Month: January 2017

New West Side MTB and Road Race Team: Riders Wanted!

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

I am glad to announce that Bethany Bike Repair and MTBPDX.com have joined forces to start a bike racing team on the west side of the Portland Metro. For 2017 the Team will be focused on building a community of cyclists in that area.

What we are offering:
A cycling community on the west side; including group rides from the shop and people to learn and race with
Shop discounts and clinics
Coaching resources and discounts

The team, Bethany Bike Repair presented by MTBPDX.com, will be having a team kick off and cycling kit sizing party at Bethany Bike Repair on February 8th at 6 pm. After we try on kits, we will have a short social at the Bethany Public House. Anyone interested in learning about the team and/or ordering a team cycling kit is welcome to join.

When: February 8th at 6 pm
Where: Bethany Bike Repair in Bethany Village Centre
15320 NW Central Drive, Suite D3
Portland, OR 97229

For more Info Contact:
Juston Manville
Juston.manville@mtbpdx.com
503.867.7652
Or
Martin Acosta
Info@bethanybikerepair.com
503-840-5348

ODOT will install new bike path in location where Martin Greenough died

NE Lombard at 42nd -8.jpg

Where the bike lane ends.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Martin Greenough died on December 12th 2015 after being hit by a reckless driver on NE Lombard. Greenough was struck in a notoriously dangerous spot where the road narrows and the bike lane abruptly disappears — forcing bicycle users to share a lane with vehicles that regularly travel 50 mph.

In light of Greenough’s death, the Oregon Department of Transportation will fill that deadly bike lane gap.

By this summer (at the latest) there will be a new bike path in the eastbound direction of NE Lombard Street where it goes under NE 42nd Avenue. According to ODOT the path will be 450-feet long and six-feet wide. It will be constructed off the highway and will go behind existing guardrails and columns that support an overpass. Here’s the official statement from ODOT:

Read more

Ted’s Video Roundup: Vision Zero 101, cycling anime, LA gravel, and more

Welcome to my mostly-weekly video roundup! Today seems as good as any other day to watch bike videos. Right? I’ve watched about 100 bike videos this week so I can share the best with you.

We’re starting on a safety/wonky/political note this week- a fantastic overview of Vision Zero. Watch the first 40 seconds for this: “mobility is a basic human right. No one should have to risk their life to get to work, to go shopping, or to go out with a friend.” While talking about systematic safety, “we’re human, a system that is safe only if people don’t make mistakes is not a system that is made for humans.”

Read more

Weekend Event Guide: Protests, a protest ride, a bike parts bike move, and more

Occupy Portland March-9

Two major protests should make for an interesting weekend. The photo above is from the Occupy Portland March in October 2011.
(Photos: J Maus/BikePortland)

These are trying times.

The changes in Washington D.C. are rippling through the country and every city is reacting to them in its own way. Here in Portland thousands of people will take the streets this weekend to express their outrage and/or support for a myriad of issues.

And, like we always do here in Portland, many will roll into the streets on a bicycle.

Whether you intend to use your bike as a tool for activism or a tool of fun — or both! — we’ve got the details on a few events you won’t want to miss this weekend…

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Winter Weather Boost for Local Biz!

Black Wagon and friends have organized a number of small businesses (Kenton Cycle Repair!) across industries, to offer:

10% discounts on gift certificate purchases made thru January 31st, 2017

This 2016-17 Winter Weather has had a significantly negative impact on our small business community.

It is our hope that the greater Portland Community, who has always been a great lover and supporter of their small business community, enjoys the opportunity to save a little at some of their favorite businesses, while lending a huge support to Portland’s businesses and economy!

Participating businesses and more information here! http://blackwagon.com/wordpress/?p=3457

This Portland nonprofit provides special tricycles for people with special needs

These “therapeutic tricycles” can change lives — but not everyone can afford one.
(Photos courtesy Portland AMBUCs)

It’s often assumed that cycling is only something that strong and athletic people can do. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Not only do people with all types of different abilities enjoy cycling, they do it on all types of bicycles. But for many of them, the barrier to bicycling isn’t physical, it’s financial.

Now there’s a Portland-based nonprofit that’s putting a dent in that problem by raising money to buy “therapeutic tricycles” for people who are unable to ride two-wheeled bikes.

Read more

Mudslide on Springwater

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

A mudslide is blocking the Springwater Corridor just south of the Ross Island Bridge, Wednesday morning. Of course, no one had plowed the corridor.

City survey: Biketown’s 38,000 riders have boosted economy, reduced car trips since launch

Infographic of Biketown survey released by PBOT this morning.

160,000 trips, 38,000 individual riders and over 312,000 miles ridden since July of last year. Those are just some of the results from a survey about the Biketown bike share system released by the Portland Bureau of Transportation this morning.

In addition to solid usage numbers, the city claims the bikes have boosted business and have helped keep cars off the roads.

Overall it’s more great news for PBOT and the promises that were made for years about bike share.

Here’s the full statement with more results from the survey:

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Bike shop owners tell tales of survival during ‘most miserable’ winter

Snow and ice storms made an already challenging time of the year even more difficult.
(Photo: 21st Avenue Bicycles)

It’s official: According to The Weather Channel, Portland’s winter has been “the most miserable” in the nation. The nearly complete shutdown of our city has been tough for many people. For small business owners, the lack of accessibility has led to some very lonely days.

Roads covered in ice and snow (and now slush) have led to a lack of stock on the shelves and — most importantly — a lack of customers coming through the doors.

Bikes shops are run on passion not profits and these storms added insult to injury because December and January are already the toughest months to survive.

Here’s what several local bike shop owners had to say when asked about how the weather has impacted their business:

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Can Ikea’s “Sladda” bike bridge the bike-shop-or-big-box gap?

One of the barriers to more cycling in America seems simple: More than 100 years after bikes ruled our nation’s roads, we still don’t have access to a bike with the right mix of features, design, quality, pricing and availability that could spur a real revolution. For years Americans have had to choose between bikes from bike shops (more expensive, higher quality, harder to find) or bikes from big box retailers like Target or WalMart (cheaper, terrible quality, available everywhere).

Ikea’s “Sladda” — which just became available to U.S. customers — could bridge that gap.

Read more

Latest Headlines

Oregon Republicans want to repeal the ‘Bicycle Bill,’ gut spending on rail and transit

State transportation bill out on Monday: Here are a few things to keep in mind

Weekend Event Guide: Prom, parade, pupusas, and more

Vancouver police commandeer bikes to chase suspect on Burnt Bridge Creek path

From the Archives

Oregon’s rogue freight advisory committee might have finally overstepped