🚨 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 🙏

A few reasons you don’t want to miss BikeCraft this weekend

BikeCraft IV-58

This pretty much sums up BikeCraft.
(Photos © J. Maus)

This weekend is our 6th annual BikeCraft holiday gift fair and you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t come and check it out.

For the first time, we’ll have the doors open for two days to accomodate your busy schedule. Swing by 15 NE Hancock (just north of Broadway and right off Williams) anytime this weekend between 10 am and 6pm to be a part of the BikeCraft magic. As if you needed more convincing, I’ve prepared a short list of why you should be there…

Read more

BTA clarifies legal tweaks they’ll push for in Salem

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

As we reported on Tuesday, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is using the upcoming legislative session as a rebuilding year. Coming off a rough session in 2009 and accepting the reality of Oregon’s economic situation, instead of pushing for major new laws or funding bills, the BTA will focus on two minor tweaks to laws already in the books. Yesterday on their blog, the BTA clarified the changes they hope to make to the Vulnerable Roadway Users (VRU) law and the law that allows any Oregon resident to initiate violation proceedings against another party.

To improve the VRU law — which ups the consequences for vehicle operators who kill or seriously injure “vulnerable users of the roadway” — the BTA will look to do two things. The first, is to add driving with a suspended or revoked license as one of the violations (careless driving is the sole trigger now) that would trigger the law. The second is to clarify how police officers write up the citations when they suspect the VRU law should come into play. Here’s how the BTA explains it:

Read more

Weekend Event Guide

BikeCraft V-122

BikeCraft is this weekend!

This weekend is plump with great rides and events, including a few regular favorites and several long-awaited treats that only come once a year. Choose your own adventure and ride safely!

Friday, December 3rd

6:00pm-9:00pm: First Friday Art by Bike
This free monthly art gallery tour of inner Southeast and Northeast Portland hosted by Pedal Bike Tours offers visits to a handful of great locations in the Central Eastside Arts District’s First Friday art openings, and they’ll even let you borrow a bike, lights, and a helmet if you need one during the tour. Ride meets and ends downtown at 133 SW 2nd Ave at 6:00pm.

Read more

PSU Engineering school to host e-bike display

Neat event coming up for e-bike fans this Sunday from 1-4 at PSU Engineering Building atrium (1930 SW 4th). Here’s the blurb, followed by event flyer:

Local builders of electric vehicles will be displaying their creations to showcase the present state of electric vehicle engineering and technology and to allow local electric vehicle builders to meet. Open to the public, especially those interested in “green” transportation and recent developments in electric bicycle engineering and small electric vehicles.

Event is sponsored by the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Endless Sphere web forum.

Wanted: Your feedback about comments on BikePortland

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
favorites chart

Results from our recent reader survey: 49% say comments
are their “least favorite” part of the site.

I want to share a few things regarding comments here on BikePortland.

Regular readers know that my efforts to foster quality, productive, and respectful comments has been (and will continue to be) a work in progress. I place an extremely high value on comments, giving them equal weight and consideration as the words I publish in stories. What this means is that I willingly spend a lot of time reading them, responding to them and editing and/or deleting them when necessary.

Read more

Ask BikePortland: Can a front bike light be too bright?

Bike Light Parade

Being seen doesn’t have to
cause temporary blindness.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Today’s question comes from reader Chris M. Chris wonders if there’s such a thing as a front bike light that’s just too bright..

“I’ve been blinded on my morning commute a few times too many. This afternoon while riding north from Sellwood on the Springwater, I was blinded by a dual strobe light on a bike coming towards me.

It seems that some folks have lights that can literally be seen from a mile away and become blinding within a block when I’m riding against them. It’s difficult for me to see the road in front of me and it can’t be that different for our friends in cars. How bright is too bright for a front light?

I doubt there’s a standard, but does anyone else think that there is such a thing as too bright?”

Read more

White Cannondale

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: Cannondale
Color:White
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2010-11-27
Stolen From: My front Porch. At 17th and Knapp
Owner: Michael DePaul
OwnerEmail: mdepaul@lclark.edu
Description: It’s a white cannondale. It has two different tires. one is black and new, the other has green stripes and is older. there are half clips on the pedals.

It has blue handlebar tape
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Latest Headlines

Five rides to roll in the new year

Video: Good bike infrastructure vs bad drivers

Merry Christmas! Portland’s upgraded automated speed cameras are ticketing drivers once again

Monday Roundup: Golden gravel route, too bad for Rad, Uber is sad, and more

From the Archives

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