Update: Pedalpalooza planning in full swing!

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kick off parade

[From the ’05 Kickoff Parade]

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages…the world’s largest festival of bike fun is set to commence June 8-24th. That’s right folks, planning for Pedalpalooza 2006 has officially begun.

What’s Pedalpalooza? It’s two weeks of creative, fun, bike craziness that has happened every year since Portland hosted BikeSummer back in 2002. To get an idea of how big and amazing this event is, look no further than last year’s calendar, which included a Bike Kiss-in, a Clown House Circus, and an Atomic War Preparedness Ride just to name a few.

There’s always an official Kickoff Parade and the whole thing is capped off by the Multnomah County Bike Fair, a “one-day carnival of mayhem, music, a midway of activities and an arena of events.”

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Stolen: Redline Conquest

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[Posted by “Kim”]

Please Keep a Look Out For My 54cm Redline Conquest Tour!

Hello all, my six month old Redline Conquest Tour that I loved so dearly was stolen from PSU on Thursday the 23rd of February. It is a red 54cm roadbike, serial number S(or 5?)3IK00219. Any tips towards it’s recovery would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Kim
(justkim83@hotmail.com)

City wants feedback on new signs

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BTA New Year's Day Ride

[Nice signs, but do they work?]

Have you seen these signs popping up around town? They’re officially known as bikeway network signs and according to City of Portland bicycle coordinator Roger Geller, there are finally enough of them installed that you should be able to rely on them to find your way. But just to make sure, Roger wants us to test them out and let him know where improvements can be made.

He’s sent me a special map of the city’s bike routes with a boundary drawn (in red) around where the signs have gone up. So if you have a few extra minutes, pick out a destination on one of these signs and see if you can get there without any wrong turns. If you already know your way around, try and act like you’re new in town and let the signs be your guide. Or better yet, encourage your less-bikey family and friends to use them and see what they think.

But before you give feedback, Roger wants to share the following:

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Bike thief wants job, gets arrested instead

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I can’t get enough of stolen bike recovery stories. This one, involving a bike recently listed here, is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

On Monday a reader named “jeffcycles” got his beloved Eddy Merckx stolen from the PSU campus. He quickly spread the word and told everyone he knew to keep an eye out for it.

A few days later the thief walked into a local restaurant with the bike in tow, wanting to apply for a job. The hostess at the restaurant was a cyclist and could tell that something was fishy with the bike. She could tell it didn’t quite fit with the guy so she asked him a few questions about it. Not satisfied with his responses she got on the phone and called her friend, who happens to be a bike shop mechanic and member of the PSU Cycling Club.

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Free “Village Bicycle Tour” happens Sunday

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Two local non-profits are teaming up to spread the word about their programs with a free bike tour through Southeast Portland. The Portland Peace and Justice Center and City Repair will host the Village Bicycle Tour this Sunday.

The 2.5 hour ride will be a guided tour of City Repair’s community-building projects around Southeast Portland. According to organizers, the ride is “designed to give riders an intro to City Repair, followed up by an infoshare on the Sustainable Energy in Motion Bike Tours that are organized by the Portland Peace and Justice Center.” There will also be a free vegan lunch at the end of the ride.

More details and an RSVP sign up form are available on the event website.

Stolen: Jamis Dakar

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[Posted by “Eric”]

My black Jamis Dakar Sport was stolen in NW Portland sometime between 2/22 and 2/24.

It’s a 15″ fully suspended bike with disk brakes and clipless pedals.

It does not have a front wheel…I kept that in my apartment.

Any info would be awesome!

Thanks,

Eric
503-679-0601
ericmerg69@aol.com

Stolen: Yellow/Black Merckx – Recovered!

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[Posted by “jeffcycles”]

Merckx (repainted yellow front/black rear) stolen 2-22-06 PSU campus

This bike was stolen from PSU campus the morning of 2.20.06 between 10:00 and 11:00 outside the Lincoln building. It was built up as a fixed gear. Black Bontrager rims laced to silver Surly hubset. Black Shimano 105 crankset and silver King headset.

BTA against proposed Parks cut

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Acting under a mandate from City Hall to chop 3% from their budget, the Parks Department has put the Senior Parks and Trails Planner position on the chopping block. The BTA is concerned about the loss of this position and is urging City Council to reinstate this position.

According to the BTA this is a position that would “have significant impacts on the City’s ability to improve trails and parks.” From a recent post on the BTA blog:

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Update: Report on Traffic Enforcement Action

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Traffic Enforcement Action NE 7th & Knott

[*Update: Here’s a link to the story and video from the KATU TV news coverage]

Just got back from this morning’s Traffic Enforcement Action that was held at the intersection of NE Knott and 7th. These actions are a joint effort between the City of Portland Office of Transportation and the Portland Police Bureau. The goal is to raise awareness of neighborhood traffic laws, especially stop sign enforcement.

On the scene were bike activists Elly Blue, Jasun Wurster and Mark Ginsberg (also a bike lawyer), the Commander of the traffic division Bill Sinnott, city traffic safety specialist Greg Raisman, and John Canda, director of the NE Coalition of Neighborhoods. The media that showed up included KATU television and KPAM radio.

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Alberta Park has big plans for bike polo

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Bike Polo, Alberta Park, 6/12/05

[Polo at Alberta Park]

The Friends of Alberta Park are loyal supporters of bike polo. They understand that polo players are an asset to the park and the neighborhood and they have been trying to work out an agreement with Portland Parks and Recreation that would allow polo to flourish without the threat of being banned.

Recently, those talks have included not only allowing polo to continue at the park but to make the southeast tennis courts an official venue for the sport.

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From the Archives

Protestor blocks bus and bike lanes on Division with his car