From the Portland city archives: A tall bike on Union Avenue in 1980

Michael Andersen (Contributor)

1 second ago

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Kickstand included.
(Photo: City of Portland Archives)

Tall bikes look great in sepia, too.

Local freelance reporter and BikePortland friend Lee van der Voo came across the above photo in the City of Portland’s archives and sent it along. It was taken in the parking lot outside the former Winchell’s Donut House at 5601 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard, now home to Geneva’s Shear Perfection barber and beauty salon.

“It’s from 1980, during a PDC project on what was then Union (now MLK),” van der Voo writes.

Here’s a closer look at the same photo:

It’s hard to tell what that is dangling from the handlebars — a lei? A tutu? In any case, it’s nice to know that even in this town, some things never really change.

(And if you happen to know whose bike this is or was, please let us know.)