Many cyclists in and around Portland are aware of the survival imperative of being visible while riding at night. But there are two guys I’ve come across recently who take it to a whole new level. [Tomas and his lights.]Photo: Tomas A few days ago I discovered the blog of local cyclist Tomas Quinones. I’ve … Read more
[Commander Marty Rowley] After just nine months on the job, Marty Rowley, Commander of the Traffic Division of the Portland Police Bureau will retire on January 17th. In the interim, Lieutenant Mark Kruger will take his place until a new Commander is named. According to sources, Chief Sizer will keep Kruger in that position, “for … Read more
[Joseph Ahearne, Ahearne Cycles] When I walked through the door of Joseph Ahearne’s new shop in North Portland, he didn’t even look up. Hunched over and deep in concentration, he gazed into a white-hot flame and danced around a frame clasped into the stand; constantly tweaking it to get just the right angle for his … 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
For local cyclocross racers Molly Cameron and Erik Tonkin, the “holidays” consisted of a grueling schedule of races against the best talent in the world, thousands of miles from home. They both just returned from an action-packed trip to Belgium where they experienced all the drama and difficulty of world class bicycle racing. Luckily for … Read more
[Emily Gardner is theBTA’s new Policy Advocate.] The BTA has hired several new staffers in the last few months, but the one you’ll probably be hearing most about is their new Policy Advocate, Emily Gardner. Emily comes to this position after former Metro Area Advocate (notice the different title, more on that later) Jessica Roberts … Read more
[Ali Al-Salman at the 2006Pedalpalooza Kickoff Parade]Photo: Dat The Portland bike community has lost a special character. Ali Al-Salman — who shared his love of bicycles and music with many — passed away at 7:30 AM on New Year’s Day while visiting family in Los Angeles. Although I didn’t get to know him well, I … Read more
[Molly Cameron hopes to hold her own against the world’s best.] Molly Cameron — owner of The Veloshop — somehow finds time to not only run her bustling downtown bike shop, but she also competes at the highest levels of U.S. cyclocross racing. Coming off a top ten overall finish in the Cross Crusade series … 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
Who will ever forget this guy? Not me. After my post a few weeks ago, I was amazed at how many people remembered seeing him. Readers chimed in from all over the country to say how impressed they were with the moxie and ingenuity behind this man and machine.
[Austin and NatalieRamsland of SweetpeaBicycles] Austin and Natalie Ramsland — the husband-wife duo behind Sweetpea Bicycles — will open up their framebuilding studio on Saturday night. They’ll have frames on display (in various states of completion) and Natalie (she builds the bikes) will be happy to answer questions about her craft. It’s also a great … Read more
[This is the first article in a series on Portland’s local bike builders.] [Tony Pereira of Pereira Cycles in his shop in Southeast Portland]