🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏

Want a cargo bike? Build your own, “hillbilly” style

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Tom LaBonty's custom cargo bikes-22

Learn how to make one yourself.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Remember Tom LaBonty? He’s the Lents Neighborhood resident who builds home-made, “hillbilly-type” cargo bikes in his backyard. Since we profiled Tom back in August he’s picked up a few customers, launched TomsCargoBikes.com, and now he wants to share his methods with the world.

Tom has launched a do-it-yourself cargo bike building guide. The guide features a slideshow with instructions on how to take two used bikes and convert them into a front-loading, bakfiets-style cargo bike.

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From the Shift email list: When cars attack (homes, not bikes)

When cars attack.
(Screen shot from The Oregonian)

Yesterday, someone posted a message to the Shift email list nominating a “thread of the year”. It was a post from back in June and I thought it was funny enough to share.

The email was titled “Was the house wearing a helmet?” and it was posted by Joe R. on June 22nd. Spurred by a story in The Oregonian about a car that plowed into a house in Beaverton (and a similar story from April), he wondered to the list’s 770 members — “Has anyone noticed the high frequency of cars that hit buildings in Oregon?”

Joe wrote:

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green Ironhorse Maverick

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Brand: Ironhorse
Model: Maverick
Color:green
Size:26″
Stolen in Portland, OR 97210
Stolen:2009-12-22
Stolen From: The blue bike rack on the east side of 21st Ave just north of Glisan. Just outside of Virgo and Picses. This happened sometime before 530 A.M. today Teusday December 22nd.
Neighborhood: NW (Nob Hill)
Owner: Helgi Olafson
OwnerEmail: orchidude561@yahoo.com
Reward: $50
Description: My bike is green. I don’t have a pic sorry. black tires. Back one is a little worn. dual suspension. gears shift on handlebars. Caliper brakes. Front and rear fenders( front on is zip-tied on). Light in front is attached with two pipe clamps to the handlebar on the left side of the steering column. Some of the cables are frayed slightly. There is a fanny pack under the frame below the seat. Sits right above the spring. The rear light is attached with a velcro strap.
Police record with: awaiting callback
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

White/Silver Trek: Gary Fisher Tiburon (Step Through) 2003

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Year: 2003
Brand: Trek: Gary Fisher
Model: Tiburon (Step Through)
Color:White/Silver
Size:15L
Serial: C37CN761
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2009-12-22
Stolen From: 3205 NE Davis St., Portland OR
Neighborhood: Laurelhurst
Owner: Sylvia Lurie
OwnerEmail: shlurie@spiritone.com
Reward: $100
Description: Black wire baskets mounted on rear wheel,mirror on end of left handle bar, bell and lights on handle bar, rear lights, lock/cable attached, gray Trek helmet
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: 09-113288
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Is a car-free city top on your wishlist? Join the Ghost Christmas Ride

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Winter Wonderland-Bike Night at PIR-10

Santa took to two wheels
at the Winter Wonderland bike
night at PIR.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Something happens to Portland sometimes, transforming it into a different city entirely — when it snows, or when the power goes out, or on major holidays, the city becomes strangely quiet but also wonderfully alive, with strangers greeting each other on the street, friends and family walking in groups to neighborhood businesses, and a general spirit of calm and good cheer.

It isn’t magic or rocket science: It’s just what happens when everyone lets their car sit in the driveway.

And it’s happening again on Friday. Work, school, and most stores are shut down for Christmas; and for a large percentage of Portlanders, the morning is reserved for drinking coffee and opening gifts in your pajamas. The streets will be empty, and at least one group of souls will be out there riding freely through them.

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Portland has a new bike fashion start-up: Gear

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A reader has sent word that Portland has a new fashion start-up focusing solely on bike-able threads. According to their still-under-construction website, Gear offers “functional, fashionable bicycle clothing” that is designed and manufactured right here in Portland.

Here are a few photos from their website:

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Sellwood gets city’s first “next generation” bike boulevard

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New “channelizing islands” at SE 7th and Spokane.
(Photo: Alaya Wyndham-Price)

On Saturday, the City of Portland hosted a party and bike ride on SE Spokane Street in Sellwood to celebrate the opening of a new bike boulevard. The project’s significance goes way beyond the speed bumps, “channelizers”, and other infrastructure changes and marks what the Bureau of Transportation calls the “next generation” of bike boulevards in Portland.

PBOT unveiled plans for the Spokane Bike Boulevard nearly a year ago and we took a closer look at how the project was shaping up earlier this month.

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Newswire: PBOT to conduct crosswalk enforcement with Police in Southeast

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Contact:
Dan Anderson, public information officer
503-823-3723
dan.anderson@ci.portland.or.us

MEDIA ADVISORY
Bureau of Transportation to conduct crosswalk enforcement with Police on Wed. in SE

WHAT
A crosswalk enforcement action includes one or more pedestrian decoys strategically positioned at locations that have marked or unmarked crosswalks and a fair amount of pedestrian activity. Drivers that fail to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk may be issued a warning or given a citation by police. Pedestrians that jaywalk may receive warnings or citations.

WHY
Members of the community have expressed their concerns about pedestrian safety at this location. Crosswalk enforcement actions are an opportunity to educate the community about Oregon crosswalk laws and enforce the law. Pedestrians are at risk in traffic – approximately one-third of traffic-related fatalities in Portland are pedestrians and bicyclists. Half of all vehicle-pedestrian crashes occur at an intersection or crosswalk. Crosswalk enforcement actions have proven to be an effective way to communicate pedestrian right of way laws.

WHO
Portland Bureau of Transportation staff and Portland Police Traffic Division

WHEN
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Crosswalk enforcement actions are conducted monthly.

WHERE
Unmarked crossing on SE 17th at Marion

Two tone blue Raleigh Cadent 2006?

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Year: 2006?
Brand: Raleigh
Model: Cadent
Color:Two tone blue
Size:Small: ~49cm
Photo: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/raleigh/images/2006-Cadent-1-blue-f.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2009-12-22
Stolen From: On SE Belmont and 24th, just outside the restaurant “Wild Abandon”.
Neighborhood: Buckman
Owner: Anna Streuli
OwnerEmail: annastreuli@gmail.com
Description: The bike had custom cut front and back standard black planet bike fenders, a black pannier rack on the back, and SPD pedals. There is a sticker on the down tube of the frame that reads “Grinders – Rice Lake, WI”.There is some white grip tape wrapped around just a small portion of the handle bars, the part closest to the head tube.
Police record with: Reporting line closed for the evening, will update tomorrow a.m.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red Nishiki Sebring ?

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Year: ?
Brand: Nishiki
Model: Sebring
Color:Red
Size:24 in?
Serial: G0483 3577627
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2009-12-17
Stolen From: It was stolen from inside my apartment building, which is only a 4 plex. On the top floor. You need a key in order to get into the building and up the stairs. The building is the red stucco building on NE 24th & Hoyy, off of Sandy Blvd.
Neighborhood: NE/Laurelhurst/Kerns
Owner: Leah Bonaduce
OwnerEmail: leahbonaduce@hotmail.com
Description: It had the straight handle bars, not the touring kind. It was in really good condition. Went missing from inside my apartment building sometime wednesday night or early thursday. There was a lock holder for a kryptonite lock under the seat area.
Police record with: 09113094
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

From the publisher’s desk: BikePortland needs you

It’s not often that I use this space to share what’s going on behind-the-scenes at BikePortland. But with another year gone by and as we head into our fifth anniversary, I figured it was time to check in.

2009 has brought more changes to BikePortland than any year in our history — both for me personally and on the business side of things.

The site itself, which for years was the work of myself alone, is now a team effort. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not just a blog anymore (I should put that on a t-shirt!). We’ve added features and refined existing ones, we do more (and better) events than ever before, and — thanks to the help of Elly Blue — we’ve assembled an excellent crew of interns and contributors.

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