🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏

Bicycling Mag: Portland-based Sapa will no longer make bikes

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Frames at the Sapa factory.
(Photo: Sapa)

Bicycling Magazine reports that Portland-based Sapa Extrusions — the largest U.S. bike maker — has decided to “Cease contract bicycle manufacturing operations.”

According to Bicycling’s Chris Lesser, Sapa churned out 75,000 to 90,000 frames at its peak in the year 2000. You likely haven’t heard of Sapa because they made frames for other brands, many of which were secret due to confidentiality agreements.

Apparently, the bike frame business wasn’t going well for Sapa. Here’s more from Bicycling:

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15 Giant (no decals) boulder se late

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Year: late
Brand: Giant (no decals)
Model: boulder se
Color:15
Size:dark maroon/purple
Stolen in Portland, OR 97205
Stolen:2011-12-05
Stolen From: outside of Living Room Theaters, 341 SW 10th Ave
Neighborhood: downtown Portland
Owner: Tyann P
OwnerEmail: tjprentice@gmail.com
Reward: a blissful conscience
Description: Giant Boulder SE (no decals) 15” steel frame mountain bike, dark maroon/purple paint, with slim/low profile steet tires and straight black handlebars. black plastic tire fender on rear.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T11009057
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Responding to feedback, BTA clarifies and modifies helmet policy

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Rabbit on his tall bike-1

BTA says they’ll oppose
mandatory helmet laws “if
a bill does not advance cycling
in Oregon.”
(Photo © J. Maus)

In an email to members this morning, Bicycle Transportation Alliance Board President Stephen Gomez wrote a letter offering, “Clarity on the BTA’s helmet stance.”

The letter comes in response to a new helmet policy released by the BTA back in October. That policy, which came after tallying results from a member survey on the issue, rubbed many in the community the wrong way.

The key part of the policy some people expressed disappoint in was this: “If confronted with a proposed mandatory helmet law, the BTA will not stand in opposition to the law. Neither will we devote resources to passing such a law.” While subtle, the new policy marked a shift toward a more pro-helmet stance than they’d had in the past. The BTA had previously been opposed — both philosophically and in practice — to laws that would make helmets mandatory for adults.

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red Trek Portland 2006

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Year: 2006
Brand: Trek
Model: Portland
Color:red
Size:road bike 54 cm
Serial: WL3363709
Photo: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/2740844781.html
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2011-12-6
Stolen From: Outside of the SloBar on MLK
Neighborhood: inner SE
Owner: Tamara Peterson
OwnerEmail: tam_gage@hotmail.com
Reward: yes!
Description: Bike stolen last night outside of the SloBar in Portland. This is my main mode of transportation. I want it back! Reward given w/ no questions asked. Please call 541-740-5322. It has tons of bumper stickers on it. (Burning man stickers and others.)

Crossing my fingers that someone will help!!!!

Tam
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

PBOT unveils major reforms to address budget crisis

Map shows PBOT’s new “streets of
citywide significance”.
– Download PDF-

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has released an update on their 2012-2013 budget situation. As we suspected, a major shrinking of their budget has resulted in a restructuring of how the bureau will prioritize spending. In other big news, PBOT Director Tom Miller has unveiled a set of “organizational evolutions” that will change the face of the bureau.

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black/silver Trek 7000

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Brand: Trek
Model: 7000
Color:black/silver
Serial: WPU105C0110D
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2011-12-6
Stolen From: from my laundry room! near SE Powell and SE 39th
Neighborhood: southeast portland
Owner: Sarah Weinstein
OwnerEmail: sarahrweinstein@gmail.com
Description: My bike had a U-lock on locked around the frame (it was in a locked room), an attachable light on the front, a red light screwed in on the back under the rack and front/back fenders.
Police record with: portland police
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Sidewalk in Tigard shows potential for suburban cycle tracks

Amsterdam? Nope: Tigard.

Is this a cycle track?
Not quite.
(Photos: Will Vanlue)

You may not think the city of Tigard (about 10 miles southwest of Portland) has anything in common with Amsterdam or Copenhagen.

The latter two cities are world-renowned for their bicycle facilities while Tigard is known mostly for its freeways and shopping malls.

But there is one thing Tigard has in common with Amsterdam and Copehnahgen: a paved, grade-separated path next to a sidewalk, which you might even call a “cycle track”.

If you’ve ridden your bicycle along Durham Road between SW 85th and 92nd Avenues you may have seen a double sidewalk, of sorts, in front of Tigard High School. One half is cement, the other half is asphalt.

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Hunter Green Windsor Tourist

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Brand: Windsor
Model: Tourist
Color:Hunter Green
Size:54 cm
Stolen in Seattle, WA 98103
Stolen:2011-10-24
Stolen From: Stolen from the basement bike rack (lock cut) of my apartment building
Neighborhood: Phinney Ridge
Owner: Lauren Smith
OwnerEmail: lauren.e.b.smith@gmail.com
Description: Hunter Green road bike/track frame with white writing "Tourist" and small white collegiate looking seal. Single chain ring on front, approximately 7 on rear. Cantilever brakes and full coverage front and rear fenders. The rear fender is a little loose, so the rear wheel rubs on the right side of it, causing the tire to be a bit worn down and leaving orange tire bits on the fender.
Police record with: Seattle PD
Police reference#: 2011-354080

TriMet releases on-board video of “hard stop” that avoided bike rider

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Still from TriMet video that shows
near-collision (upper left).
-Watch video below-

Last Friday night, a TriMet bus operator had to make an extremely abrupt stop in order to avoid hitting someone on a bike. According to eyewitness accounts, the bike rider did not stop at a stop sign.

TriMet just released footage from the on-board camera. Mary Fetsch with TriMet media relations says the footage shows, “how close the bike was to the front of the bus.”

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‘Positive Spin’: A new column for good news

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A bad situation made good.
(Photos by Craig Harlow)

Welcome to the first post in a new series we’re calling ‘Positive Spin’.

Every now and again I get emails from readers with warm and fuzzy stories or I come across them on the various email lists I subscribe to. Recently, someone asked if there was anywhere on BikePortland where people could post good news or positive interactions they have with other people — whether it be out on the streets or otherwise. There wasn’t. So, after thinking it over and coming across what I thought would make a great opening story, here we are.

The story below was posted to the Active Right of Way (AROW, a local transportation advocacy group) email list by citizen activist Russ Willis with the subject line of “thanks, Craig”.

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Latest Headlines

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From the Archives

Portland’s invisible machine: Behind the scenes at the World Naked Bike Ride