Reader email from Iraq

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

I love emails from readers. They run the gamut from people seeking advice to diatribes about this or that bike issue. I got one last Friday that I won’t soon forget. It was sent (along with this photo) from a soldier in Iraq named Joe:

“Jonathan, I really enjoy your website and can’t wait to get back to Fort Lewis to do some more cycling in the Northwest! I’ll be coming down to Portland as soon as my deployment in Iraq is complete. In the meantime, I’ve been doing my stationary cycling on my spinner in order to keep in shape for the STP. Thanks for supporting the great cycling of the NW!”

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Local family returns from Asian adventure

[Allan, Carrie and Cody Folz;
home and happy.]

Allan, Carie and two year-old Cody Folz have just returned from a bike tour through southeast Asia. They pedaled the roads of Laos and Thailand on their tandem with Cody in a child seat. The photo on the right was taken just minutes after they returned to their home in North Portland.

Welcome back guys!

I’ve enjoyed Allan and Carrie’s engaging emails from the road…and now you can too. If you’d like to read some great travel writing, Ayleen Crotty has posted all some of their reports on her ORBike.com blog.

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Zoobomb pile stolen and dumped in the river?

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

I’m not sure if this is an April Fools prank or the real thing, but this message has just been posted in the Zoobomb forum:

“Your “Zoo Run” is over!!!! your bikes are gone. You can forget about them. They didn’t float. The whole thing is tired and you should all get jobs or do something productive. We are all sick of you and your lame shinanagans. Give it up. You are a traffic hazard and a threat to safety. Stop before you kill someone. You just suck!!!!!!

Sincerely,
FED UP!!!”

And here’s the reaction from a veteran Zoobomber:

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Breakfast, blossoms and bikes

Breakfast on the Bridges March 06
Family riding on the Waterfront

[The Rickman Family]

It’s a fantastic day for cycling in Portland. I got up early to join friends on the Hawthorne Bridge for free pastries and coffee from Shift’s Breakfast on the Bridge crew. The sun welcomed cheery commuters and the conversation flowed as nicely as the hot coffee…

Saw some cool bikes too. Here’s a list of my favorites:

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Portland Rock Gym loans U-locks

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rock gym bike rack

Portland Rock Gym has a cool little program to help keep their customer’s bikes safe. They have a big sign on their rack (see photo) that says “Cable locks are not secure”. Then, they take it a step further by loaning out U-locks to members that need one.

According to Yuval, the gym’s manager, they’ve had 2 or 3 bikes stolen recently and the club felt terrible that this happened on their property. He also added, “it’s not that expensive and it’s a good service to our customers.”

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First look: New city border signs to feature bikes

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Portland has recently been named the best city in America for both walking and biking and the City wants to spread the word. They’re going to put up 22 new signs touting this great news that will be placed right below existing “Welcome to Portland” signs on all major highways leading into the city. For the first time ever, city traffic engineers are asking for our input on the design of these signs.

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Stolen: Black Surly

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[Posted by username “beer powered bike”]

black surly cross check bike was stolen from 28th and burnside on the night of 3-27-06. serial#M5060881

The Surly was a single speed cross check less than 3 months old. it had black surly flip flop hubs with a 17t white industries freewheel on one side and 17t surly fixed cog on opposite side, black spokes, blue deep v velocity rims, salsa stem and bars, cane creek brake levers and canti brakes, crank brothers mallet pedals and sugino aluminum cranks. the frame was a 50 cm and had a couple scratches on the top tube. the bike had been locked with master lock street cuffs please call me, josh at 503-756-5674 or at work 503-646-6363 at the beaverton bike n hike

Bike-themed creperie to open on Alberta Street

[Photo by Ethan Jewett/Stickeen]

Local entrepreneur and bike lover Brenda Drain is opening Tour de Crepes in mid-April. She’s taking over the former space occupied by Fold at 2921 NE Alberta. Prior to the opening, she’ll have a special preview event tomorrow at the Last Thursday ArtWalk.

I first met Brenda when she was part-owner of Urban Grind Coffee and I was organizing the BikeCraft event last December. Brenda is a great supporter of cycling and was also a gracious host of Shift’s monthly meetings at Urban Grind. In the past few years Brenda has become an everyday cyclist herself and often commutes and rides around town with her daughters in tow.

Besides the name, which came to Brenda while out on a ride, Tour de Crepes will have several bike-inspired touches. Here’s more from Brenda:

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Bike theft out of hand, Police want to help

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What the heck is going on? Seems like every time I log on there are more stolen bikes to publish. There are 107 listed so far and I’m averaging about one a day for the past 2 months…and that’s only what gets listed here! There are surely many other bikes stolen throughout the city every day.

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Latest Headlines

Yamhelas Westsider Trail supporters organize against latest threat to its future

Botanical garden on Willamette River would come with new section of NP Greenway path

Steel Bridge path closure cuts off key bike route (again)

ODOT investigating changes to Highway 43 after death of bicyclist

From the Archives

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