Here are the bike links from around the world that caught our eyes this week:
Worst road rage ever: After a man on a bike confronted a man in a car who he felt had buzzed him, the man in the car allegedly pulled a semiautomatic handgun on him and opened fire as he drove away. Yes, this was in Florida.
Bikes on trains: Amtrak is testing a new baggage car that can secure unboxed bicycles.
It’s that time again … when you realize that Pedalpalooza is almost over for the year and you’d better savor its final week. Here are a few highlights of bike fun from the seven days to come.
What’s it like to drive a bus in a city full of bikes?
The first commenter we’re highlighting in our new weekly feature, TriMet bus operator Dan Christensen, explained a little bit of the experience beneath our post this week about an alleged bike-bus collision at a Milwaukie bus stop.
A man driving a truck along SW Murray Road in Beaverton yesterday thought it’d fun to harass a group of bike riders; but he got more than he bargained for.
According to a Reddit user named “Scolgan”, the man driving the truck pulled close the riders and then as he pulled away, “he really got on the gas and covered them in a big black cloud of diesel exhaust.” What he didn’t know is that one of the people on bikes was an off-duty Washington County Sheriff deputy.
Here’s more from Scolgan:
It’s a sad fact that too many people are killed while walking on Portland streets. Despite having some of the safest roads in the country, we still lose too many of our fellow citizens this way. Recently, these troubling tragedies have caused advocates to sound the alarm and local electeds to use “improving pedestrian safety” as a rallying cry in their effort to raise new local transportation revenue.
Another way our city has reacted is with a new marketing campaign aimed at addressing some of the root causes of these collisions: speed and road user behavior. The other day I cam across a new promotional ad created by PBOT with the goal of getting people to slow down and be more aware when using the streets.
The main title of the piece is “Put the brakes on: This is why drivers should slow down.” The ad also shares the infamous “speed kills” graphic that lays out how an even 10 mph difference can mean life or death. The bulk of the piece focused on tips for walkers — with a list of seven tips translated into eight different languages.
Sharon White, a traffic safety specialist at PBOT who works on the High Crash Corridor program (among other things), said the “Put the brakes on Pedestrian Deaths” ad campaign is being inserted into high school newspapers. Specifically, PBOT has placed the graphic in two schools located close to SE Powell Blvd, one of the most dangerous streets in Portland: the Franklin High School Post and the Cleveland High School Clarion.
Though the flow of gawkers from other city governments to Portland may have ebbed a bit, our city still draws its share of leaders from around the country to see our streets in action.
But next month, Cycle Oregon is turning that tradition on its head: at the suggestion of Portland Bicycle Planning Coordinator Roger Geller, it’s bringing the mayor of Indianapolis on its 10th annual Policymakers’ Ride (a.k.a. the Visionary Voyage), so one of the country’s bike-friendliest mayors can offer insights to his counterparts here in Portland.
What is it about dogs and bikes? Is there a reason that what some people consider America’s best city for biking is also ranked as the best city for dogs?
This week we had two job opportunities come in from north of the border. If you’re looking for a change in scenery and wouldn’t mind a bike job in Seattle or Longview, Washington, check out the listings below…
Part of our new series of guest posts: America’s Next Bicycle Capital. This week’s guest writer is Kari Schlosshauer of Safe Routes to School Pacific Northwest.
After living in Copenhagen, I moved to Portland because it would be the place in the United States with the greatest opportunity to bicycle calmly, safely, and in good company. I had a bit of a shock when I got here: I realized right away that there was so much still to do.
But it is possible.
Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.
With that crazy hail and rain storm behind us, it’s looking like nothing but blue skies this weekend. And that’s good news because there are lots of reasons to be out in it on your bike.
As per usual this month we’re devoting separate posts to Pedalpalooza events so take a look at our latest ride picks and stay tuned here on the Front Page (or follow us on Twitter) for our next preview that will publish Saturday morning.
For now, here’s our selection of the best (non-Pedalpalooza) events of the weekend…
Job Title
Bicycle Mechanic/Sales
Company/Organization
Canyonview Cyclery
Job Description
Canyonview Cyclery in Longview, WA is seeking a knowledgeable and experienced cycling professional to add to our team. You must have at least 2 years bicycle shop experience. The open position is for a full or part-time seasonal bicycle mechanic. UBI or other certification preferred but not required.
We offer a generous employee purchase program.
Pay depends on experience.
Duties Include:
– New Bicycle Assembly
– Service Estimating
– Bicycle Repair (Tune-ups, Hydraulic Brakes & Suspension)
– Customer Service/Sales
What SW Washington offers:
– World Class Mountain Biking
– Conveniently located 45 miles from Portland
– Less than 70 miles from both Seaside and Longbeach
Canyonview Cyclery is a full service, locally owned bicycle shop. We feature Pivot, Raleigh, Norco, and Sun bicycles.
How to Apply
If you are interested and meet the qualifications please email a cover letter and resumé to Mark at canyonviewcyclery@gmail.com.
Yesterday just after 3:00 pm a man was struck while bicycling on the shoulder of Highway 26 about seven miles east of Sandy (at the bottom of Cherryville Hill, map).
According to an Oregon State Police statement, the collision involved Irma Swearengen, an 80-year-old woman who was driving a 1998 Pymouth Voyager mini-van and Kennedy Salveter, a 20-year-old man who was riding a triathlon bike. Both of them live in Sandy.