Pedalpalooza Daily – 6/8
[Pedalpalooza runs from 6/8 – 6/24. View the full schedule here.] It’s opening day for Pedalpalooza and things get off to a fast start. Here’s a list of today’s events.
The Scene
The people, clubs, and culture that make up Portland’s bike scene.
Bike lovers, start your engines…
Tomorrow is the start of Shift’s annual Pedalpalooza, an unprecedented frenzy of bike fun. [Last year’s parade.] I think we’re pushing nearly 150 bike events over the next 17 days. If you haven’t seen the calendar and mapped out your plan of attack, do it now. Things get off to a rollicking start with tomorrow’s … Read more
KGW’s misleading Zoobomb crash coverage
[On the way to Zoobomb.] There was a bad crash during last Sunday’s weekly Zoobomb ride and KGW-TV (our local NBC affiliate) decided to make it one of their top stories. They splashed this highly misleading headline on their website: “Portland ‘zoo bombing’ ritual gets more risky”
Meet artist and cyclist Matt Cardinal
34 year-old Matt Cardinal has had two life-long passions; bikes and art. He’s been drawing and riding as long as he can remember. I first saw Matt’s chalk drawings at the downtown Bike Gallery during the Trek Portland launch party. Ever since then I’ve been trying to connect with him and learn more about his … Read more
Local pro on the mend after European trip
[Doug’s new ride.] Like many serious bike racers, Doug Ollerenshaw always dreamed of racing in Europe. Last month he finally got his chance. He traveled to Belgium with his Team Health Net/Maxxis teammates for his first and long-awaited foray into European racing. It was a harsh introduction. His first race, the Trophee des Grimpeurs,was a … Read more
The Clown House celebrates a wedding
[The newlyweds ontheir new tandem.] Tonight I attended a special event at the Alberta Street Clown House, the wedding of Roadkill Racoon and Reddish Raddish (their real names are Carol Banner and Morgan Nilsen). I have to admit, when I first heard about this I thought it was just another excuse for a party and … Read more
Vanilla Bicycles unveils limited edition print
[Art Nouveau, Vanilla-style.] Back in November, I posted about a poster that Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles was creating with local artist Dan Gillsdorf. Now that the print is finally done, I’ve been waiting for Sacha’s permission to publish more details. After first offering it to Vanilla owners, he has given me the green light … Read more
Bike action at Alberta Art Hop
On Saturday me and my ladies rode over to Alberta Street to check out the annual Art Hop. The picture-perfect day attracted all sorts of folks riding all sorts of bikes. And, as usual, I couldn’t keep my eyes (and my camera) off them. I noticed some old favorites in action like the Clownhouse’s Spin … Read more
Meet a bicycle crash investigation expert
[Officer Darke Hull.] Officer Darke Hull of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division is one of six Portland officers to have been recently certified as a Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Investigation expert. The certification came after a rigourous, 5-day course offered by the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM). I met with Officer Hull … Read more
The bike move that never ends
Lately I’ve been seeing more and more bikes being used by Portland’s homeless population. I’ve started to get to know a few of them and hear their stories and experiences about their nomadic, rolling existence. Sometimes I won’t meet the owner of the bike, I’ll just observe its load and marvel at the bungee cording … Read more
Swap Meet, Sprockettes sizzle in Southeast
Last Sunday was Dumpster Dave’s Bike Swap Meet at Free Geek in Southeast Portland. The sun was hot and the so were the deals. There were all sorts of crazy bikes and interesting people on display. I set up a table and joined the fray alongside Joe Biel of Microcosm Publishing. I saw lots of … Read more
Preliminary Share the Road mural design unveiled
As I reported back in March, a group of community activists and artists are working on a new “Share the Road” mural that will soon adorn the side of Hawthorne Auto Clinic (4307 SE Hawthorne) in Southeast Portland.