[Another beautiful Chris King product.] Local bicycle component manufacturer Chris King Precision Components is highlighted as one of five “Green Giants” in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News magazine’s current issue. The issue focuses on bike companies who go the extra mile to be nice to the planet. Chris King makes all of their headsets, hubs … Read more
[A photo from inside DeFazio’s officeon Capitol Hill.] If you’re a bike geek, the November elections were like that Christmas when you got your very first new bike and you were brimming with excitement at the potential of good times that were sure to come. With so much bike-friendly mojo in Congress, it’s hard to … Read more
[Patrick and friends load up an old stove.] Portland resident Patrick David Barber doesn’t own a car, but that doesn’t stop him from being self-sufficient and hauling all sorts of loads on his bike. Here are just some of the things he’s carried: An industrial-strength dehumidifier A table saw A carpet-cleaning machine A vintage sewing … Read more
The effort to create a new velodrome facility for track racing in Portland continues to the pick up steam. After reading my article last Tuesday, Boaz Herzog from the Oregonian filed a similar story that made the front page of today’s Sports section. Organizers behind the velodrome effort are setting up a website, gathering pledges … Read more
My friend John Climaldi shared some great news yesterday. British bike mag Cycling Plus has chosen this little ‘ol site as their “Website of the Month.” I know this is pretty shameless promotion, but it’s an exciting bit of PR for BikePortland and I wanted to share it with all of you. Here’s the scan … Read more
I got my December issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News yesterday. Each time it comes the first thing I do is make a quick scan for any Portland-specific news. This month it seemed like Portland was on every other page…so I figured I’d do a quick round-up. The stories aren’t available online and it’s … Read more
The cover of this month’s Road Magazine — the “Journal of road cycling and culture” — features local racer Mark Blackwelder. The shot shows Mark competing at the recent Star Crossed cyclocross race up in Seattle. Mark is a member of Team Veloshop, which is based out of Veloshop bike shop in downtown Portland. Here’s … Read more
[Ira Ryan at the 2006 Made in Portland Bike Show] A UK-based website called thewashingmachinepost has published a nice interview with Ira Ryan. Ira is an up-and-coming local bike builder and former messenger who recently launched Ira Ryan Cycles, located in the basement of Weir’s Cyclery in North Portland. Check out the interview. If you … Read more
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
[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