February 2015 Archives

Weekend Event Guide: Worst Day, Powell, King Kong and more

“Worst” ride, best costumes.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.

Once again it looks like the “Worst Day” ride will have pretty OK weather — but at least there’s no risk of cancellation like last year! There are some great rides this weekend, no matter if you want to get zany or dirty, or just ride fast on beautiful country roads.

Have a great weekend!

Saturday, February 7th

Stub Stewart Park Freeride Trail Work Party – 8:45 am at Park Welcome Center Parking Lot
Join the NW Trail Alliance for this great volunteer opportunity. They’ll supply you with tools and instruction so you can help maintain and shape one of the areas best mountain biking areas. Learn more here.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

We’ve had two great job opportunities listed this week. Check them out via the links below…

Project Coordinator – Swan Island TMA
Mechanic / Sales – Allegro Cyclery (Walla Walla, WA)

Job Title
Mechanic / Sales

Company/Organization
Allegro Cyclery

Job Description
Allegro Cyclery, a full service bicycle shop located in Walla Walla Washington is looking for an experienced mechanic / sales person. This is a full time position that includes Saturday’s; heavy emphasis on road riding with a strong presence of cx and mtb riding. Women and others under-represented in the cycling industry are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply
Please email Michael Austin at mike@allegrocyclery.com, with your resume and/or questions about this position. Position needs to be filled by March 1st, 2015.

High-end MTB found stashed in the bushes: Whose is it? – UPDATED

Nice bike. Whose is it?
(Photo B Smith/PAZ)

Image by the Frontier Group and U.S. PIRG.

When the news went around last year that Helsinki was planning to “make car ownership pointless within 10 years,” it was misread in some quarters as a plan to remove cars completely from the Finnish capital.

No, this isn’t the NW Naito Parkway of your dreams, it’s a rendering of future bike ‘superhighway’ in London.
(Image: Transport for London)

Youth Bike Director Pasqualina Azzarello
speaking at the 2012 National Bike Summit.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

If you think about it, there’s little question about which disenfranchised minority has the most to gain from good bicycling: kids.

A national conference for people interested in the education, advocacy and organizing of young people who are interested in bicycling is about to kick off just up the road from Portland.

The annual Youth Bike Summit has taken place in New York City for the last four years, but this year Seattle will host its first year “on the road.” Portlanders will be presenting on three of this year’s panels: one by publishers/creators Elly Blue and Joe Biel called “Making Change,” and one from the Multnomah Youth Commission called “Youth Advocacy Initiatives: Transit Justice through Youth Organizing” and one by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and MYC called “Getting What You Want: Advocate.”

The City of Portland is sending Janis McDonald as a representative of their Safe Routes to Schools program.

Cycle Oregon Ride Director Steve Schulz at tonight’s route announcement/kickoff party.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

Cycle Oregon kicked off their 2015 season with a big party at the Portland Art Museum tonight. Hundreds turned out for the bike lovers’ version of an Apple product launch to learn where the 28th edition of the ride will venture this year.

Slower.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is ordering slower traffic speeds on four streets, three of which have recently been redesigned to be more neighborhood-friendly.

The four are Southwest Vermont Street from Capitol Highway to SW 45th near Gabriel Park, which will go from 35 to 30 mph; SW Multnomah Boulevard from Interstate 5 to SW 31st, going from 45 to 35 mph; NE Glisan Street from 27th to 79th, going from 35 to 30 mph; and NE/SE 47th Avenue from NE Tillamook to SE Oak, going from 30 to 25 mph.

All four streets have bike lanes for some or all of those segments.

Newness on NE 7th.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has finished some striping and marking work on NE 7th in the Lloyd District.

As we shared in our first report on this project back in September, this street is a key connector for bicycling between the Lloyd District (and NE Multnomah protected bike lane) and the NE Tillamook bicycle boulevard. This project was aimed at improving the bicycling environment by giving riders dedicated space and reinforcing a shared street environment.

In the southbound direction, the new markings begin just south of NE Schulyer. It begins as a standard bike lane and then half-way through the block (right at Les Schwab Tire Center driveway) the bike lane ends and a shared right-turn lane begins (marked by alternating sharrows and turn arrows).

“My notion and hope is that there is some bicycle whisperer, bike shop dude, or cycling samaritan out there.”

Today’s Ask BikePortland question comes from a reader who is looking for a very specific kind of help. This is a bit different than our usual fare for this column. Instead of just trying to answer the question, we plan to forward tips and offers to help onto the reader (a woman who has asked to remain anonymous).

Here’s the email that includes the question and request for help:

Subject: Need an Awesome Pedaling Guru for Awesome 18-year old ASD son

Read more

Chris King’s ‘Gourmet Century’ will serve fans in Japan this summer

The event stopped at Chris King’s rural residence in 2013.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

Portland’s burgeoning bicycling relationship with Japan will now include a few great meals.

Chris King Precision Components, a manufacturer of headsets, hubs, bicycles, and other parts based in the northwest industrial district, has announced that their annual Gourmet Century event will venture to Japan for the first time ever.

The event, which started in 1999 in Santa Ynez, California, has expanded to five cities in 2015. The company announced yesterday that Aichi, Japan (June 6th) and Asheville, North Carolina (August 22nd) are the two new locations.

As we shared after taking part in the 2013 edition, the Gourmet Century is part bike ride, part traveling feast. Participants pedal a “pleasantly challenging” route that works up an appetite. Then they’re treated to fine snacks and meals of fresh, gourmet food dreamed up by professional chefs specifically to satisfy a bicycling appetite.

Weekend Event Guide: Worst Day, Powell, King Kong and more

Saturday, February 7th

Jobs of the Week: Swan Island TMA and Allegro Cyclery

Job: Mechanic / Sales – Allegro Cyclery (Walla Walla, WA)

High-end MTB found stashed in the bushes: Whose is it? – UPDATED

Portland should be inspired by London’s ‘cycle superhighway’

Youth Bike Summit will bring Portlanders to Seattle next week

Cycle Oregon is going to Hell

City preps to cut speed limit on four mid-sized streets

First Look: New bike lane, sharrows on NE 7th

Ask BikePortland: Who can teach my autistic teen how to ride?

Chris King’s ‘Gourmet Century’ will serve fans in Japan this summer

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From the Archives

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