BikePortland

Cycling is social in Amsterdam

If your city’s bike riders look like this,
you’re doing something right.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Like I mentioned in my last post, I had a few “free” days in Amsterdam after my time in Copenhagen and before the official study tour began today (more on that later). Since I’ll be back in Amsterdam to do all the wonky stuff later this week, I spent those free days doing what I like best: wandering around and observing people on bikes. I think you learn a lot about a city’s bike culture simply by watching how its residents use their bicycles.

What I saw in Amsterdam was the most sociable (and stylish) cycling imaginable. It was really astounding to see how the bicycle is such a key element in the social fabric.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Here’s the bike news from near and far that caught our eyes in the last week:

— Everybody’s talking about this amazing video of a Wall Street Journal editorial board member telling us what she really feels about bikesharing in New York City. Definitely worth waiting through a 15-second Honda or Chevron ad to see some of this hard-hitting journalism:

— A new report about people of color who ride bikes shows that over the last decade, bicycle use grew five times faster among African-Americans than among white Americans. (Followers of Seattle’s Sightline Institute have known this for a while.) As Streetsblog DC shows, people of all backgrounds want to ride if they only have the chance.

Year: 2010
Brand: Electra
Model: Amsterdam
Color:Red
Stolen in Portland, OR 97213
Stolen:2013-06-3
Stolen From: Off my front porch- up flight of stairs and over furniture to get to it.
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Owner: kelly flanigan
OwnerEmail: nuttigans(A T)comcast.net
Reward: Dinner Gift Certificate
Description: Upright red holland-style bicycle
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13004757
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

White Cannondale Scalpel 2010

Year: 2010
Brand: Cannondale
Model: Scalpel
Color:White
Size:Medium
Photo: http://www.bikearoundbend.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Patterson_Stolen_Bikes_sized.jpg
Stolen in Bend, OR 97701
Stolen:2013-05-22
Stolen From: Our garage near Shevlin Park in Bend, OR
Owner: Jeff Patterson
OwnerEmail: gmpatterson(AT)gmail.com
Reward: 2013-00099916
Description: White alloy Cannondale Scalpel with Bend Bike N Sport sticker.
Police record with: Bend PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red/Black Cervelo P3 2009

Year: 2009
Brand: Cervelo
Model: P3
Color:Red/Black
Size:51 cm
Photo: http://www.bikearoundbend.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Patterson_Stolen_Bikes_sized.jpg
Stolen in Bend, OR 97701
Stolen:2013-05-22
Stolen From: Our garage near Shevlin Park in Bend, OR
Owner: Jeff Patterson
OwnerEmail: gmpatterson(A T)gmail.com
Reward: 2013-00099916
Description: Red/Black Cervelo P3 with orange training tire and Bend Bike N Sport sticker, Dura Ace components and Ergomo power meter.
Police record with: Bend PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Checking in from the road as our study tour begins

Amsterdam scene.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland

This is part of ongoing coverage of the Green Lane Project/Bikes Belong Netherlands Study Tour.

Hey everyone. Thought it would be a good time to check and let you know what’s happening with my trip. As you might have gathered, I was in Copenhagen last week. Over the weekend I traveled to Amsterdam for a few days prior to meeting up with the Bikes Belong/Green Lane Project study tour delegation in Utrecht.

It’s been great meeting everyone in the 12-member delegation (and three Bikes Belong staffers). It’s a stellar collection of folks. Joining me to represent Portland is Executive Director of Venture Portland Heather Hoell, BTA Advocacy Director Gerik Kransky, and Metro Councilor Sam Chase.

Year: ?80
Brand: Trek
Model: ?
Color:Purple
Photo: http://i.imgur.com/HZK8RPh.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-06-02
Stolen From: SE Center Street. Between 58th and 60th. Stolen out of a shed in my back yard.
Neighborhood: Foster Powell
Owner: Elizabeth Labby
OwnerEmail: lizlabby@gmail.com
Reward: Sure
Description: Purple trek with red handlebar tape. Handlebars were flipped up and shortened since this picture was taken. Fenders on both wheels. Rack on the back. My lock was locked to the rack and probably still is. Straps on the pedals that were no longer functional, just wrapped around the pedals of the bike
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 1344416
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Black Kona Dew Plus SE 2008

Year: 2008
Brand: Kona
Model: Dew Plus SE
Color:Black
Size:52
Serial: I050801268
Stolen in Portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2013-05-30
Stolen From: Sheridans, SE Oak and MLK
Neighborhood: SE industrial district
Owner: Candice Trusty
OwnerEmail: trustycandice(at sign)gmail.com
Description: Large steel pedals, rack on back
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 1344345
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

green Specialized Crossroads 1992

Year: 1992
Brand: Specialized
Model: Crossroads
Color:green
Size:large
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2013-06-01
Stolen From: 219 NE 22nd Avenue. The Senate Court Apartments. From the outside bike rake.
Neighborhood: Kerns
Owner: henry cameron
OwnerEmail: henrycrnkovich(at sign)gmail.com
Reward: my thanks
Description: Dark green in color, red lettering. handlebars had blue/green shark motif tape. Kind of beat up, but still a reliable bike.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Black Handbuilt Frame

Brand: Handbuilt Frame
Color:Black
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2013-05-31
Stolen From: Near White Owl in SE.
Neighborhood: SE Industrial
Owner: Vince Foley
OwnerEmail: vincefoley(A T)gmail.com
Description: All black components and handmade frame. Fixed, no brakes. Drop bars. Time atac pedals. Larger front tire. Deep V rims. Small dent in top tube.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

‘Flex parking’ gives space to bikes and cars

This post is part of ongoing coverage from Europe. Read more stories from my trip here.

You might have a perception that everyone bikes in Copenhagen, or that the City has carte blanche to put cycle tracks and bike parking wherever they please. It turns out that’s not exactly true.

Copenhagen has some of the same problems we do: Such as finding space for bikes when cars need space too. As the number of people who bike goes up, so does competition for road space. And there are still many people in Copenhagen (a growing number actually) who prefer to drive. A few days ago I met Niels Hoe, a consultant who formerly managed the City of Copenhagen’s bicycle parking program. Hoe shared an interesting concept called “flex parking”.

Year: 2011
Brand: Moots
Model: Vamoots CR
Color:Titanium
Size:55cm
Serial: 5500631
Photo: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6989569/image003.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2013-05-31
Stolen From: Downtown PDX, SW Morrison, between SW 10th and 11th, from bike rack on north side of street.
Neighborhood: Downtown portland
Owner: Marc Visnick
OwnerEmail: marc(A T)visnick.com
Reward: Yes
Description: Moots Vamoots CR 55cm frame, Moots stem & Alpha Q Moots carbon fork (black). DT Swiss wheelset. Shimano Deore XT brakes / drivetrain. Look carbon bars wrapped in brown Brooks leather. Brooks Swallow Ti saddle. Portland Design Works full metal fenders. (note that linked-to photo below shows SRAM gruppo and no fenders, this was swapped for Deore XT gruppo shortly after photo taken, and fenders added a couple of months ago)
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13004688
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Cycling is social in Amsterdam

The Monday Roundup: The country’s biggest bike-hater and more

Red Electra Amsterdam 2010

White Cannondale Scalpel 2010

Red/Black Cervelo P3 2009

Checking in from the road as our study tour begins

Purple Trek ? ?80

Black Kona Dew Plus SE 2008

green Specialized Crossroads 1992

Black Handbuilt Frame

‘Flex parking’ gives space to bikes and cars

Titanium Moots Vamoots CR 2011

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