[Mike Wilberding in May 2006] I received a sad email yesterday. It was from a reporter, looking for someone to interview about the death of Mike Wilberding last Saturday in Beaverton. I had to double-take at the name, but quickly realized it was the same Mike behind Cycle-Pak, one of my first advertisers here on … Read more
[NE Alberta St. duringLast Thursday ArtWalk.] “Cars are in the way!” goes the refrain from one song by local bike-punk band The Pheramones. The first time I heard the song this seemed pretty far out in left field, but the more I think about it the less crazy it sounds. Cars take up a lot … Read more
The long awaited Bike Buddy program has just been officially launched by Southeast Uplift (SEUL), a non-profit coalition of southeast Portland neighborhoods. According to SEUL’s Steve Hoyt, “This program will provide a tremendous service to tentative, less confident bicyclists by allowing them to benefit from the vast resources of Portland’s experienced bicycling population.” “Modeled after … Read more
[Photo credit: VBP] At the end of September, the Community Cycling Center (CCC) will expand its reach far beyond their Northeast Portland headquarters when they send 450 bikes, wheels, tubes and other parts to a village in Ghana, Africa. The CCC is partnering with the Village Bicycle Project (VBP), a non-profit that works to improve … Read more
[A ‘zine by Alon Raab.] Well known PSU professor Alon Raab was in a crash with a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle to class yesterday. According to a spokesperson at the Department of Sociology, Raab suffered a broken collarbone and is expected to return to class tomorrow. Ironically, Raab is a dedicated enthusiast of … Read more
Yesterday I joined 800 fellow Portland cyclists and 100 gallons of ice-cream for the first-ever Hottest Day of the Year Ride. It started with riders of all ages staging at the Lucky Lab brewpub in Northwest Portland.
Raleigh Bicycles (based in Kent, WA) will be shooting their 2007 catalog in and around Portland this weekend. The catalog is intended to be a “natural extension” of their ’06 edition which was set entirely in Seattle. According to their marketing director Reed Pike, besides a visit to the Alpenrose Velodrome to photograph their Rush … Read more
Portland’s bikey brain trust will have a significant presence at this year’s Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference which is being held from September 5-8 in Madison, Wisconsin. The international conference—which was held in Portland in 1994—is considered the most important event of it’s kind and according to BikeWalk.org it attracts more than 600 bicycle and pedestrian … Read more
[Photo: Dabby] In response to the following comments made by the traffic court judge in the Ayla Holland/fixed-gear trial, “If your client had a stick she could rub against her tire, you’d have a case.” many local messengers are now equipped with stick-brakes. They are also holding a stick-braking competition.
[PDXK TV’s Dan Kaufman.] Musician and producer Dan Kaufman didn’t start cycling until 2003. Since then, the 38 year-old Brooklyn neighborhood resident has become a “cycling evangelist.” Last year, he and his wife Kirsten launched PDXK Productions and decided to pursue Internet television. Dan thinks the future of TV will consist of independently produced shows … Read more
[Update: The Police Bureau has just debuted their new web page for bike safety and theft info.] [Recovery number 15!] This week has been good and bad for bike theft. First the bad news. In the last 7 days there have been 39 new stolen bike listings (I haven’t published them all yet). That’s a … Read more
[You’d be happy too if you were interviewed on NPR!] A while back I reported that the Sprockettes were due to make an appearance on the nationally broadcast National Public Radio show Day-to-Day. Even though I knew the reporter had been in Portland to get the story, I have worked in PR and I realize … Read more