Family Biking Column
Explore the ups and downs of riding together as one big family through the eyes of Shannon Johnson, a mom of five who lives in Hillsboro.
A family biking film for when it’s too hot to ride
This past week was a rough week to be the pregnant family biking columnist at BikePortland. Heck, it was a rough week to be a human being in Portland. Like many Pacific Northwesterners, our home doesn’t have AC, so we just roast and try to figure out survival strategies. Cooling off with young kids is … Read more
Voices from Dairy Creek Park: Listening to the houseless in Hillsboro
(Note: This is part two of Shannon’s story. We posted part one on Monday.) This post began with my scouting of a new park for our family to visit on our bikes. It resulted in me coming face-to-face with homelessness in Hillsboro. Which is a unique reason why I think biking is so valuable: it … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Where to buy a bike and get it ready for fun season
Bike sales are through the roof — in Portland and across the country. Isn’t that great? Only downside is basic bikes can be hard to come by. And then there’s the need for repairs and maintenance. An old mom-group friend posted this photo of the bike wall in an Evansville, Indiana Target. That’s pretty amazing. … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Bike Culture Happy Hour and school bike parades
I’m pretty good at being reclusive and introverted, but even I’m starting to feel the strain of quarantine. I was truly looking forward to all the local bike rides for spring and summer to get to know all of you IRL (in real life), and for getting my kids a bit more into biking. You … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Insurance (Part 2) and Economics
The insurance post regarding cars, uninsured motorists, and cyclists was fine and all, but what about a kayak? Yes. A kayak. The husbeast hits the loop around Smith & Bybee Lakes on weekends. He’s pulling even longer days now that we’re all in an economic slide, trying to keep his team employed. So he heads … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Even Steven
Are you frustrated? Maybe a little bit? I love seeing my neighbors out on their bikes more, but I’m frustrated our city isn’t giving more road ownership to pedestrians and cyclists during this unprecedented time. I’m just now getting comfortable enough to bike anywhere for a 20-25 mile roundtrip, but I certainly can’t get my … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Insurance and Bike Cams
Insurance is a tricky thing, particularly in times of social and economic uncertainty. I’m always conflicted about it: Part of me feels like it’s legalized racketeering, part of me feels like it falls under the idea that “laws keep people free” which has its own set of conflicts. Specifically for our purposes here on BikePortland, … Read more
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Cats and Quarantine
How do you do pet care without a car? My cat is freaking out.