Bike Clark County has 5 tandems and 4 recumbent bikes for free! As-is condition but feel free to make a donation to our nonprofit.

Questions? Email: info@bikeclarkcounty.org

Francine leading a Pedalpalooza ride: Climate, Cycles and Creamsicles

[NOTE: This is a guest post from a BikePortland subscriber.]

As Joe Biden mentioned during his speech at the DNC convention last month, we face four historic crises: a pandemic, a collapsed economy, a struggle for racial justice and a threat of climate disaster. While the first three of these are front of mind for most of us, it is the last one that really keeps me up at night. Maybe that’s true for you as well? I suspect that climate change is never far from the bike community’s mind. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward way to start bringing down carbon emissions quickly and addressing the climate crisis: put a price on carbon.

Like many people in the biking community, I ride for many reasons, including convenience, health, community and fun. I started bike commuting more than 20 years ago because it was an easy, quick way to get to work. Then I started going on group weekend rides for camaraderie and exercise. To encourage others to rediscover the joy of biking, I was the Bike More Challenge co-captain at my workplace for over a decade. It was satisfying to help others get back into biking. I also led a Climate, Cycle and Creamsicles ride for Pedalpalooza.

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I’m immune compromised and self-isolating for as long as I can afford to, and I am not getting out much, sitting too still for too long, and getting bored.

Yes, there are fewer cars on the road, but when I have gone out, I have encountered about the same number of aggressive drivers – I’m still blasting my horn about once per trip. When roads are emptier, that kind of driver is more inclined to barrel through stop signs. My cellmate is not feeling like the roads are any safer: he does not want to take advantage of what should be an opportunity.

We’re both slow, almost-paranoid, low-mileage riders, and usually insist on taking the lane because we insist on being seen. We live in inner SE. Where should we dare to ride?

Help keep this Portland bike institution rolling! Kidical Mass PDX is entering its 10th year (wow!) and we’re looking to add to our small eager group of volunteer ride leaders as well as assign a new organizer or co-organizers to keep the finely-tuned KMPDX machine running smoothly.

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Kittie Knox is surfacing again with welcome arms.

Knox is a cyclist from Boston who lived in the late 1800s and died early at age 26. There are few facts and one might think she is a token to be bandied about. But this is not true. And thanks to Lorenz Finison who published The Boston’s Cycling Craze, 1880-1890, we receive greater insights into who she was. Her life and treatment by other cyclists forces us to ponder, have we changed?

The Racial Divide feels ever great everywhere. Having our America build United States-Mexico border walls heightens the Berlin Wall of Eastern Germany ethic of xenophobia. In our town, we have a huge melting pot of 40 plus languages in the Gresham-Rockwood area, the large disparity of those who are insured vs. no insurance, the homeless sprawl, the face of younger people without prospects to equal equity comforts of their parents; the largest economic class disparity since 1929…the list goes on for those who are subject of disparities in addition to more often mentioned racial disparity.

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This post was submitted by evo Portland, a BikePortland business subscriber.

(Photo: evo Portland)

For the dedicated rider, bike commuting is a year-round affair. Sure, there are plenty of fair-weather commuters who hang up their bikes as soon as it starts to rain, but for those really committed to riding their bikes to work, there is no offseason. Instead, Portland’s winter bike commuters must re-asses and prepare for less clement weather. It’s a good idea to get your bike tunes done each spring and fall anyway, whether or not you’re a commuter, the change of seasons offers the perfect reminder to go over your bike and make sure it’s still running smoothly.

Road bike tuning every fall might seem unnecessary, after all, the bike is running fine, why pay to mess with it? But with most things, and especially with bikes, an ounce of prevention saves a pound of repair. The wet winter season puts different demands on your bike, and it’s worth having a good Portland bike repair shop go over it and make sure it’s ready for the change of seasons.[Read more…]

With incredible support from many people and organizations, the Gorge Pedal ride happened this July. It delights my soul that this happened and reinforces several public and hidden agendas in regard to our needs of our incredible World Heritage Site worthy Columbia River Gorge.

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Saddle and seat tube taken from my bike while shopping – and no, no quick releases were involved. I hope whoever gets “such a deal” on it has a 27mm seat tube and has to deform it to securely hold my 26.8mm post. WTB “Speed She” on the loose – not even a particularly desirable seat.

Folks: This is not Portland, but for those of you planning to visit Bellingham, here is a nice bicycle ride through some hidden little gems of parks and beaches that can be quite secluded and peaceful!

I want a new traffic lane.

I want a new traffic lane for my birthday. Well not my birthday, but it would be great to have new lane to celebrate the Oregon Bike Bill. The lanes I want are on the Abernathy Bridge for bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, skateboarders, pedestrians and who are primarily human powered in some manner. We are traffic, too. It seems a fitting tribute to the Bike Bill considering we just dedicated a new sculpture at PSU funded by Oregon Economic Council on Friday, April 26, 2019. Of course, there is a darker side to the un-kept promises of the Bike Bill.

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