Southeast Portlanders are mourning the loss of Seven Corners Cycles after owner Corey Cartwright announced he will close the shop by the middle of August. The shop, on SE 21st just north of Powell Blvd, has been in business 22 years. (The name of the shop comes from its first location in the Seven Corners neighborhood around SE 21st and Division.)
Cartwright says he’s curious what else life might have to offer him and that, “I think I’ve begun to feel the effects of 22 years in my brain and in my back!”
In a Facebook post this week Cartwright said he’s sad to be moving on but also excited about what the future holds. He plans to have a progressive liquidation sale to get rid of existing inventory through next month.
Seven Corners was one of those dependable neighborhood shops that people came to love and rely on. Much of that had to do with Cartwright’s fun-loving and familial vibe and the shop dog “Hammy”.
If no one takes over Seven Corners, it will leave a gap in our community in more ways than one. It’s currently the only bike shop in a nearly 1.5-mile stretch between SE 12th and 36th. If you live in the Ladd’s Addition, Richmond, Brooklyn, Woodstock, or Creston-Kenilworth neighborhoods, check out TomCat Bikes (3117 SE Milwaukie), Beezle Bikes (2505 SE 11th), Retrogression (2315 SE 11th), Missing Link (4635 SE Woodstock Blvd), or Cynergy E-Bikes (3608 SE Powell) as alternatives.
And if you’re mad or sad about this news, you can blame it partly on Taylor Swift.
“I’m not sure how it happened, but a handful of years ago I discovered that I was an actual fan of Taylor Swift,” Cartwright wrote on Facebook. “In her monster hit ‘22’, Swift states ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.’ Maybe it’s the fact that our store is approaching twenty two years of business?”
Check out 7-corners.com for info on the liquidation sale.
Students and parents spent more than a year dealing with the complexities of virtual learning during the pandemic. When schools went back to in-person status, families had a lot to adjust to and reconsider – including how to get to-and-from school. Throughout this adjustment period, the Beaverton School District (BSD) has worked to beef up its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program to encourage students and parents to walk, bike, roll or take the bus to school.
BSD is the third largest district in Oregon and serves about 40,000 students at 54 schools. They recently published their 2021-2022 SRTS annual report, which gives us a chance to see how Covid impacted student transportation choices.
The more disappointing news first: just like bus ridership throughout the Portland metro area has fallen significantly throughout the pandemic, so has school bus ridership in the BSD – though not to the same extent. The BSD report says the district saw a “4% decline in bus ridership and a correlating increase in the drive rate to school, placing the average drive rate at 37%.” (By comparison, TriMet has seen almost a 50% decline in bus ridership compared to pre-pandemic rates.)
Mark your calendars!
But it’s not all bad news. Students and parents appear to be more excited than ever about walking and biking to school – in 2015, only 12% of BSD students were walking and biking to school, compared with 20% in 2022.
Overall, the report is optimistic. “Schools that participate in SRTS programs, events, and education are more likely to show positive change in both parent perceptions of walking and rolling and mode shift,” the report says. “We must continue our work with the City of Beaverton and Washington County to advocate for improved conditions on preferred routes to our schools and continue to educate and encourage students and families to find alternatives to driving.”
In addition to infrastructure projects, the BSD SRTS program has taken advantage of parent volunteers to help lead groups of students walking to school (known as walking school buses), which can make it possible for kids to walk to school in areas that may be more challenging for them to navigate alone. They’ve also embarked on several educational programs that have given kids the opportunity to learn about transportation and get involved in their school communities.
One of these educational programs was a student-led anti-idle campaign to encourage parents to turn off their cars when waiting in the carpool line. They also took on a traffic safety campaign to remind neighbors and people driving cars in school zones to slow down and be aware of student commuters.
The Beaverton SRTS program isn’t stopping now. This year, Beaverton schools will receive state funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation to make the program even more robust, particularly through educational programs.
And even though school is now out for summer, students can participate in a free “summer bike rodeos” being offered six times throughout June, July and August. The program will teach kids how to ride, offer repair services, and provide free lunch and free helmets to students in need.
Will Cortez (second from left in white shirt) and other members of BikePOC PNW after receiving an Alice Award from The Street Trust in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Racing bikes and riding them for fun over rough terrain and long distances can be a very expensive endeavor. In most cities, including Portland, the racing and serious riding scene is also dominated by white people. Those two factors erect significant barriers for Black and other people of color who love bikes and want to get more into the sport, but often feel unwelcome to join the club or simply don’t have the best gear to succeed.
HiFi Sound Cycling Components, an east Portland-based company founded in 2013, recognized these barriers and has stepped up to do something about it.
This week we learned HiFi won $10,000 through Prosper Portland’s Inspiring Diversity Grant program. The company then added another $5,000 in-kind donation and plans to give all the funds to local riding group BikePOC PNW.
“We’re not being tokenized. HiFi isn’t using us for their own purposes. It’s not an extractive relationship. They let us craft what this partnership looks like.”
– Will Cortez, BikePOC PNW
BikePOC PNW formed in early 2021 as a response to the national reckoning around racial justice that followed the police killing George Floyd. The group provides a safe space for Black, Indigenous and people of color to ride together, explore their cycling potential, and create community.
BikePOC PNW’s relationship with HiFi started last year when the company set them up with bikes, and heavy discounts on their popular wheelsets and other components.
According to BikePOC PNW leader Will Cortez, this $15,000 in funding will allow them to upgrade the bike library, host a series of off-road cycling clinics, cover race registration fees, purchase club jerseys, and more.
For Cortez, the support from HiFi isn’t about the money. “Take away the gear and racing and events, and this is about people.” In a conversation with Cortez today, he said the funding will also be used to pay for trauma healing courses for people in the club who need it.
Cortez said he believes HiFi is an outlier in the local bike racing community when it comes to walking the talk around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We’re not being tokenized. HiFi isn’t tooting their own horn and using us for their own purposes. They’ve been a silent partner. They let us craft what this partnership looks like,” he said.
Too often when a company makes a diversity pledge, they either do nothing or they expect Black and Brown people to do all the work. That’s a red flag for Cortez. With HiFi, he said “It’s not an extractive relationship.”
HiFi has also used its industry connections to advocate on behalf of BIPOC racers, using the confidence and awareness they’ve gained through their relationship with BikePOC PNW.
While Cortez applauded HiFi’s approach, he said they’re outliers in a community where Black and Brown riders face challenges.
“I was emotionally exhausted,” Cortez said about his experience on the OBRA DEI committee. “It was very labor intensive. There was an expectation that the Black and Brown co-chair would lead the work, but the work was never defined and it seemed like an afterthought,” he said. Cortez appreciates that HiFi is being proactive instead of just sitting back and waiting for things to change.
HiFi Cyclocross Team Manager Erin Lolich said she’s enjoyed working with BikePOC PNW. “It’s an amazing group of brilliant, talented, fun-loving people on bikes. What could be better?” She called the funding and other support, “A small, very important step toward deconstructing white supremacy in the Portland cycling community.”
Skid Vicious (Kris Mahoney-Watson) demands attention during Scene Two which took place at Irving Park. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Event poster
Of the many creations inspired by Pedalpalooza over the years, perhaps none is more special than Bike Play.
The event/ride is an original play written for Pedalpalooza that includes professional acting, multiple scenes, and original song and dance numbers. The stages are parks, parking lots, and other public spaces and the audience rides alongside the actors to each one. There are no tickets and everyone is welcome.
This is the 13th year of Bike Play, and Thursday night a huge crowd enjoyed every minute of it.
Created by The Working Theater Collective under the direction of Ashley Hollingshead, this year’s play was titled Beyond Velodrome: PDX Drift. The entire cast helped write the play and rehearsed four days a week since March. After seeing last night’s show, their hard work has clearly paid off.
The setting was a post-apocalyptic Portland in the “Pacific Northwasteland” that had suffered a mass inflation event.
The first of five scenes was staged at Capitalism Fountain outside the ruins of Lloyd Center Mall on Northeast Multnomah and 9th. The sculpture was an apt backdrop for the drama that would unfold.
Director Ashley Hollingshead introduces the play in front of Capitalism Fountain.Scott Weidlich (Announcer and Tom Cruiser) and the crowd.Riding to Scene Two.Scene Two at Irving Park.Yohhei Sato (Dwayne U-Lock Johnson) and Kris Mahoney-Watson (Skid Vicious).
Announcer Scott Weidlich (who also played Tom Cruiser) set the scene by describing that the Portland as we know it had died because people became too enamored with stuff. “The more they had, the more they worshiped at the beacon of commerce,” Weidlich pronounced to the huge crowd.
“Into the silence came bicycle gangs. They were ruthless, and they survived.”
“Into the silence came bicycle gangs,” he continued. “They were ruthless, and they survived.”
The Broken Spokes were the toughest gang in town. When a Stranger (played by Hans Ellis) showed up searching for community and a long lost Brooks saddle that was owned by his dead father, he finds more than he bargained for.
Alongside his bike named “Hermes,” the Stranger saves eventual love interest Schwinnona Rider (played by Lindsay Liden) from a rival gang and decides he wants to become a Broken Spoke himself. But he must first survive the “Rite of Rituals” and navigate a series of trials as well as relationships with friends and enemies.
One of the trials is a bike race that takes place in a parking lot off Northeast Tillamook and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The way they depicted the action was brilliant. The actors stood in place (without bikes, see photo below) as if they were astride their bikes in a peloton. The announcer gave a play-by-play as the drama ensued. At points of high tension between the Stranger and his arch rival, Racer X (played by Brett Hamann), the announcer and actors went into slow-motion mode and hilarity ensued.
Hans Ellis and Emilie Landmann (Fixie Mattel)The race scene was genius!Scene ThreeScene Four at Harriet Tubman Middle SchoolThe Disney-esque duet by Hans Ellis and Lindsay Liden was a joy.Riding to Scene Five.Scene Five on top of Lloyd Center Mall parking lot roof.The Stranger and Racer X duel!A lightsaber-esque fight using bike pumps.“He’s not worth it!” Kris Mahoney-Watson as Skid Vicious.
During a scene played at Harriet Tubman Middle School, there was a delightfully choreographed dance to The Weeknd’s hit song Blinding Lights. One of my favorite moments was a campy yet very sweet duet sung by the Stranger and Schwinnona Rider.
And if you love puns, you are in for a treat. The script was full of Portland and bike-related jokes. Cycle Angelo (Hayley Hessler) described one of the characters as being, “Like a voracious racoon rummaging through a Laughing Planet dumpster.” And when The Stranger showed up at the gang’s secret hideout and said, “I come in peace,” a suspicious Dwayne “U-Lock” Johnson (Yohhei Sato) replied, “Bikely story.”
For the final scene we returned to Lloyd Center. As the sun set over the West Hills, the crowd settled on the roof of a parking lot to watch the resolution.
Did the Broken Spokes survive an internal rift with Skid Vicious (played by Kris Mahoney-Watson)? What secret was Racer X hiding? Was the gang being sabotaged from within by Cycle Angelo (Hayley Hessler), the mechanic Fixie Mattel (Emilie Landmann) or Dwayne “U-Lock” Johnson (Yohhei Sato)?
You’ll have to see it yourself to find out.
I cannot recommend this enough! The script is brilliant and the performances were heartfelt and on-point. Bike Play 13 runs for three more nights, June 17th, 18th and 19th. Get the details on our calendar. For updates, follow Bike Play on Instagram.
If you appreciate the amazing work of these artists, consider supporting them via Venmo @bike-play.
The cast from left to right: Emilie Landmann (Fixie Mattel), Kris Mahoney-Watson (Skid Vicious), Scott Weidlich (Announcer and Tom Cruiser), Hans Ellis (The Stranger), Linsday Liden (Schwinnona Rider), Brett Hamann (Racer X), Yohhei Sato (Dwayne “U-Lock” Johnson), Hayley Hessler (Cycle Angelo).
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Since 2018, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has been developing a comprehensive plan for how to improve safety, access, and transit along 122nd Avenue between NE Marine Drive and SE Foster Road. A draft plan is now available for review.
You can find the plan draft on the project website, and there is also an opportunity to provide comments and feedback through an online survey. The survey will close July 22nd.
The feedback received will be recorded and considered by staff in the development of a final proposed draft plan.
Up until very recently, I wouldn’t have thought this was even something a person could do. I’ve had pretty low faith in my athletic abilities for my entire life – physical activity was just something I kind of brushed aside. I’d bike and walk for practical transportation reasons, but why waste calories by doing more?
However, when I began seriously biking in the last few years – and especially since I moved to Portland last year and subsequently got rid of my car – I underwent a very unexpected metamorphosis. As I racked up miles on my bike, it got easier and more fun to move my muscles, and suddenly I felt strong for the first time in my life. So I signed up for the ride, and yesterday I headed out into the Columbia River Gorge with a group of about 15 other riders. What’s more, I had faith that I’d be able to get it done and even enjoy the process.
I met up with Willy, my friend who had also signed up for the ride, and we headed for the meet-up spot in Gresham via the Springwater Corridor. After we connected with the Pedalpalooza group – headed by the intrepid Shawn Granton of the Urban Adventure League – at the eastern end of the blue line in Gresham, we headed for the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Millions of years of geologic marvels, and here we were: a group of people who like to ride bikes and are lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
This scenic highway links up with Stark Street at the Stark St Bridge across the Sandy River (map), which is where I had my first big jaw-drop moment. In fact, I was so enthralled by the view I missed the rest of the group turning off into the Dabney State Recreation Area for a rest stop, and came to believe they all just managed to get so far ahead of me I’d have no chance of ever seeing them again.
But no worries – we met up shortly after and continued on our way. There was no rush. The weather was perfect, the vegetation remarkably green and the endorphins were kicking in. And we were just there to bike.
After a stop at the Corbett Country Market, where I refueled on caffeine (others sampled the pizza, ribs and beer offerings) we made for the Portland Women’s Forum viewpoint (named for the group of women who bought this property in 1956 and gifted it to the state parks and recreation department for public use).
I felt a little sore from the incline upon our arrival to the lookout spot, and I might’ve opened my mouth to complain if I hadn’t looked up and seen the view, which was so spectacular it was almost hard to look at. The Columbia River twists and turns as far as the eye can see, surrounded by an expanse of tree-covered cliffs, and seeing it from this spot was worth every cycling muscle ache I’ve ever felt in the past and will feel in the future.
The Columbia River Gorge began to form during the Miocene period more than 12 million years ago, when the Cascades emerged from a series of volcanic eruptions. The true geological phenomenon occurred at the end of the Ice Age a mere 12,000 years ago, when the Columbia River flooded and forced its way through the canyon toward the Pacific Ocean, carving out steep canyon walls as it roared through the earth. Looking out at this view, I felt like a part of nature.
Historic Columbia River Hwy en route to Portland Women’s Forum.View of Columbia River from Women’s Forum.Easy ridin’ along waterfall corridor.Amit and the rest of the crew.A short break outside the Corbett Country Market.On the way to Multnomah Falls you’ll pass many smaller waterfalls, like Latourell Falls, pictured here.
Millions of years of geologic marvels, and here we were: a group of people who like to ride bikes and are lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thank goodness that combination works so well.
The Gorge stretches from the confluence of the Columbia and Deschutes rivers to just east of Gresham, and Multnomah Falls is situated pretty close to its western end. The waterfall is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Pacific Northwest for good reason, but people flocking to its beauty in cars have caused problems. This year, the Oregon Department of Transportation has tried to alleviate car traffic congestion and encourage people to use other means of transportation to get to the Gorge by implementing a permit system.
I have nothing to compare it to since this was my first time biking this route, but it appeared to me this permit system is working pretty well. The majority of the ride on the scenic highway was pleasant and very low-car, and while it got busier as we neared the falls, it still felt safe to bike, especially with a group. We could take in the scenery and the sensory experience of flying downhill through lush forests without much fear.
Pausing for a breath after making it to the top of the Vista House on the way home. (Photo: Willy Giambalvo)
One thing about biking up and down hills for dozens of miles: it will make you hungry. When we got to Multnomah Falls, I bought another coffee and an apple turnover. Then I saw one of my fellow cyclists eating a chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream cone, and I kicked myself for rushing to eat the apple turnover before examining all my treat options. But I didn’t dwell on it for too long: I bought an ice cream cone, and a big pretzel to top it off. And why not? I needed the sugar to conquer the ride home.
Most of the people in the Pedalpalooza group were going to camp overnight a little deeper into the Gorge, but Willy and I said goodbye and headed back west while I still had my sugar and coffee buzz. Going home was a little harder (you can’t go downhill both ways) but I put my bike into its lowest gear and fixed my gaze upwards, and we made it through.
All said and done, the trip was almost 70 miles – about 45 miles more than the longest ride I’d done prior to this. I’m proud of myself for this accomplishment, but I want to make it clear that it’s totally feasible and fun to get out into the Gorge from Portland, no car required. At risk of sounding highly corny: you can probably do more than you think. If I can do it, you can too.
From the Black Girls Do Bike Ride, June 2020. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Hey everyone! We hope your Pedalpalooza is everything you dreamed of so far.
Rain is expected Friday, while a lighter drizzle could come Saturday. We recommend watching the news for updates on closures and bridge lifts related to high river water levels. And before you head out for a ride, be sure to check with ride leaders for last-minute changes or cancellations.
Here are our event selections for the coming days, and remember there are many more available on our calendar.
Thursday (tonight!) through Sunday
Bike Play: Beyond Velodrome – 6:00 pm at Capitalism fountain (NE) What happens when to mix summer group bike rides with the fondness for theatrical plays? Bike Play is back for their 13th year, with what promises to be “one for the ages!”. More info here.
Saturday, June 18th
Gorge Ride – 7:00 am to 4:00 pm at Columbia Gorge Discovery Center (The Dalles) One of the most thrilling rides of the year, the Gorge Ride route takes you riding by the always magnificent Columbia Gorge views and some of the must-visit landmarks along the way. It’s 39 miles of absolute wowness. More info here.
Black to Nature – 11:00 am at Dawson Park (N) Not a ride but a walk, Black to Nature explores different educational locations of the city as Black home. Second part of a series of five walks, Saturday’s convocation is to honor ancestors right on the eve of Juneteenth commemoration. More info here.
Beaverton Celebration Ride – 11:00 am at Beaverton Farmers Market Weekend spirit takes also to Beaverton, to a family ride with active transportation advocate Kevin Teater joined by Tina Ricks and Noah Langenwalter. The aim is to “explore bikeable areas around Beaverton and learn how to advocate for safer streets together.” More info here.
Bicycle Kitty Alley Catty – 1:00 pm at Brentwood Park (SE) This event is for folks who are good at gathering clues and love interactive rides. And it’s led by the one and only Maria “Bicycle Kitty” Schur, so what’s not to like? More info here.
PDX Coolness Ride – 2:00 pm at Jamison Square (NW) Do you know what makes Portland, Portland? Join this ride brought to you by the Bike Fun Library to discover or revisit some of the city’s peculiarities—especially cool architecture, hidden art pieces and cool streets. First ride last Wednesday was so good, they had to make a sequel to it! This time the ride will be touring by spots on NW, N and NE of the city. More info here.
Sunday, June 19th
Father’s Day Ride – 10:30 am at Laurelhurst Park (SE) This Sunday, join Armando Luna and friends on an outdoor family celebration of Father’s Day. The occasion will end with the chance to grab some food at the Lucky Lab. More info here.
Black Liberation Ride – 2:30 pm at Irving Park (NE) This ride (see our past coverage here) is back for its 7th edition, this ride commemorates Black Independence Day, known as Juneteenth. The call is for Black and Brown folks to celebrate in solidarity, in a family ride around the city. BikeTown will also be offering free codes as part of the occasion. More info here.
Stay plugged into all the bike and transportation-related events around the region via our comprehensive event calendar.
Aaron at a bike move in 2005. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
A man who friends described as a “shining beacon of hugs and puns” will be remembered with a public group bicycle ride on Sunday, June 26th.
Aaron Proton Tarfman died by suicide on April 29th, but the circumstances surrounding his death were not made public until May 26th.
Aaron was a friend to many people in our community and had been deeply involved in cycling and transportation-related activism for many years. We shared more about Aaron along with photos and remembrances from people who knew him, in a post last month.
This morning his close friend Jay Monk announced that a procession ride for Aaron will take place in southeast Portland later this month.
Here are the details:
Fun-eral Ride Procession for Aaron Proton Tarfman Sunday, June 26th, 5 pm
Springwater Trail at Johnson Creek Blvd
Ride will gather on the Springwater trail west of Johnson Creek Blvd. 5 pm. Dress as you would to attend a funeral. Please refrain from buying anything to attend this ride. Bringing food to share is welcome. Out of respect for our deceased friend, please only bring vegan friendly foods.
If bike riding is prohibitive, folks may meet us at Sellwood Riverfront park.
The ride will end at Sellwood Park. Slow pace over 2.6 miles of mostly flat terrain. Themes for this ride include funeral puns, resilience responses, suicide awareness, personal and collective grief support. Space given to share stories.
This camp on SE Alder would have qualified as a “chop shop” under L.A.’s ordinance. (Photo: Taylor Griggs/BikePortland)
Los Angeles City Council voted 11-3 Tuesday in favor of a new law that would target people who sell and repair used bikes in public without a permit. The ordinance targets bicycle thieves who live outside and critics say it unfairly targets homeless people.
Bicycle “chop shops” are relatively common in Portland. We’ve reported on Portland Police Bureau investigations in the past where known criminals were stripping down stolen bikes into stacks of separate parts in order to profit off the sale of the bikes and/or to anonymize the bikes and prevent them from being recovered by theft victims or police.
But there’s a wide spectrum of bicycle activity in homeless camps. Many people who live on the street rely on bikes to get around. And just like people with houses and garages, they have a right to own more than one bike, to fix them, and to sell them to other people. There’s also the right to remain innocent until proven guilty, which is one reason I didn’t refer to a camp on SE Alder Street as a ‘chop shop’ in a story last month.
When we reported on how tricky this issue is for Portland Police Bureau officers to navigate back in 2013, Sergeant Brian Hughes said, “Just because they’re living outside and have a lot of bikes, doesn’t mean they’re bike thieves. They’re entitled to work on a bike just as much as anyone anywhere else.”
L.A. City Council added language to their ordinance to make sure the law doesn’t catch innocent people, but laws enforced by police against vulnerable people have a way of being abused and unfairly implemented. It’s also worth noting that L.A.’s effort is championed by a politician who ran for office on a platform of removing homeless encampments from public places.
Here’s the salient text of the ordinance:
Except as otherwise stated in this section, no person shall assemble, disassemble, sell, offered to sell distribute, offered to distribute or store the following items on public property within the city: • Five or more bicycle parts • A bicycle frame with the gear cables or brake cables cut • Two or more bicycles with missing bicycle parts; or three or more bicycles.
The prohibitions shall not apply to:
• A person operating under a valid city business license or permit authorizing such activities. • A person in possession of a single bicycle, which is being repaired as a result of malfunction or damage that occurred while a person rode the bicycle on public property. The sole purpose of the repair shall be to restore the bicycle to its operational form and enable the person to resume riding the bicycle.
It also remains to be seen if Portland City Council would ever attempt something like this. Given the politics around homelessness and cycling here, I doubt we’d ever see an attempt at a similar law. But these days it’s not a good idea to predict anything when it comes to complicated issues.
Have you ever fallen for a bike at first sight? Ever seen a bike you instantly loved and wished was yours? Maybe you just got a glimpse as you passed and you’ve kicked yourself ever since for not stopping to make its acquaintance. Did you turn around and go back looking, only to be left with a fleeting memory that haunts your dreams?
I have such a bike stuck in my mind. I was searching for used kid-carrying box bikes, with an impossibly small budget. I recall an old Madsen with a four-seater bucket for $700 that I really wanted, but couldn’t quite afford or seem to justify. (I still wish I had tried that one out: I’m curious how the bike rides differently with the box in back, instead of in front.) I passed on a lot of cargo bikes that could only carry two kids. I skipped over electric bikes that were way out of my price range. Then as I was scrolling through Offer Up, I found this incredible European beauty. At over $1,000 I didn’t think I could swing it, and I have regretted it ever since!
Look at that front box. Two benches. Room for four kids. Benches look easy to remove. Back rack is already installed. The seat and style are gorgeous. It looks like an effortlessly smooth ride. What a beauty! And the description says it folds.
I know. Maybe if we’d met, my dreams would have been dashed. Maybe this bike and I wouldn’t have been a good fit. Maybe it looks better in the photo than in real life. Maybe the image is nice, but the ride isn’t as great as it looks. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
Or, maybe I missed out on the best bike of my life because I didn’t pony up the money when I had the chance!
I’m on the hunt for a new bike. I’ve never ridden another cargo bike besides my first one (a Tom LaBonty-made gem). I love my bike. But like some first loves, we may not be lifetime mates. I’m struggling to pull the weight of four kids and their stuff, so I want to shop around and see if another model will help me out. I’m thinking about the way bike racers buy expensive light-weight frames and components in order to go faster, or the way hikers on the Appalachian trail try to lighten their pack weight to help them on the long journey. I’m not going nearly that far or that fast, but I could use every bit of help that I can get.
Will a lighter cargo bike feel easier to pedal up a hill? (Is there such a thing as a “lighter cargo bike”?) Is a brand-name cargo bike somehow more efficient to pedal? Or am I going to need an e-assist to feel a difference?
I’m still pretty new to this bike scene. I know there’s a bike out there for me. (Or maybe my forever bike is the one I already own, and I should learn to be content with what I have.) But it’s hard for me to shake this bakfiets from my mind. I know it’s out there, somewhere…have you seen it? I’d sure like to meet it in-person, go for a spin, learn its name and make, and see if we’d be good for each other. If you recognize it or are the happy new owner, please leave me a note. I’d love to say hello.
