🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏
Excuse me while I gloat…
KGW-TV (Portland’s NBC affiliate) traffic reporter Michael Convery said this afternoon’s surprise snowstorm is the worst he’s seen in his nearly 20-year career in the Portland region. In a report tonight, he shared tales of a 25 mile backup on I-5 south of Tigard, about 50 abandoned vehicles on Highway 26 between the Zoo and I-405, the Fremont Bridge as a “high-rise parking lot”, and so on.
In our coverage of the new bike boulevard on Spokane Street in Sellwood many of you have shared questions and concerns about the new “channelizer” islands that have been installed. The islands are meant to channel motor vehicle and bike traffic into specific areas at intersections to avoid pinch-point conflicts, but several readers have said they don’t plan on using them and others say they actually increase danger for people on bicycles.
Here’s how one commenter responded to them:
These channelizers are wonderful until you hit one at night and crash your bike and break your ribs. Like I did. What the hell are they supposed to do? I’ve been using this street for years and nobody warned me that someone would be pouring twenty tons of concrete in my path.
Could there possibly be a better way to welcome 2010 than with a bike ride? We don’t think so, and apparently we’re not the only ones. So far, we’ve gotten word of three bike rides planned for New Year’s Day.
For you adventurous souls who aren’t deterred by a 9:00 am New Year’s Day start time, check out the Up! and ATOM ride. Ride host Kristin Bott says ATOM stands for Ankeny/Thurman/Over-the-Mountain. Kristin’s ride will start on the east side and then head up to the Thurman gate near Forest Park. From there, they’ll head north to the St. Johns Bridge (on the highway, not through the park) and eventually head Southeast. If interested, contact Kristin via this message posted to the Shift List.
“….[Without a bike trailer] it would have been several times as much work to get 3 dozen trees, several hundred pounds of mulch, wood stakes, and several gallons of water to the entire 1/4 mile planting area.”
[This article was written by contributor Aaron Tarfman.]
On Saturday I went out to be a part of the Friends of Trees planting event along the I-205 path. The staging area was near the top of the hill by SE Alder St & SE 94th Ave.
I’ve volunteered with this group several times before and I appreciate the work that they do. I was also a little disturbed by some comments about the event made on BikePortland, and it was my hope to make a more positive impression. I don’t always have success with showing people the wisdom of human powered transportation, but it was worth bringing the trailer out to give it a try.
Year: 2006
Brand: Fiji
Model: Sanibel 1 ladies 3speed Cruiser
Color:Grey/Cream
Size:17
Serial: ICF5E16177
Stolen in Portland, OR 97213
Stolen:2009-12-27
Stolen From: Garage in fenced area
Neighborhood: Rose City Park
Owner: Gary Teters
OwnerEmail: garyteters@comcast.net
Description: Standard beach cruiser
Like new.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike
At our house, not a Christmas goes by without some bike-oriented gifts being exchanged, and this year was no exception.
The marquee bike gift at our house this year was my daughter’s new bike (thanks to her Grandma). As you can tell in the photo, she’s thrilled (more on the bike coming in a separate post)! Also, at long last, I finally scored a high quality home repair stand (a Park PCS-10 to be precise).
Then there was this “Missing” bike shirt from Threadless that my brother gave me. Check it out:
Here’s the news that caught our eye this week. Lots of good stuff here:
– Officials in Amsterdam are promoting and building infrastructure for a boom in electric cars, and encountering difficulties matching that goal with the city’s extremely high bike ridership.
– Meanwhile, a look at how the energy and carbon numbers would work out if Seattle switched entirely to electric cars shows that it’s hardly the silver bullet solution many hope, and no alternative to finding ways to eliminate dependence on cars.
– Milwaukee, Wisconsin will soon allow people on bikes to ride two abreast and require people in cars to check before opening their doors, but will ban what the bill refers to as “fancy” or “acrobatic” riding on city streets. The city’s little-enforced mandatory bike registration law is also set to be repealed; registration will become a voluntary amenity.
Year: 1999
Brand: Gary Fisher
Model: Paragon
Color:Faded yellow/red/black
Size:small adult
Stolen in portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2009-12-27
Stolen From: Right outside front door of apt complex, near SE Stark/30th
Neighborhood: SE Stark/Goodfoot
Owner: lee demick
OwnerEmail: leedemick@gmail.com
Description: Missing front derailer, has Judy RockShox on front. Smallish men’s mtn bike. Well-used, well-loved.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike
Year: 70’s
Brand: Raleigh
Model: Super-Record
Color:Blue
Size:56cm
Serial: ?
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2009-12-23
Stolen From: SE 17th and Division, front wheel locked to frame (bad idea).
Neighborhood: Divison
Owner: Pete De Lacy
OwnerEmail: pdelacyx@gmail.com
Description: Brewery stickers, everywhere. Black, non-machined Weinmann Fixed wheels. Flip and chop bars with a bottlecap held on by skull and crossbone tape (left only). SKS Stay Dry fender, rear light without batteries.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike
Year: 2009
Brand: Niner
Model: SIR9
Color:Gold
Size:Large
Serial: PY9160029
Stolen in Portland, OR 97266
Stolen:2009-12-25
Stolen From: Taken off my roof rack between 3:20 and 3:30 am near 21st & SE Clinton
Owner: Bob Libby
OwnerEmail: doghouse@canisstudio.com
Description: Large Niner SIR9 frame, gold, set up as a singlespeed
black Niner steel fork
Thomson setback seatpost/WTB saddle
Thomoson 100mm stem/Salsa flat bars, super wide, 11 degree sweep/Ergon grips
XTR M960 crank modified to singlespeed with a custom 32t red chainring
two fancy plasticky Specialized bottle cages
Crank Bros. pedals
BB7 brakes/Speed Dial levers
Stan’s Arch rear rim/black Hope Pro2 singlespeed hub with QR/Schwalbe Little Albert tire
may or may not still have a GPS mount on the right side of the bars
may or may not still have a rear fender ziptied to the seat tube
may or may not still have a front fender attached to the fork
may or may not still have a Mountain Feedbag handlebar bag
may be being ridden around with a 26″ or other obviously not correct front wheel, so probably has no functioning front brake
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: 09-114264
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike