On Saturday I went out to Portland International Raceway to check out the annual Human Powered Challenge. I ended up catching a bit of the Electric Vehicle races and recumbent sprints. Unfortunately rain dampened spirits just a bit…but not enough to keep the diehard HPVers from competing.
Just want to let you know that I’m taking a few days off and I won’t be around to moderate comments, post stolen bikes, delete spam from the Forums, or return emails until later this week. I’ve post-dated a few stories that will automatically publish over the next few days. Over and out.
[Doug’s new ride.] Like many serious bike racers, Doug Ollerenshaw always dreamed of racing in Europe. Last month he finally got his chance. He traveled to Belgium with his Team Health Net/Maxxis teammates for his first and long-awaited foray into European racing. It was a harsh introduction. His first race, the Trophee des Grimpeurs,was a … Read more
[The newlyweds ontheir new tandem.] Tonight I attended a special event at the Alberta Street Clown House, the wedding of Roadkill Racoon and Reddish Raddish (their real names are Carol Banner and Morgan Nilsen). I have to admit, when I first heard about this I thought it was just another excuse for a party and … Read more
[On location at Tanner Springs Park.] Outdoor sandal and shoe company, Keen Footwear recently moved their headquarters from Northern California to Portland. A few weeks ago I got a call from their ad agency saying they wanted to feature bicycles and someone from the bike community in their upcoming Spring 2007 catalog.
Ira Flowers is a local film producer and daily TriMet user. He hasn’t owned a car for the past 10 years and rides the bus twice a day to and from his office. He recently got in touch to tell me a story about an experience his girlfriend had with a TriMet bus driver:
Cyclist Mike Reuter was the first person to utilize a little-known legal procedure known as the Citizen Initiation of Violation Proceedings. This legal process allows crash victims to take the law into their own hands. It was first brought to light by Portland lawyer Ray Thomas and I posted about it back in January. Back … Read more
MESS is a new magazine from New York City that covers the messenger scene. The zine is written by veteran bike couriers with over 30 years experience riding in the streets of New York, DC, Houston, Minneapolis, and of course Portland. In clicking around their website I noticed a familiar name on the byline of … Read more
[Art Nouveau, Vanilla-style.] Back in November, I posted about a poster that Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles was creating with local artist Dan Gillsdorf. Now that the print is finally done, I’ve been waiting for Sacha’s permission to publish more details. After first offering it to Vanilla owners, he has given me the green light … Read more
Roger Louton, board member of the Portland United Mountain Pedalers and Western Oregon state representative for the International Mountain Bicycling Association, will attend the 2006 IMBA Summit/World Mountain Bike Conference this June in Whistler, BC. According to their website, the Conference, “will be a global gathering of mountain bike advocates, trailbuilders, land managers, tourism professionals, … Read more
A few days ago I was hanging out on my street talking to a neighbor. Suddenly, riding toward me on a strange bike with a huge grin on his face was a friend of mine, known as West Cougar. When he got closer, I noticed the bike was a green Kronan (a Swedish military bike … Read more
[Racing in Mt. Tabor.] The Mt. Tabor Race series is a Portland institution that goes back over 50 years. The 1.3 mile roller-coaster circuit through Mt. Tabor Park is cherished by hundreds of local racers each year for its challenging hills, technical corners, and natural beauty. Event promoter Clark Ritchie has just announced a contest … Read more