[Joseph Ahearne, Ahearne Cycles] When I walked through the door of Joseph Ahearne’s new shop in North Portland, he didn’t even look up. Hunched over and deep in concentration, he gazed into a white-hot flame and danced around a frame clasped into the stand; constantly tweaking it to get just the right angle for his … Read more
[A truck full of Dutch cargobikes bound for Portland!] Todd “Cleverchimp” Fahrner and Dean “Bakfiets” Mullin have just returned from a top secret European foray where they did some business networking and researched the inside dope on city and cargo bikes. They’re gaining steam for their Clever Cycles business and they’re anxiously awaiting their first … Read more
[League Director Andy Clarke (R)rides with BTA Director EvanManvel in Vancouver, WA last year.] League of American Bicyclists Executive Director Andy Clarke will attend the upcoming Oregon Bicycle Tourism Summit planned for April 13-14th in Sisters, Oregon. Summit organizer Jerry Norquist — who confirmed Clarke’s attendance — said Clarke will share insights and inspirations from … Read more
[*Update: Please read this comment for my mea culpa on this post.] [Photo of IKEA Netherlands, courtesyEvan Manvel/BTA] As I first reported over a year ago, retail giant IKEA will soon have a Portland location. I’m already looking forward to their tasty Swedish meatballs, lingonberry jam, and 75 bike racks they plan to install, but … Read more
The effort to create a new velodrome facility for track racing in Portland continues to the pick up steam. After reading my article last Tuesday, Boaz Herzog from the Oregonian filed a similar story that made the front page of today’s Sports section. Organizers behind the velodrome effort are setting up a website, gathering pledges … Read more
I got my December issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News yesterday. Each time it comes the first thing I do is make a quick scan for any Portland-specific news. This month it seemed like Portland was on every other page…so I figured I’d do a quick round-up. The stories aren’t available online and it’s … Read more
[The Ace Hotel is coming and they’re bringing Dutch bikes with them.] The Ace Hotel — Seattle’s “leading design hotel” — is set to open in Portland on January 30th of next year. I confirmed today with jorg&olif CEO Rob MacDonald that he is partnering up with the hotel to have a standing fleet of … Read more
[Photo from 2007 Chris King Calendar] Portland-based Chris King Components has developed an exceptional reputation for their world-class headsets and hubs. But far beyond just bike parts, the company brings thoughtful excellence to everything they do. Their annual calendar is no exception. The 2007 edition features the work of photographic artist and Hood River resident … Read more
Today at City Council, Commissioner Sam Adams proposed an amendment to the city budget that would allocate $100,000 in seed money for a “Tour de Portland” style stage race.
[Ira Ryan at the 2006 Made in Portland Bike Show] A UK-based website called thewashingmachinepost has published a nice interview with Ira Ryan. Ira is an up-and-coming local bike builder and former messenger who recently launched Ira Ryan Cycles, located in the basement of Weir’s Cyclery in North Portland. Check out the interview. If you … Read more
[The Aerorider]Photo: Ready to Ride Flexcars are everywhere in Portland. So are bikes. So why not have Flexbikes? I’m not talking about a snazzy, European style bike-rental program (like the one being discussed by Commissioner Sam’s office), I’m talking about pedal-powered vehicles that you’d rent when your regular, everyday bike just won’t cut it. Portland … Read more
[Greg Cowan, president of Castelli USA in their warehouse in downtownPortland.] The Castelli name may not be as well-known as legendary bike racing heroes like Fausto Coppi or Gino Bartali, but their histories are forever intertwined. Back in the 1940s, Armando Castelli stitched clothing for both men. When Coppi demanded something different — something that … Read more