[Photo by Ed Manning.] *[Turns out this was just an art project. Read the comments to find out more.] Just got a tip from a reader that someone is doing a Yellow Car Program in downtown Portland. According the flyer in the window, it’s modeled on Portland’s Yellow Bike Program that was launched by the … Read more
Hundreds of cyclists packed City Hall last night to bask in Portland’s rich artisan bicycle culture at the first-ever Made in Portland Bicycle Show and Art Exhibition. The crowds were thick and the energy and good times flowed like the free Widmer beer. The bike show was the epicenter of the event. The marble floors, … Read more
[Drawing by Shaun Deller.] Yesterday I stopped by City Hall to check in on preparations for tonight’s Made in Portland Bike Show and Art Exhibition. I hope you can join us (it’s from 5-8PM) because we’ve put together an unprecedented gathering of bicycle-inspired art. Here are a few teasers. David “chops” Darby has three gorgeous … Read more
[Club founder, chops.]Photos by dropoutbikeclub It’s not every day I get to tell you about a brand new bike club, especially one as interesting as Dropout. The Dropout Bike Club wants to spread the love and fun of mutant and freak bikes (like tall bikes and choppers) to everyone. They’re sort of a kinder, gentler, … Read more
[Evan gets his point across.] The Portland City Council unanimously passed a resolution today making the bicycle industry a recognized and targeted part of our economy. Mia Birk, principal at Alta Planning and Design (and former Bike Program manager for PDOT) presented her firm’s recent research to Mayor Potter and Commissioners Adams, Leonard, Sten and … Read more
I just got home from vacation (been gone since Saturday) and on my way into town I noticed fresh paint on an old building at the corner of Killingsworth and Vancouver. Upon further inspection I noticed this sign in the window, “Coming Soon: Cycling Center” Turns out the owner is Ben Bartlett, a 50 year-old … Read more
[The flip-flop fender.] A couple more ingenius bike modifications I’d like to share. This first one I saw parked in the bike rack at Providence Medical Center the other day. It’s a fender made out of duct tape and a flip-flop sandal. There are tons of interesting fender modifications in this town, but I’ve never … Read more
Today in Southeast Portland there will be a special graduation ceremony. For the last four days a group called Lose the Training Wheels has been holding a camp to teach 35 physically challenged kids how to ride a bike. Kris Schamp of the Bike Gallery was there as a sponsor and a volunteer and sent … Read more
[PUMP’s Roger Louton] With a major assist from The Friends of Forest Park, mountain bikers are set to begin the process of planning and building a brand new piece of trail in Forest Park. According to PUMP board member Roger Louton, the new trail will be an addition to the existing Firelane 5 fire access … Read more
[Mountain Cycle’s new owners.] Following up on my post from Tuesday, I just got off the phone with Kinesis USA President Michael Chen. He called to give me more details about last week’s sale of Mountain Cycle. Mountain Cycle has been sold to a Taiwanese company called Ideation Industrial. They’re a huge bicycle manufacturer established … Read more
[Commissioners listen to presentation.] Yesterday the Parks Department presented their Regional Recreational Trails Strategy to the Portland City Council. In attendance was a who’s who list of Portland’s trail advocates including; Scott Bricker from the BTA, Gail Snyder from Friends of Forest Park, Bob Akers, Barbara Walker and Walter Valenta from the 40-mile Loop Land … Read more
[By Tiago Denczuk.] The Made in Portland: Bicycle Show and Art Exhibition is really shaping up (download event flyer). In addition to nine Portland-based independent bike builders, I just confirmed that Chris King Precision Components will attend. Chris King (based in Northwest Portland) makes the world’s best hubs and headsets (they were used by a … Read more