Saturday was another gorgeous fall day in Portland so I pulled over while on a ride to shoot some bike rider action portraits — or what I like to call people on bikes. It’s a series I’ve been doing for many years and have shared images from all over the U.S. and beyond.
On Saturday I was out and about working on Highway 43 (story later) and when I was done I stopped at the lower gate of River View Cemetery for a few minutes. Streams of riders came by from every direction. I ran into a few BikePortland fans, which is always fun, and I took advantage of the nice view looking east toward the Sellwood Bridge. It was crawling with cyclists! I decided to pull over just south of the Ross Island Bridge to see what I could capture. The result is an interesting mix of people and their bikes. I love being able to freeze the frame and observe what other folks are riding, how they’re riding it, and what they’re wearing while doing so.
Since this is a carfree path, you’ll notice a lot of fast riders with their colorful kits. What else do you notice? Do any of the riders remind you of yourself? How do these folks differ with who I captured in the first installment of this series in 2011?
If you know of a spot that would be good for this series, let me know! Look back through the People on Bikes archives here.
Browse the photos below…
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Thanks for reading.
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What a great lunch break thought task:
What is ‘different’ now vs 2011…(1) ebikes, (2) tech (carbon, disk brakes, etc.), (3) more China and less Japan / Euro / Chicago Schwinn (gone are those barn find 1970s/ 1980s bike boom bikes that once flooded BikeTown). Nice to see the early 1970s Raleigh 3Speed in the photo album. Interesting to see as few of ebikes (not ~50%) as shown and no Biketown bikes (in fare service or feral / stolen).
Disc brakes were rare in 2011 (and none on the 2011 photos), but over half the bikes on the spread above are not only disc, but hydraulic disc versus mechanical predominates. A lot fewer fenders (likely because the 2011 photos were on a wet street versus 2025 on a dry bike path.) A lot more aluminum and carbon bike frames, not as many steel. More clipless pedals in the 2025 pics.
I noticed the plethora of disc brakes also. I didn’t have them when I first moved to Portland and learned during my first winter that you’ve really gotta have ’em here (I ruined all of my rims in one winter).
What comes across most strongly for me is the sheer diversity of bicycle frame shapes and sizes to accommodate the diversity of PEOPLE shapes and sizes and the many goals they are pursuing (fitness, commuting, errands, kid activities etc).
I’ll bet that if bike infra like Springwater were ubiquitous – like roads for cars today – we’d see even more diversity of users and equipment.
Yes please. Ultimately, separated paths are the holy grail of bike infrastructure. I imagine a situation where every highway railway have an adjacent Springwater or 205 path-esque trail. At least in urbanized areas.
At that time, discs were rare on anything intended for pavement, but commonplace on MTBs.
Love to see it! These kinds of posts/articles are my favorite. Thanks, Jonathan.
Fairly decent helmet usage.
How true, 22 riders wearing helmets correctly covering their temples and forehead, 3 with helmets wearing them like hats, 7 riders without helmets, 32 riders total. In 2011, it was 3 out of 6 riders with helmets were wearing them correctly, plus 3 riders without helmets at all.
I’m the overdressed old guy on the red cannondale. I’m so much slower now I don’t mind riding on the springwater.. in 2011 I rarely rode on dedicated trails.
Lots of dudes, few women (I counted 5), is what I noticed.
Hey I know that person! Love this town.
I see a couple of people who’ve never gotten caught out in sudden weather in the PNW…
Or maybe they know how to read a forecast and the local radar.
Do you always bring everything you might possibly need on every trip?
Thanks! These collections make me happy
I’ve never understood the coat, booties, but no gloves line of thought.
Seems like the no gloves thing has been a fashion for the last 2-3 years, much like beards and huge glasses were before that.
Gloves are easy to take off and stash if you get too hot. Booties and jackets are less easy to take off and stash.
Nice track frame