BikePortland

Instant celebrity and lock-free life with the Brompton

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Taking the Brompton to brunch at the Tin Shed.
(Photo: Amy Subach)

When I posted on Thursday that I’m headed out today for an east coast train and bike tour, Todd at Clever Cycles got in touch over Twitter right away with the offer of a bike loan.

That’s how I came to spend the weekend riding around town in sun, rain, snow, and ice on a bright green, lovingly built-up Brompton folding bike and with a big smile on my face.

I’ll be writing more about the Brompton as I travel (including photos) but after riding around all weekend, I have two things to say:

Rob Widmer in his company’s new
bike parking facility.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Widmer Brothers Brewing is well-known for their Hefeweizen beer and for being one of the nation’s pioneering craft brewers. But perhaps less well known is their commitment to the growing number of their 150 Portland employees who ride their bikes to work.

At their North Portland headquarters (on Russell Street off of N. Interstate Ave), Widmer just finished up a major expansion project. Along with more beer storage space, offices, and keg-filling capacity, they also added an entire building devoted to bike parking.

There were still plenty of smiles
at the Holiday Bike Drive yesterday.
(Photo by Chad Berkley)

As we reported yesterday, the Community Cycling Center‘s Holiday Bike Drive suffered a bit due to extreme weather conditions that kept many families away.

The event is their largest of the year and volunteers had readied well over 500 bikes to give to low-income kids. CCC communications director Alison Hill-Graves sent us an email with the following recap:

“We had a smaller, yet still incredible event despite that pesky storm. We had kids coming in until 3:30 and we still had staff and volunteers around to help. We ended up loading up about 400 bikes and getting them back up to North Portland where we keep them. We plan some kind of alternative event in January.”

Enjoying a carfree Peacock Lane.
(Photo by Greg Raisman)

Last night was the unofficial/official start of the annual Peacock Lane holiday light festival. For the first time ever this year, organizers decided to try a carfree night.

From all reports we heard, it was a big success. Not even snow, ice and frigid temps could keep people away from the lights and this “quintessential PDX experience” (as one reader put it). Not having to worry about cars in the street was icing on the cake.

Stay away from shiny spots.
Going south on N. Interstate Ave.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Now that was a bit scary.

I just arrived at our office in the Central Eastside after a challenging and harrowing ride from North Portland. I consider myself a pretty skilled rider, but with many streets covered in a sheet of ice, there’s really no chance of staying upright.

In Portland, fresh fallen snow is no impediment to biking.
(Photo © Greg Raisman from the BikePortland Flickr group)

[UPDATE, 10:50am: Event organizers say due to harsh weather, the event is being cut short. They will finish helping families that are already there, and anyone on the way, but doors will close shortly.]

Bikes await kids at last year’s
Holiday Bike Drive.(Photo © J. Maus)

With an Arctic blast of snow and wind hitting Portland this morning, and with images of closed roads and stranded cars streaming on the local TV news, the Community Cycling Center is grappling with what the weather might mean for their Holiday Bike Drive.

Over 500 bikes and hundreds of volunteers are all ready to go at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in North Portland this morning. However, Community Cycling Center communications director Alison Hill-Graves says a few families have already called to say they’re staying home.

It’s coming.
(Photo © J Maus)

What did you think of the Bicycle Film Festival that wraps up tonight with a after-party in Southeast Portland (the Sprockettes go on at 11:00!)?

Are you planning to do the Macaframa alleycat and then check the film afterward?

Are you prepping for the snow and freezing temps that are in the forecast? Or, if you’re reading this while the white stuff is already coming down — how’s the riding?

The Northeast Portland-based Community Cycling Center and their army of bike elves are all set to continue their 13-year Holiday Bike Drive tradition this weekend.

The event will provide refurbished bikes, new helmets, and basic safety education (delivered with fun) to well over 500 kids from low-income families in the region.

The bikes — which will be lined up for kids to choose on their own — have been donated throughout the year from more than 15 collection events. How long does it take to get all those bikes ready? The CCC says it took 1,000 volunteers over 3,000 hours to clean and repair them all.

Event poster
– Trailer below –

Macaframa, a movie about the culture around urban fixed-gear/track bike riding, will premiere in Portland on Sunday.

Prior to the event, organizers will host an alleycat race that begins in Southeast Portland at Colonel Summers Park (20th and Belmont) and ends with the screening at Backspace (115 NW 5th).

I have to admit, I don’t know much about Macaframa, but a few friends say the film is very well-made and the riding is amazing.

TriMet’s 7.3 mile Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project includes a new bridge that will cross the Willamette River. The bridge is poised to be the nation’s first-ever transit/bike/ped only crossing and TriMet, along with bridge designers and other project stakeholders have narrowed down the design to two — a cable-stay, or a “wave” design.

The adopted alignment leave the South Waterfront (south of the Marquam Bridge) and will land on the east side just south of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

“It appears the bike riders have gotten a little soft over the years…Just be careful, folks. It’s not Afghanistan.”
— Eugene resident Marty Casado in a letter in the Eugene Register-Guard about concerns over leaf piles in the bike lane

We’ve been following the issue of leaf piles as a danger to bike traffic both in Portland and, most recently, down in Eugene.

Bike advocates in Eugene are pressing the city to clean up the problem. Shane Rhodes is a Eugene-based bike advocate and has been active on the leaf issue. He’s also on the City of Eugene’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and sent us an update from their meeting last night. He also sent along the text of an entertaining letter to the editor from today’s Register-Guard newspaper and his response.

Instant celebrity and lock-free life with the Brompton

Widmer Bros. Brewery goes big for bike parking

Lots of bikes without homes, but still an “incredible” Holiday Bike Drive

Peacock Lane wrap-up: Lots of fun without the cars

My icy commute: How was yours?

The Monday Roundup

Update on Holiday Bike Drive: Staffers monitor weather [Updated]

Weekend Open Thread for films, snow and Peacock Lane

Holiday Bike Drive will make wishes come true this weekend

‘Macaframa’, alleycat will put focus on fixed-gear riding

Design options weighed for new transit/ped/bike bridge

Whining bikers and an update on the leaf pile issue from Eugene

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