Catching up with Sacha White

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Vanilla Bicycles shop sign
[Sacha’s new sign]

Met with Sacha (the man behind Vanilla Bicycles) today to talk about a project we’re working on and he mentioned some very cool news.

First, he’s commissioned Dan Gillsdorf of Atlas Tattoo to design the first-ever, limited edition Vanilla Bicycles poster. I didn’t see the sketches, but Sacha says it will be in the style of a vintage, art-nouveau advertisement and will feature his wife and daughter riding on their Vanilla stepthrough city bike with the cityscape in the background and something about a flock of swallows flying around. Sounded very cool.

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Stolen: Mongoose

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I had my ten year old Specialized stolen last wed. I really loved the the bike but hadn’t put any really hard miles on it until I moved to PDX. I just started to bike as a full time mode of transport this spring and I really started to love my Specialized as I know the difference between riding a good bike and pap.

Two weeks ago my Rockhopper was stolen (someone cut my lock) I was heartbroken. I filed a report and kind of got over it. Then two days later I bought a used Mongoose from the Community Cycling Center. I had it for less than two weeks when it was taken in what was basicly a snatch and grab. it wasn’t locked but was less then Five feet from me and I let it out of my sight for less than five seconds. They also got my checkbook, my wallet, all or my credit cards and much more. The model # for my Mongoose is 938258

the serial # for it is m99x0354903 I think as the seller added an / through some 0s and not on others.

The Serial # on my Specialized is PQ546400 . In the last theaft they also got my checkbook, my wallet with all of my credit cards ans prety much everything as far as my identidy. please help.

My chat with Commander Bill

Bill Sinnott

Yesterday I met with Bill Sinnott, Commander of the Traffic Division of the Portland Police. First, I want to thank everyone who emailed and left comments with questions for him. I printed them all up and left a copy with him so he could see first-hand what’s on your mind.

You might be thinking…isn’t this site about bikes? What do cops have to do with it? Good question. The fact is that the cops – especially the Traffic Division – effect our experience as cyclists in many ways; they interact with us at Critical Mass, they try and keep our streets safe, and they’re involved if/when we get in a serious crash with a motorist.

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“Everybody Bike!” T-shirts are here!

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Just picked them up yesterday. They look super cool. The print came out very clean and the “sienna brown” ink looks great with the natural organic cotton fabric. I’m glad I went with American Apparel shirts because they’re amazingly comfy and quite nice feeling. Find out more on my Stuff page.

Remember, $1 from each shirt goes to Shift and the rest helps to support this site!

I tried to get Bill Sinnott to model one for me yesterday but it didn’t happen.

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Stolen: Grey Specialized

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Someone stole my bike two days ago. It is a specialized hard rock sport grey 2005. It is stock but it looks like it has been used a good bit. I was at wired coffee shop 39th and lincoln when a man with bolt cutters took my bike and started heading SEish.

Please help I have no car and no cash to buy a new one. If you have any advise about hot shops I can check out or any segestions where I can look please help.

The S/N is P4EE42048…

PLEASE if you see it will you call the cops and send me an email at UrbanDrops@gmail.com, or put a post on here.
Thank you all so much,
Jon

It’s cold. You need gloves.

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It was in the low 30s this morning. Ouch. Without a good pair of gloves for your morning commute, it makes it awfully easy to climb into the car.

Resist the tempation! Embrace the cold, morning air!

Ayleen over at the ORBike Blog is collecting comments and recommendations about which gloves work for both cold and rain. Good tips. Check them out and check back for the complete list in a few days.

Cyclists are agressive, arrogant freeloaders

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Check out this letter in the recent Portland Tribune:

Bicycles are nuisance, and their riders rude

The bicycle’s contribution to clean air is at best infinitesimal and is probably negative because bicycles, bicycle lanes, etc., slow traffic and increase congestion. However, the bicycle lobby continues to receive the support of city, county and state politicians, a tribute to the power of small, vociferous, self-serving, special interest groups. By the demeanor and actions of the majority, bicycle riders could best be described as aggressive, arrogant, freeloading outlaws.

Don Robison
Southwest Portland

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What would you ask the cops?

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I’ve been having all sorts of internal struggles with my feelings about cops lately. Part of me is holding onto my long-held distrust of them and my feelings that they just “don’t get” cyclists and therefore treat us with negative bias. I’ve had my confrontations with them on Critical Mass and have generally not cared much for them in the past.

But another part of me says maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet. As I’ve talked directly with them and with other people in the bike community whose opinions I respect, I’m starting to think they might make better friends than foes.

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Vanilla mixes with cyclocross big boys

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Cross Crusade #2- Alpenrose
[Rhonda Mazza]
Veloshop Cyclocross Race at PIR

Vanilla Bicycles, a small Portland-based framebuilder is supplying bikes to some of the best cyclocross racers in the country. In the current standings of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Rhonda Mazza (shown in photo) is currently ranked 6th in the Elite Women’s field and Shannon Skerritt is ranked 7th in the Men’s Elite field.

Another Vanilla rider, Molly Cameron is riding very strong in her first year as a pro and is currently ranked 32nd in the Elite Men’s field (read Molly’s great race reports on her blog!).

These riders are up against teams from the largest bike companies in the world like Kona and Giant.

A former bike messenger and relative newcomer to the custom framebuilding world, Sacha White has carved out a reputation as one of the best. His eye for aesthetic detail and finish, combined with technical precision and an appreciation for classic lines has won his bikes many fans and races [Disclaimer: I’m biased because Sacha is a friend and a client.].

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Latest Headlines

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In blow to carfree plaza progress, PBOT pulls plug on NW 13th Ave

From the Archives

The good, the bad, and the ugly on the Oregon Coast Bike Route