BikePortland

Bike racing rules at PIR on Mondays: A Short Track slideshow

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Whooping it up at Short Track.
-Slideshow below/Gallery–
(Photos © J. Maus)

Made it out to the Short Track MTB Racing series at Portland International Raceway last night.

It was a very healthy scene. Organizer/promoter Kris Schamp is getting nearly 400 participants each Monday and it’s easy to see why. The vibe is fun and welcoming and the course is a real treat (although last night’s was pretty tough on folks).

What’s even more amazing about Monday nights at PIR is there’s also road racing going on. Jim Anderson’s River City Race Monday Night series brings in a solid crowd of masters and women racers. To see them flying around the track just yards from mountain bike racers kicking up dust, is a real testament to the health of Portland’s race scene.

Cover of report that was squelched
by NHTSA for political reasons.
See report at NYTimes.com.

The New York Times reported yesterday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) kept the public in the dark about research that warned about the risks of distracted driving.

The information is now coming to light thanks to Freedom of Information Act requests by two advocacy groups (the NY Times has published the entire body of research).

Interviewed by the NY Times, the former head of the NHTSA said:

“… he was urged to withhold the research to avoid antagonizing members of Congress who had warned the agency to stick to its mission of gathering safety data but not to lobby states.”

Year: 2007
Brand: Scott
Model: SpeedsterS-60
Color:Black
Size:26
Serial: H7z2027548
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2009-07-21
Stolen From: 2400 Se Taylor
PDX 97214
Neighborhood: Sunnyside
Owner: Katherine Karnezis
OwnerEmail: katherine.Karnezis@gmail.com
Reward: $25
Description: call 503 233 3335 or 320 2899
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

A bike shop that makes house calls

NoPo Mobile Bike Shop at Miss. St. Fair-3

Dennis Kelly, proprietor of the
North Portland Mobile Bike Shop.
(Photos © J. Maus)

There seems to be no shortage of bike shops in Portland. But, if you stare at a map of the metro area long enough, you’ll notice that there are still pockets of the city without a shop nearby. There are also some folks who need repairs and maintenance, but who don’t have the time to roll into a shop.

That’s where 58-year old Dennis Kelly and his North Portland Mobile Bike Shop comes in.

Kelly is yet another bike-centric entrepreneur who moved to Portland specifically to work in the bike business. Kelly tells us he got his start riding and working on bikes back in the “great bike boom” of the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until about three years that he decided he wanted work on bikes for a living.

A cul-de-sac near Fernhill Park saw a lot of
action Sunday.
-Slideshow below/Gallery–
(Photos © J. Maus)

On Sunday, thousands of Portlanders got a chance to explore Northeast Portland in a way they’ve never done so before. From the gorgeous homes on the Alameda bluffs to the outskirts of the Alberta Arts district, they walked, jogged and biked like they owned the street (and for six hours, they did).

The second of three Sunday Parkways events planned by the Bureau of Transportation this year, the Northeast edition boasted nearly seven miles of carfree streets. Three parks (Alberta, Fernhill, and Wilshire) were connected via a steady stream of Portlanders of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Year: 2009
Brand: KHS
Model: Urban Xpress
Color:Black
Size:Medium
Stolen in Beaverton, OR 97005
Stolen:2009-07-17
Stolen From: In front of Best Buy in Beaverton.
Owner: Christopher Green
OwnerEmail: dmmagic@gmail.com
Description: When it was stolen, it had a large bike lock still attached.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Cycle Oregon hosts weekend of riding on the best roads in the state

Norm Saager and Ellen Brown liked the event
so much they got married at the start
line and then rode the course on their tandem.
-Slideshow below/Gallery-
(Photos © J. Maus)

Over the weekend, Western Oregon University in Monmouth served as base camp for over 1,800 people from all over the region (and country). They came to experience the legendary hospitality and bike riding Cycle Oregon is known for.

Cycle Oregon (the week-long version) has been going on for over 20 years, but for everyone who can’t take a week off during September and/or ride 60-80 miles a day for a week, there’s the Weekend Ride. In addition to being less physically (and financially) demanding than the full-length version, it is also fast-becoming the hot ticket for biking families.

Year: 2008
Brand: Novara
Model: Transfer
Color:chartreuse green
Size:Men’s 21″
Serial: U87Y10650
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35015557@N05/3739532621/
Stolen in Portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2009-07-18
Stolen From: 51st and Hawthorne, across the street from The Sapphire Hotel and Albina Press on July 19th, in the late evening.
Neighborhood: SE Portland, Hawthorne and 51st, Mt. Tabor neighborhood
Owner: Amanda Young
OwnerEmail: milli_bug@mac.com
Reward: $100
Description: My bright chartreuse green 2008 Novara Transfer commuter bike was stolen Saturday July 18th on 51st and Hawthorne). 🙁 If any of you have seen it, please contact me at 971-998-9446. Keep an eye out around the SE, please!! No one has a bike like it, it’s custom so it’s easy to spot. It even has a logo on it that reads “green bike.org” and/or “green bike project”. It has Shimano Gear shift and breaks. It has a rack on the back that is part of the bike frame. It is a men’s 21″ bike. This bike was used in a promotional rid to work program sponsered by King County of Washington. The mils for the bike were reached and the bike was rewarded for all the riding I did— so this bike has serious sentimental value!!! Any help and/or leads would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Amanda Young
Police record with: Officer Bean
Police reference#: 09638859
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Local author writes ‘Cycling in Italy’ guidebook

[Publisher’s note: This article is by first-time BikePortland contributor Lucy Burningham, a local freelance writer and familiar face at bike events. Burningham writes here about the new book release of her fellow Lonely Planet travel guide author Ellee Thalheimer — who you may recognize from her past contributions to BikePortland.]

Ellee Thalheimer doing important research for
her travel guide to cycling in Italy

When Lonely Planet’s new Cycling in Italy guidebook comes out this month, Portland author Ellee Thalheimer will join the growing ranks of local writers publishing cycling titles (think Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie, Jeff Mapes, or Shawn Granton).

Thalheimer, a freelance writer, yoga instructor, and bike touring guide, spent three months last summer pedaling her way across Italy, churning out centuries and perfecting the art of moving her fully loaded bicycle on and off trains by herself.

Philadelphia could follow Baltimore’s lead (seen here)
in converting parking meter poles
into bike racks like this one.
(Photo © Elly Blue)

A long list of interesting news articles in the last week, spanning the transportation spectrum:

– US Transpo Sec’y LaHood writes on his blog that 55 mpg is not enough — “If we want to reduce transportation carbon emissions, we need to reduce the amount of driving we do.”

– The EU is considering a law that would automatically assign fault to the person driving the car in a fatal crash with someone on foot or on a bike. There is some nasty backlash against this, in part due to the expected commensurate increase in car insurance rates.

– The New York Times has a long feature on the disconnect between the research that overwhelmingly shows the dangers of talking on the phone and texting while driving and the unwillingness of lawmakers and the public at large to ban these behaviors.

Year: 2004
Brand: Raleigh
Model: sc40
Color:Dark Blue/Silver
Size:? “pretty big”
Photo: http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/2910/bikeraleighnat.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2009-07-20
Stolen From: SE Morrison St and SE 34th ave, in front of The Belmont Dairy Apartments.
Neighborhood: SE Belmont
Owner: Natalie Poulton
OwnerEmail: nat2p2@gmail.com
Description: Large gel replacement seat, has a chunk missing on top/rear. Big scrape on paint on main frame. Connector for light on handlebars and rear of bike.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

blue/white zap ez pro 2009

Year: 2009
Brand: zap ez pro
Color:blue/white
Photo: http://www.zapworld.com/
Stolen in portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2009-07-16
Stolen From: 28th and Belmont corner house across from the Laundry Mat. The guys name is apparently Smitty. He is around 60, grey hair. was staying with people on a couch, so don’t think he has a permanent place to live.
Neighborhood: Belmont
Owner: quincy rayne
OwnerEmail: purplegecko@comcast.net
Reward: $50.
Description: This is a three wheeled electric scooter. I had an extra battery pack on top of the main battery compartment. The battery was in a soft six pack cooler and attached with two blue ropes with ratchet tighteners. There was a cable lock attached to the seat bar. I had two back packs, one blue and the other black. The blue one had a bunch of tools, charger, bike pump, a rain jacket in it’s own pack. The other pack was black and had a bunch of bungy cords in it. This unit looks like a tricycle without pedals, you can stand or sit on a very large seat. Everything is Blue and White. On the main battery compartment it says ZAP EZ. It is a 36volt electric scooter that I use bcuz I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. It also had my handicapped vehicle tag taped to the handlebar.
Police record with: 09-=063068
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Bike racing rules at PIR on Mondays: A Short Track slideshow

NY Times: Federal agency withheld warnings about distracted driving risks

Black Scott SpeedsterS-60 2007

A bike shop that makes house calls

Northeast neighborhoods shine in Sunday Parkways spotlight

Black KHS Urban Xpress 2009

Cycle Oregon hosts weekend of riding on the best roads in the state

chartreuse green Novara Transfer 2008

Local author writes ‘Cycling in Italy’ guidebook

The Monday Roundup

Dark Blue/Silver Raleigh sc40 2004

blue/white zap ez pro 2009

Latest Headlines

‘Better Sheridan’ project brings safer street to South Waterfront

Your guide to finding the ‘Wildwood’ crows by bike

My journey to that ‘Hard Rock glow’

Off-Road Cycling Master Plan: A decade later, what has changed?

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland