People came from far and wide to take in the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show last weekend.
-Slideshow below/Gallery –
(Photos © J. Maus)

[Read more…]

Mikael Colville-Andersen (L) and
PBOT’s Roger Geller took a spin
before last night’s event.
(Photos © J. Maus)

If Portland wants to push cycling into the mainstream, and reach usage levels similar to European cities, we need to make it easy, focus on the positives, tame automobiles, and do our research to counter anti-bike sentiment. That was some of the advice given by Copenhagenize’s Mikael Colville-Andersen at a sold-out event last night.

Colville-Andersen — who’s on a tour through the U.S. sponsored by the Danish Embassy — joined Mayor Sam Adams for a special reception for the Dreams on Wheels exhibit which is currently on display at the Oregon Manifest Bike Union in Northwest Portland. He started the night out with a presentation titled, Marketing Bicycle Culture: Five Goal to Promote Urban Bicycling.[Read more…]

Copenhagen, 1937
– Watch videos below –

In light of Portland’s ongoing love-affair with Copenhagen, and the fact that Mr. Bicycle Copenhagen is in town at this very moment (prepping for the big event tonight), I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the transportation legacy of our respective cities.[Read more…]

[This story was written by Mark Reber]

Andy Newlands, a pioneer of
Portland’s framebuilding industry.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Portland’s emergence as a hub of bike manufacturing seems new and shiny like the paint on the bikes at this week’s upcoming Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show. But the area’s provenance as a leading force in the bike business has its roots, just like the roots of the builders themselves, in its early pioneers.

No one understands this better than Andy Newlands of Terra Nova Cycles (a.k.a. Strawberry Cyclesport). He started building bikes when leather was the preferred material for helmets. I talked with Newlands recently about those early years.

“I graduated from the University of Washington with a Civil Engineering degree in 1970,” he explained. “It wasn’t exactly the best economy for finding a job in Seattle, so I started looking at what I might do to earn a living. Somehow, building bikes came into view.”
[Read more…]

On Thursday night, the man behind Copenhagenize.com, Mikael Colville-Andersen, will share the stage with Portland Mayor Sam Adams, a representative from the U.S. Embassy to Denmark, and author and Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes for a discussion about how to market bicycles to the masses.

[Read more…]

The mechanics classroom at UBI’s
new location on N. Williams.
(Photo: UBI)

United Bicycle Institute (UBI) is all moved into their new satellite campus in North Portland (they also have a campus in Ashland) and this Saturday they’ll throw the doors open and welcome the community with an Open House event.

According to UBI’s John Baxter, the school — which has taught over 12,000 students from 50 states and over 40 countries — taught their first session back on September 28th. UBI is a state licensed vocational school that teaches courses in bike repair, shop operation and framebuilding.

The open house is a part of the six-week Oregon Manifest and is slated to include facility tours, a garage sale, and a custom bike raffle. Manifest organizers say UBI will raffle off (via $10 tickets) two bike frames (one of them will feature Shimano components, a Chris King headset, and a paint job from Coat) made by UBI instructors and the proceeds will benefit the Community Cycling Center’s Holiday Bike Drive.

Let’s give UBI and nice, warm, hearty Portland welcome!

United Bicycle Institute Open House + Custom Frame Raffle
At UBI HQ (3961 N Williams Ave)
Saturday, 10/24 from 10AM to 5PM

Would a Dutch bike work for your family? Or would a bakfiets/Madsen/trailer/Xtracycle suit you better? Find out this Sunday.
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Oregon Manifest has an excellent Solutions Workshop planned for this Sunday as part of their Family Transportation Day. If you’re looking for advice or answers to family biking questions, you can participate! But it’s an RSVP only event, so please note the information below:

Attention Parents, Caregivers and anyone who wants to use their bicycle for hauling!

Bicycle industry, advocates and city planners want to hear from you.

Share your feedback, thoughts and ideas on products designed for bicycle riding with small children and hauling cargo. The workshop is a call for solutions to overcoming product, social and community barriers.

The Solutions workshop is a pre-registered, facilitated event. The goal of the workshop is to provide bicycle organizations and industry with a report on the needs of biking families.

To register please send an email to rsvp@oregonmanifest.com

Family Bicycle Transportation Day
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Oregon Manifest Bike Union
NW Hoyt and 10th Ave
Solutions Workshop: 4:00 – 7:00

Cover of Parkin’s memoir.

Former professional road racer Joe Parkin, who spent a decade competing in Europe back in the 1980s, will headline an event tomorrow night as part of the ongoing Oregon Manifest.

Parkin was one of the first U.S. racers to compete in Belgium and he’s written about his experiences in a memoir titled, A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer’s Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium.
[Read more…]

Still from Vernor’s film.
-Watch Trailer Below-

This Thursday, several bike companies based in southeast Portland will host a showing of Brian Vernor’s film We Just Work Here as part of the Oregon Manifest.

Portland Design Works, Ruckus Components, Showers Pass, and Tonic Fabrication will host the event which will also be a benefit for the Oregon Food Bank.

Dan Powell from Portland Design Works says they hope the event showcases the “spirit of bicycle entrepreneurship” that is alive and well in Portland. “As companies that contribute to the thriving cycling industry here in Portland, we hope to bring together a group of like minded people to share in a fun evening of local community and bicycle celebration.” [Read more…]