Bikes, Obama, and the State of the Union

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Obama spoke cards-1.jpg

I believe it’s time for a
new transportation vision.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Tonight, President Obama will give the annual State of the Union address. While there’s zero chance he’ll mention bicycling, there is a chance he’ll mention transportation investments (likely in the context of creating jobs).

If you were writing the speech, what would you have him to say about biking and transportation?

Go ahead, suspend your grip on reality and imagine that transportation is a non-partisan issue and that bicycling isn’t a polarizing political football and favorite public scapegoat.

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Ask BikePortland: Are runners required to have lights while using paths?

Dark paths require caution.
(Photo © J. Maus)

This edition of Ask BikePortland comes from reader J. Long. Mr. Long emailed us after he was involved in a collision with someone who was jogging while riding his bike on the Springwater Corridor at night.

“Hey Jonathan, Two nights ago I was riding my bike home on the Springwater [Corridor] between OMSI and Oaks Park.

I hit a female jogger and we both went down hard. As a cyclist I am always worried that somebody may have been hurt; but as I was laying on the ground she just got up and jogged away while I was a little dazed and trying to get untangled from my bike.

Are there rules for joggers to have reflectors or lights as there are for cyclist’s on multi-use paths?”

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Portland company to launch GPS bike tracking device

Kris Akins
(Photos courtesy Kris Akins)

A few years ago, I called a GPS bike tracker the “Holy Grail” of bike theft. If someone could just develop a discreet, affordable GPS device that would allow someone to track their bike after it was stolen, I thought, we would have a potent weapon against the scourge of bike thieves.

Now a Portland company says they’ve done just that.

Veteran entrepreneur Kris Akins has started several successful companies over the past 33 years. After having two bikes stolen from her garage, she looked for a device that would allow her to track the bike on her mobile phone. When she couldn’t find one, her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and BikeTrak was born. Akins bills the patent-pending product as, “the first GPS-powered security device for your bike.”

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The Oregonian’s commute columnist weighs in on Broadway Bridge pole issue

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A new pole for the streetcar (marked
with orange/white stripes) has
narrowed the entry to
the Broadway Bridge path.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

As the story unfolds about how and why Portland Streetcar Inc. installed a utility pole on the Broadway Bridge bike/walk path, it is becoming more clear that they made a bad move.

We’ll have more to share on this story in the coming days; but for now, check out what The Oregonian’s “Hard Drive” columnist Joseph Rose thinks about it (taken from a news roundup he published today):

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Mayor Adams tries Capital Bikeshare: “I like them, they’re cool”

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Adams on the streets of DC. (Note: This is
a still from a video, he’s about to roll up onto
the sidewalk)

Portland Mayor Sam Adams took a ride on Washington D.C.’s bike-sharing system last week. Adams took a break from the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting to rent a bike from D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare service and his office has released a short video of it.

In the video (below), Adams swipes his credit car in the kiosk and checks out a bike. His analysis? He noted how light the bikes where (compared to ones he tried from Lyon, France several years ago) and said, “I like them, they’re cool,” and then added, “We’re going to have them on Portland streets very soon.”

Watch the video below:

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With volunteer still missing, Cycle Oregon looks ahead to 25th annual ride

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Cycle Oregon’s Executive Director
Jerry Norquist addressed
volunteers and staff last night.
(Photos: Will Vanlue/BikePortland)

Volunteers and staff gathered in the World Forestry Center over the weekend to toast the past year and look ahead to the 25th annual Cycle Oregon.

At the front of everyone’s minds was Mark Bosworth, the Metro employee and Portland resident who disappeared from Riddle, Oregon in September of last year while volunteering on the week-long bike ride.

Each year hundreds of people volunteer for Cycle Oregon and most volunteers have worked together for many years. Their is a strong sense of community among them and for many, Bosworth’s disappearance feels like losing a member of the family.

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SoupCycle reaches milestone 50,000th delivery

SoupCycle Founder and CEO Jed Lazar pedals in downtown Portland. He estimates he’s made about 15,000 of the company’s 50,00 deliveries since July 2008.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Sometime this week, locally based SoupCycle will make its 50,000th delivery. It’s a milestone that company founder Jed Lazar says “feels incredible and unreal.”

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The Monday Roundup

One UC school is home to four
new bike repair stands
(Photo: Will Vanlue)

Here’s the news that caught our eyes this past week…

– Portland didn’t make it to the top of The Fixie Index but we did come in at the top of The Guardian‘s five best places to live in the world. One reason for the high ranking is that Portland is “the most bike- and foot-friendly city in the country,” according to the British newspaper.

– South Carolina’s Department of Transportation might ban bicycles on the James Island Connector after a person on a bicycle was struck and killed by the operator of an AT&T service van. The road in question is one of limited number of routes to access the city of Charleston, SC.

– The Swedish towns of Malmö and Lund will soon be connected by a “bicycle superhighway”. The four-lane, bicycle-only road will stretch for 20 miles and is being constructed at a total cost of $7.1 million USD.

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The state of cycling: Alliance for Biking & Walking releases ‘2012 Benchmarking Report’

Cover of the report

The Alliance for Biking & Walking, a non-profit coalition made up of 180 member organizations across the country, released its 2012 Benchmarking Report today. Full of statistics and charts, the 243 page report provides a window into our nation’s progress in promoting non-motorized transportation; and the numbers — on everything from the economic to health benefits of bicycling — make a compelling case for more investment. The report was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (along with support from AARP and Planet Bike) and it focuses on all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities.

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Job: Bicycle Product Manager/Head Mechanic (Renovo Design)

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This job has been filled.

Job Title
Bicycle Product Manager/Head Mechanic

Company/Organization
Renovo Design

Job Description
Renovo Hardwood Bicycles is hiring a product manager/head mechanic in Portland. Renovo is the world’s premiere manufacturer of high performance wooden bicycle frames with sales worldwide. We have showrooms in Portland and San Francisco. The majority of frames sold are built into complete bicycles on site. The product manager/head mechanic is responsible for managing all aspects of bicycle builds including scheduling, component selection, purchasing and installation. The position requires coordination with accounting and production in order to meet deadline and budgetary requirements. Supervision of assembly mechanics is also required.

Primary Duties:
Bicycle sales in person, online and via telephone.
Participate and help organize national and local trade shows and other organized events
Bike fitting
Interact with clients to select custom spec component packages
Maintain current pricing information from a variety of manufacturers and distributors
Purchase bicycle components from a variety of manufacturers and distributors
Perform high level/custom builds on road, mountain and commuter bicycles
Coordinate with frame production on custom build projects for clients
Assist in social media and marketing
Position is primarily weekdays, but occasional weekend work is necessary

Qualifications:
Three years minimum experience
Professional and thorough customer service skills
Attention to Detail
Familiarity with high-end bicycle components across all disciplines
Mechanical Aptitude- must be able to complete bicycle builds from bare frame
Ability to manage multiple and sometimes conflicting deadlines
An easygoing attitude
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Computer savvy, comfortable with MS Excel and Word
Strong organizational skills
Intermediate photography skills
Some College

Position is full time, compensation DOE

How to Apply
Please respond with cover letter, resume and salary history to info [at] renovobikes [dot] com No walk-in or mailed resumes will be accepted.

White Peugeot px-10 the white one 1970’s

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Year: 1970’s
Brand: Peugeot
Model: px-10 the white one
Color:White
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2012-01-19
Stolen From: the bike was stolen from our shed toward the back of our driveway, on SE 55th ave.
Neighborhood: South Tabor
Owner: Kyle Hoyer
OwnerEmail: khoyer01@comcast.net
Reward: $50
Description: a mid 70’s peugeot I think it is a px-10. The color is white, it has drop bars with no grips or wraps, red aluminum brake levers, and a very worn original leather saddle. and a small rack on the back. I really liked this bike and would like it back.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T1200630
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike