle miles traveled.

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Want to name that bridge? Now’s your chance

TriMet's yet-to-be-named bridge

TriMet’s new bridge is shaping up, but it still needs a name.
(Concept drawing)

All joking aside, what is that new Willamette River bridge going to be called? Starting this morning, the citizens’ committee appointed to decide is asking for ideas.

In construction for more than a year, the new cable-stay bridge is being built by TriMet as part of its Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project. The agency says it’ll be the only one in the country to carry buses, trains, emergency vehicles, and people on bike, foot or skate, but no private cars. It’ll connect the fast-developing Southeast Division Street area with the South Waterfront.

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Black Bob 2004

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2004
Brand: Bob
Color:Black
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-10-12
Stolen From: Front porch of house on SE 58th near Holgate.
Neighborhood: Foster/Kenilworth
Owner: Bill Wilder
OwnerEmail: wildmountains( atsign )gmail.com
Description: Black Bob bicycle trailer.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: waiting report appoval
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Black Specialized Tricross 2012

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2012
Brand: Specialized
Model: Tricross
Color:Black
Size:53cm
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-10-16
Stolen From: Stolen from our house as 3001 SE 62nd Ave.
Neighborhood: South Tabor
Owner: Samantha Charles
OwnerEmail: sampcharles50(replace with at sign)hotmail.com
Reward: $200
Description: This was a new all black tricross bike. It has dropped handle bars, a new saddle, fenders and a rack that was scratched up a bit.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13010585
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Latest Columbia River Crossing proposal scales back bike facilities (updated)

Current bike infrastructure on much of Hayden
Island: signs and sidewalks.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Even for the many Portland-area residents who ride bikes but aren’t inclined to object to expensive urban freeway expansions, the Columbia River Crossing has always had one small thing going for it: it’d widen the Vancouver-Portland bike crossing and simplify the maze of trails required to reach it.

With pro-CRC lobbyists hastily re-gathering votes for a possible Oregon-funded version of the project, it looks like the bike facilities are being scaled back.

During its years of planning and outreach, one of the features of the Columbia River Crossing concept was a shared-use path through Hayden Island that would put bike traffic at a different height (or “grade”) from auto traffic. A Sept. 25 memo (PDF) from the CRC’s environmental manager, however, shows that the new “phased” project would save money by indefinitely postponing the grade separation and sending bike and foot traffic through “at-grade intersections on Hayden Island.”

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ODOT unveils plans for major changes to Kenton-PIR-Delta Park connection

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Detail of ODOT plans for a new bike path
adjacent to Denver Ave.
(ODOT)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is entering the design phase of a project that will bring major changes to bicycling conditions between the Kenton neighborhood, N Denver Ave, and connections to Schmeer Road and Portland International Raceway (PIR).

On the project website, ODOT says the changes come from issues with traveling in the area that were first identified through a study completed during their I-5 Delta Park Project in 2006. That study, says ODOT, “pointed out multiple safety and operational concerns along the Denver Avenue corridor, including poor sight lines for drivers, deficient turning movements, gaps in bicycle/pedestrian paths, and the poor conditions of the Denver Avenue bridge decks and railings.” ODOT won $2.5 million for the estimated $4 million project through the 2012-2015 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program.

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Outer southeast Springwater Corridor path closure notice

See below for info and detour maps just sent to us from PGE:

Notice of Trail Closure along the Springwater Trail

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28th, 2013, Portland General Electric will begin work along the Springwater Trail between SW Pleasant Valley View Dr. and SE Circle Ave. to improve service reliability in the area. This activity is expected to continue for eight days (excluding Saturday and Sunday), ending at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6th.

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