A reader just pointed out to that the New York Times has mentioned Portland’s bike scene yet again in their Saturday edition. The first time is was all about our “cult-like” allegiance to cyclocross racing and now they cite a new report from Atlanta that says our “pedestrian and biker friendly” city is the main … Read more
“Cyclcross fans’ race-day festivities rival those of Nascar and die-hard college football fans.”-from the New York Times article The buzz about Portland’s vibrant cyclocross scene got much louder today when the venerable New York Times published an article on last week’s USGP race in Hillsboro. Times reporter Oakley Brooks took advantage of the muddy conditions … Read more
[11/26: Update – Here’s the story] ———— The front page of this Sunday’s Oregonian will feature a story about Portland’s bicycle industry. The cover story and photo essay will report on how Portland has become a hotbed of activity for bike-related businesses; from frame builders and clothing designers, to major manufacturers like Chris King and … Read more
Is there room for two big-time stage races in the Pacific Northwest in the same month? Just last week I reported about a multi-million dollar funding request for a major new stage race to be based in Portland.
[Zoobomber “Handsome” Dave] Acclaimed movie director Gus Vant Sant — who won was nominated for an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting — has tapped the Zoobombers for an upcoming performance piece with the BodyVox dance company. Van Sant and the Zoobombers will be guest artists at First Impressions V. 5, a show that runs … Read more
This is just a note that over the next few days I will finally be ditching my current host for greener (and local!) pastures. Since the big server disaster I had last month, I’ve been using a temporary solution and now I’ll be transferring everything over to a new host. I hope it all goes … Read more
I know it’s cheesy and cliche, but I couldn’t resist. Here’s the bike stuff in Portland that I’m most thankful for. I encourage you to share yours if you’d like.
Dabby, (a veteran Portland messenger and regular commenter) just sent me an interesting bit of news. The Washington Area Bicyclists Association, an advocacy group in DC, has worked with the Washington DC Department of Transportation to amend their law to explicitly allow fixed gear bicycles to be used without separate hand brakes.
[Movie still from 1954 GMpropaganda film. (Click to watch)] America’s pervasive car culture is a major barrier to making bicycles a respected mode of transportation. Many of the decision makers, planners, and traffic engineers in cities throughout the country were brought up to think that driving everywhere in a private car was an essential part … Read more
I recently stumbled upon Steven Reed Johnson’s excellent history of Portland’s bicycle “movement”. In that paper, he details the formation of the Portland’s first official group of bicycle activists: “In November 1971, the City of Portland created the first citizen committee to examine bicycle programs in the city, the Bicycle Path Task Force (led by … Read more
The issue of enforcement against bicycles is contributing to an increasingly acrimonious relationship between the Police Bureau and some members of the bike community. In addition to the well-publicized and unresolved fixed-gear bicycle issue, allegations of selective enforcement are still being made, especially by downtown messengers who feel they’re being unfairly targeted for both fixed-gears … Read more
[Get Lit display at the 2005 BikeCraft.] The Community Cycling Center (CCC) plans to take over the popular Get Lit program, run by citizen activist Jeff Bernards since 2003. The plan is “still in the works” according to the CCC’s Alison Hill, who also says, “We’re excited about the opportunity to continue Get Lit. It’s … Read more