Just got word that we’ve recovered yet another stolen bike! Here’s how it went down:
Last Friday, two guys walked into the downtown Bike Gallery store. The employees were suspicious because they seemed to be high and they left a nice, unlocked green Kona parked outside. When the guys left the store one of the employees, Mike Hilbrandt, jumped onto the Stolen Bike Listings and did a quick check. Sure enough he saw the bike listed! (here’s the original listing).
The news is no longer simmering, it is boiling over. Kinesis, the Taiwanese parent company of Mountain Cycle has decided to chart a new course for the local bike brand. The future of the brand is still up in the air, but my sources tell me that it will not include Portland. So that’s the end of Mountain Cycle as we know it.
Kinesis gave employees a days notice before letting them go. Only one employee remains at their “dead” offices on North Williams Street, and he is there to liquidate remaining inventory.
Universal Cycles has set up shop in Northwest Portland. The company was founded about 10 years ago as an online retailer based in San Francisco and online sales remain a large part of their business today. They’ve been in Portland for 5 years, but their previous storefront was just a tiny place out near the Airport.
On Saturday, I poked my head into their new space on NW 18th and Thurman. Wow. It’s a beautiful and spacious store (more photos here) that will add exciting new energy to the bike scene. The ceilings are high, there’s a ton of wood and of course lots of bike gear filling the aisles. They’re still setting things up but they’re open for business and welcoming customers (old and new) with a smile.
[Posted by “suzyarr”]
Stolen 56 cm silver and blue Raliegh single speed. It was stolen in N pdx on Friday, March 17th. Damned bike thieves if you see it, email me at suzyruss@yahoo.com.
[Posted by “adamdoug”]
Silver Trek 4500. beloved bike and companion of 4+ years was removed from an innocent front porch(SE 44th ave) early on Sunday morning. Stickers: zoobomb, one less car, and Fog City Cyclery.
email me adamdoug@hotmail.com if you have information that can help me recover this or if you have a story of someone new enjoying the bike as much as I have…
[Posted by “teleguy”]
Kelly Road Bike Midnight Blue (almost black)
59 cm
Full ultegra, Thompson seat post, Ritchey Stem, Flite saddle, Blue tires
A few hours ago, an employee of Portland-based bike manufacturer, Mountain Cycle left a suspicious comment on my recent post about the Specialized/Stumptown Saga. The employee wrote, “I don’t think Specialized will be bothering Mountain Cycle any longer. More news to follow…” Then, after being prodded by another commenter, he added, “I have not been given permission to make an official statement.”
Now, I notice there is a post on a popular mountain biking forum site that says Mountain Cycle employees have been given notices and that “there is no more Kinesis USA, or Mountain Cycle.”
Thought I’d share the link to one of my most popular posts ever (currently ranked 5th out of 674). It’s a little report with photos of when Sara Stout and I each moved a full keg of beer (180lbs!) from Widmer Brewing in North Portland to the Clinton Street Theater in Southeast.
As a side note, I made a postcard out of one of the images and recently sent it to Rob Widmer. Turns out he’s a devoted bike commuter and he replied by saying, “if you ever want to talk bikes and beer, just let me know.” Cool.
Here’s the post, “360 lbs of beer…by bike!”
Very intersting post over on Sam Adam’s blog. It concerns the possibility of moving the Sauvie Island Bridge – which is slated for demolition once the new one is built – to Northwest Portland. They’re trying to decide if the span should be re-used to create a bicycle and pedestrian only bridge across the 405 freeway at NW Flanders Street. Someone even made this cool digital mock-up of how Flanders might look with the bridge in place.
[Posted by user “heavy metal mouth”]
my blue (early 80s) schwinn varsity was stolen off a front porch at about 10 pm last night in north portland.
its a distinctive bike – medium blue w/ the original clear blue handle bar tape (unraveling a bit at one end). the decals are mostly scraped off.
at the time of its departure it had a rear bike rack (with my u lock on it), a velo seat and a yellow bike bell.
please please please contact me if you have any info about my beloved bicycles whereabouts!
thank you.
aside from it having full black tires, it looks quite a bit like this bike:
Citing “safety” concerns, the Oregon Deparment of Transportation (ODOT) has proposed a ban on bicycles that would make it illegal for cyclists to ride on or next to certain sections of Metro area freeways.
You might have seen the Bike to Blazers Night Ride in the Willamette Week. If not, I’ve scanned it for your viewing pleasure. They even made up a nifty little bike graphic to go with it.
Unfortunately they left out contact information and they included a few facts about the ride that I want to clarify: