It’s coming to Williams Avenue.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

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“Bicyclists are today’s heroes.”
(Photo by Bill Cravis)

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Detail of Rory Phillips’ poster.

We’re big fans of Artcrank, billed by its founder Charles Youel as “A poster party for bike people.” The event first came to Portland in 2009 and has returned each year since to inspire and entertain us with its creative representations of the thing we all know and love

While it won’t be back this year, Youel got in touch with us yesterday to share the news that Portland is still in his plans. He’s scaling back live events and has turned his focus toward a new website which launched this week. Similar to his live shows Artcrank.com features 30 artists who’ve created bike-inspired posters.

Of the 30 artists featured in his first online exhibition, three of them are from Portland.
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All images by Aixe Djelal.

I’m not sure how I stumbled onto the work of Aixe Djelal (pronounced “eye-SHAY ja-LAL”), but now I find myself checking her latest images several times per week. I think it’s the randomness of them, or maybe it’s how she captures the ephemeral vignettes I often see myself but rarely capture.
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Still from Mike Vogel’s Doored.

Remember that awesome Craigslist post last summer when a guy got doored while biking downtown, but instead of being angry at the door-operener he sort of… fell in love?

Well it turns out that Craigslist post was the inspiration one of my favorite movies from the Filmed By Bike festival that wrapped up Tuesday night. Portland-based writer/director Mike Vogel of Front Ave Productions created his short film, Doored – Fractured Skull, Broken Hearts, based on that Craigslist post and it made its debut at the festival. [Read more…]

Still from Circle Century.

Southeast Portland resident and hobbyist movie maker Merritt Raitt debuted a new film at Filmed by Bike over the weekend. Circle Century documents his attempt to ride 100 miles, non-stop around Ladd Circle.

Raitt, who lives just a few houses down from the circle, accomplished his feat back in August 2011 but his movie has just now been released to the public. I followed up with Merritt to ask him a bit more about what it was like to ride a 0.15 mile loop of a neighborhood street 660 times without any breaks.
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Screen grab of PAM email announcing the exhibit.

The Portland Art Museum has just announced that their summer exhibition schedule will include Cyclepedia: A Century of Iconic Bicycle Design. The exhibit is based on the book by the same name which documents the bike collection of Vienna-based designer and bike connoisseur Michael Embacher.

According to Stephanie Parrish, the museum’s Associate Director of Education and Public Programs, PAM will be the first institution in the U.S. to present Embacher’s collection, which they describe as “one of the most important bicycle collections in the world.” In addition to showing the bikes, Parrish says the museum is, “eager to talk to folks who will have great ideas about how to leverage the exhibition to feature and celebrate Portland’s bike culture.”[Read more…]

BonB veteran Steph Routh.
(Photo by Michael Andersen))

This guest post is by Michael Andersen of Portland Afoot, PDX’s 10-minute newsmagazine about buses, bikes and low-car life.

Dozens of fans of one of Portland’s most unique and durable bike traditions met Tuesday night at bicycle tavern Velo Cult to tell stories from more than 120 mornings of free breakfast on Portland’s bridges.

“It’s amazing to see that this tradition of giving out coffee and donuts has continued for 10 years,” said Ayleen Crotty, who said she and Amy Stork started serving the first regular breakfasts during Portland’s legendary “Summer of Bike Fun” in 2002.

Somehow – like another Portland tradition launched that year, a naked bike ride – the idea stuck.
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A trio of Portlander women have joined forces to launch Hop in the Saddle, a forthcoming (they hope) guide book that will take readers on a bike tour of local craft beer breweries and pubs. The project launched via Kickstarter today and its supporters are hoping to raise $15,000 to make the book a reality.

Behind the project are: noted author Ellee Thalheimer, whose Cycling Sojourner guide book came out earlier this year; freelance reporter Lucy Burningham, who has written about beer and bikes in The New York Times, Outside, and other national publications; and Laura Cary, a graphic designer based in Portland. (Check bios of all three of them at HopintheSaddle.com.)

Given what I know about these women, this will be an excellent book! Beyond that, one lucky backer of their Kickstarter campaign will get a one-of-kind, custom “beer bike” built by none other than famed local builder Tony Pereira (who happens to be the husband of Mrs. Burningham). All it takes is a donation of $10,000 or more.
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Chariot Wars, a proud Zoobomb tradition.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Zoobomb’s annual Mini Bike Winter fest has begun! The event, which lasts through Sunday, started last night when the Irondelles (Portland’s all-female tall bike gang) led a ride to spruce up area ghost bikes and do some craft-making for upcoming events.

Tonight, Zoobomb takes it to a whole other level with the much-anticipated return of the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars.[Read more…]