[Photo: Ben Salzberg] Ben Salzberg, a local computer expert and guitarist for bikey band the Trash Mountain Boys, has finally shared his secret knowledge of how to make rear-view cycling mirrors out of a spoke and a beer cap. He calls them “beer-view” mirrors and has published detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to make them … Read more
Ending five months of speculation and courting by City of Portland officials, Don Walker, founder of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) just announced that the event will be in Portland next year on March February 7-10 at the Oregon Convention Center. The announcement was made at the culmination of the third annual NAHBS … Read more
[The cherry blossoms are already blooming down here.] Today was another action-packed day here in San Jose at the Handmade Bicycle Show. I finally got to meet Kirk Pacenti. Kirk is a former product designer at Bontrager and is well-known in the framebuilding world for his lugs (the things that join frame tubes together), but … Read more
Here’s a nice bike love story for you. Sprockette and Portland school teacher Maggie Michaels got the surprise of her life today. Maggie is the girlfriend (and muse) of builder Joseph Ahearne and he has been secretly working for months on a special “mixte” style bike that he unveiled today. She showed up at the … Read more
[Clever Cycles’ Todd Fahrner in San Jose.] Cleverchimp founder and Clever Cycles co-owner Todd Fahrner is here at the Handmade Bicycle Show and he just gave me an update on his plans to open up a new bike shop in Portland. Todd and his partners in the business (his wife Martina Fahrner and Rachel and … Read more
What a day. This morning I left the house in driving, cold, rain. A few hours later, I was pedaling in blue skies and California sunshine.
The front page of today’s Metro section of the Oregonian has perhaps one of my favorite headlines ever; “In Oregon, bike culture isn’t partisan.” The story, by the O’s Salem staffer Harry Esteve, is about how Republican Senator Jason Atkinson is behind a bill that would re-word existing bicycle equipment requirements to exclude fixed-gear bicycles … Read more
[Bike Friday sent me one of their new “Tikit” folders for my trip to San Jose, CA. I rode it to the airport this morning.]
[The Monkey King’s “Bike Cape” poncho will set you back $10.] Two local cyclists have come up with inexpensive ways to stay dry while you ride. Larry Williams opened up The Monkey King (3534 SE Hawthorne) a few years ago by importing furniture and fine arts from China. Now the store sells all sorts of … Read more
The following local jobs were posted in the last week.
The Washington DC-based Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) plans to launch a national campaign that would seek $2 billion for 40 communities to fund non-motorized transportation projects in the next federal transportation bill, which is up for re-authorization in 2010. Calling it their 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation, the national advocacy group is in the early stages … Read more