What do you do when it’s 10:30PM and you get word that a cool new bike shop has opened up just 3 blocks from your house? You grab your camera, get on your bike and check it out! So here they are, first photos of Revolver Bicycle Living, a new bike shop on N. Interstate and N. Portland Blvds…just 3 friggin’ blocks from the BikePortland.org undergound lair.
Noticed this flyer the other day at Citybikes. It’s a cool little invention called the Cycle Truck. Some local guy (I’ve emailed and haven’t heard back) is taking old cruisers and mountain bikes and outfitting them with a custom front rack set-up.
Basically, he mounts the basket to the downtube – not your handlebars – thus allowing your bars (and wheel) to move independently of the rack. He also swaps the front wheel for a smaller one. Both of these things allow you to more easily carry heavier loads. It’s really a cool idea.
Check out how Tom (Shift webmaster) used his at the recent bike move.
Just another bit of local cycling ingenuity!
Just when you thought the list of bike crafters could not get any better…
After some recent publicity a few more artists have emerged and have now been added to the roster. I know, I know, you must be thinking, “can there really be more artists making bike-themed stuff!?” and the answer is…yes!
First, I’m very excited to announce that Matt Cartwright of Cartwright Design will bring his amazing bike sculpture and furniture (see photo). You might not have heard about Matt (unless you’re a loyal reader), but he’s responsible for many well-known bike sculpture installations around Portland including the “bike people” on the roof of River City Bicycles. One of my favorites is this beautiful end table made from an old Schwinn Varsity frame.
Make sure you check out the Willamette Week’s “Night Cabbie” column this week.
Apparently the author is a former bike messenger and this week’s column tells of how she deals with an anti-bike passenger. As the cab slows down to give a downtown cyclist some room, the passenger squawks, “Goddamn bicyclists shouldn’t be on the road,” probably expecting to find support from the cabbie. However, what he gets is the exact opposite.
Check out the rest of the article on WWeek.com.
One of the goals of the Bike Safety Workshops the City put on over the summer was to inspire neighborhoods to form their own bike safety groups. They even gave out some grant money to make it happen. Well, leave it to the folks at Southeast Uplift (SEUL) to be the first to run with the idea.
Wend Magazine is set to launch in Spring 2006. It’ll cover outdoor adventures all over the Western U.S., including the Portland area. Here’s marketing copy from their media kit:
“Wend is an amalgamation of visual, mental and physical inspiration, built to emanate the style and identity of the ever-growing population of the urban-minded adventurer. Wend’s content is informative, thought provoking, and above all, inspiring. We provide bold tales to fuel the passion of adventure, born from the love of climbing, cycling, surfing, and kayaking.”
Saturday night is the Cross Crusade party and awards ceremony. It’s happening at Mountain Cycle/Kinesis (3808 N. Williams). I heard last year there were 400 people in attendance and given the burst in popularity of ‘cross in Portland one can only expect it to be bigger and crazier this year.
The Cross Crusade folks have a lot to celebrate. They’ve established themselves as the premier cross series in the country. According to numbers given to me by OBRA’s Candi Murray, they had 3390 racers in just 6 races this year. They also had over 300 new members sign up just for ‘cross. Those are big numbers folks.
Don’t miss this article by Jeff Mapes in today’s “inPortland” section of the Oregonian. Jeff (who is working on a book about how bikes are transforming cities around the world) accompanied the delegation of local bike advocates that went to Netherlands last month.
This discussion comparing Portland and Amsterdam is very intriguing to me. The article also gives insight into the thinking of the people that shape policies that affect our experience as cyclists in this city. Here are some of the quotes that stood out for me:
For all of you that weren’t up at 6:00AM for Sunday morning’s national TV coverage, here’s a quick recap (I had my neighbor tape it for me):
The BTA‘s Alice B. Toeclips Awards are like the Oscars for the Oregon bike scene, and they just put out the call for nominees. Here’s the info:
“It’s time once again for all good cyclists to heed the call and help us build up to the big bang – by nominating your biking heroes for one of Alice awards!
Who in your community – an individual, business, government agency or group – has provided inspiration to cyclists, made biking safer or easier, or helped make bikes a part of the fabric of your community? Alice wants to know – who are your bike heroes?”
[updated*]
Just one week until the BikeCraft Faire! Here’s an update followed by a plea for help in spreading the word…
In addition to an impressive list of very talented and bikey artists and crafters there are a few surprises that you won’t want to miss:
My Gary Fisher hardtail (front suspension only) was taken last week from the federal building at Oak and First downtown on Tuesday night, November 22nd). Whoever took it cut through a pretty knarly bike chain, so they must have really wanted my bike. It has climbing horns, all XTR components, cages, and is black with red and white markings. There was a small bell pouch with tools on the seat. If you see my beloved mountain bike please email me because I am sad. It was a great bike.
genevieve_cox@hotmail.com
