Looking for a new place to spread you cycling wings? We’ve got five great job opportunities that just went up this week.
Learn more about each one via the links below…
–> Bike Delivery Driver – Jimmy John’s NE Broadway
Job: Mechanic – Clever Cycles
Job Title
Mechanic
Company / Organization
Clever Cycles
Job Description
Clever Cycles is seeking a skilled and thoughtful individual to fill a position in our service department. Hopefully you’ve already heard of us. If not, stop into the shop or poke around our website. Do you like what you see? Want more folks riding bikes everyday to do things that people do? Are you ok with kickstands? Are you intrigued by bikes that fold or have the ability to carry more than a rider? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then we’d like to talk.
We are seeking a mechanically-inclined individual to assemble bikes, perform repairs, answer phones and emails. Additionally, you will do glamorous things like sweeping, and taking out the trash. Ideally we are looking for someone to work 4-5 days a week, but are open to accepting applications from everyone. You will be rewarded with the smiles of happy people of all ages, the occasional drink after work or cookie during, easy working hours (weekend availability is a plus), competitive wage, sick pay and health insurance.
What you should have:
A strong work ethic
Thirst for knowledge
A drive to ask questions first
The ability to own up to mistakes, and learn from them
Love for people, bicycles and children
Love for order, detail and communication
Willingness to mechanic on electric and non-traditional bikes and trikes
Experience in a bike shop is a plus, but if you are a hard-working individual that can prove mechanical aptitude, then please apply. We’re also open to folks with retail experience looking to transition into the service department.
How to Apply
What we want from you (in person or via email):
A resume
A cover letter (tell us why we want you!)
Your availability and desired schedule
The Street Trust declares victory as ODOT and PBOT compromise on 26th Avenue bike lanes
(Photos: Jonathan Maus)
The 26th Avenue bike lane removal saga appears to have reached a conclusion. At least for the time being.
The Street Trust just announced that their shuttle diplomacy between the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Portland Bureau of Transportation has yielded a compromise that will allow a striped space for biking (not a bike lane, technically) to remain. Also as part of the agreement, ODOT is forcing PBOT to remove the bike boxes that currently exist on 26th on both sides of Powell Blvd.
ODOT’s McKenzie Pass is now carfree, but you ride at your own risk
(Photo: ODOT)
This week is usually about the time we get to share the news that the McKenzie Highway (OR 242) is open only for biking, walking, and rolling. It’s a carfree wonderland on one of Oregon’s most scenic byways that usually happens in the period after crews have done their first pass of plowing, and before the road can open to cars and trucks.
But this year is different. And if you’re planning to head out there to knock this classic ride of your bucket list (it is an official Oregon Scenic Bikeway after all), be advised: The Oregon Department of Transportation announced today that the management of McKenzie Pass will have some key changes this year.
TV Series On Bicycling Bellingham, Washington
I know this is not directly Portland related, but being a former Portlander who rode my bicycle from Portland, Oregon to Bellingham, Washington for my retirement, I figure some of you may be interested in my latest project which is to create a television mini-series on bicycling around Bellingham and giving a historical narrative of each of the major features of our area. This would be helpful for those of you who are considering visiting or moving to the extreme Pacific Northwest.
The link to my recently completed first episode is: https://youtu.be/kUHzFymCm9g
I will also be putting these on Bellingham’s Community Access Television which airs from 6 PM to Midnight every Sunday.
Portland cycling rates high in comprehensive new ratings of 480 U.S. cities
The world of bike wonks is abuzz this morning as national nonprofit advocacy group People for Bikes has released their much-anticipated city ratings. And Portland fared quite well with a score of 3.3 out of 5 that puts us first among big cities and fourth overall. A total of 480 cities were part of the analysis.
(Photo: Roger Geller)
Among big cities, the ratings put Tucson, Arizona; Madison, Wisconsin; Washington D.C.; and San Diego, California in the top five along with Portland.
In addition to our good showing in the ratings, Portland was given a special award for having the highest “ridership score” of any city — a 3.9. According to People for Bikes, Portland earned a perfect score of 100 in this ridership metric, in large part because it takes distance into account. “Contrary to some local narratives,” they shared on Twitter this morning. “Portland is truly extraordinary in the amount of bike commuting that happens far from its core.”
Weekend Event Guide: Filmed by Bike!, Coast Gravel Epic, Cinco de Mayo grilling, and more
It’s going to be a beautiful weekend. And you never know how long this weather is going to last. Best to grab it by the horns and ride it as long as you can.
Here’s our weekly selection of the best ways to take advantage of the sun on two wheels…
Friday, May 4th
Filmed by Bike Opening Night Street Party – 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm at The Hollywood Theater
It’s the big street party bash to welcome the 16th annual Filmed by Bike festival. Held right outside the Hollywood Theater, this party is hosted by Base Camp Brewing and will include DJs from XRAY.FM, a performance by The Sprockettes, great food, and much more. More info here.
After a decade of service in northwest Portland, 21st Avenue Bicycles is closing
(Photo: Park Chambers)
Portland’s ever-changing bike retail landscape is taking another turn.
21st Avenue Bicycles, a fixture in northwest Portland since it opened in 2007, will close for good on May 12th. This storefront was previously Northwest Bicycles, which had been in operation since 1975.
Owner Park Chambers says he’s selling the building that houses the 2,000 square-foot shop and he’s decided the time has come to move on. Chambers, 48, told me in a phone call today that he suffered a stroke back in November. “Being paralyzed for a week” gave him time to reflect and he’s decided to simplify his life and focus on the two other bike shops he owns: Both of which cater to his main passion of mountain biking.
Chambers bought Fat Tire Farm, a shop on NW Thurman that specializes in mountain biking, in 1997. In June 2014 he opened Hood River Bicycles. He opened a suspension-tuning specialty shop called Traction Works in Portland in March 2016 and he moved that into the back of Fat Tire Farm last June.
Despite need for “safe systems” approach, crash reports still put responsibility on victims
This story is by Greg Spencer, a writer and editor and proud dad of two bike-commuting kids. He’s also a volunteer with the local chapter of Families for Safe Streets.
In Metro’s draft 2018 State of Safety Report, previewed last month on BikePortland, the latest regional road crash data is analyzed, and it’s done for the first time from the perspective of Vision Zero, a policy framework that aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries.
But some of the presented data do not reflect the Vision Zero ethos, which says that road safety is a shared community burden, not one that’s primarily on the backs of crash victims.
It’s silly season in Portland’s bike lanes: Please try to be nice about it
(Photos: Jonathan Maus)
I received a disturbing text from a reader this morning (trigger warning: language might be upsetting to some readers):
“Got yelled at by a guy on a bike on Better Naito today. He stopped in front of me to yell at me for being selfish. Apparently I was riding too slowly because I was unsure how to cross the lane to turn left onto Oak. Two blocks later I was called a faggot and spit on. It’s chaos out there and commuter race season has begun.”
The Foster Road project is starting: Here are the latest concept drawings
It’s finally happening.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has mailed out notices to residents that the Foster Road Streetscape Project will be breaking ground in a matter of weeks. This is right in line with what we reported back in January so it’s a good sign that the project is moving ahead as planned.
It’s now officially Better Naito season
(Photos: Jonathan Maus)
“All through the long, dark winter, I eagerly await the day when bollards spring from the pavement and we know that Better Naito season is upon us again.”
With those words by Biketown General Manager Dorothy Mitchell, the City of Portland officially opened Better Naito this morning.
From now until the end of September, Naito Parkway will have more room for biking, walking and rolling between the Hawthorne and Steel Bridges. The re-allocation of road space was first made possible in 2015 by a group of volunteer activists from Better Block PDX in collaboration with planning students from Portland State University. Last year the project was taken over by the Portland Bureau of Transportation and they’ve now budgeted for a seasonal installation for the next four years.
Last year PBOT counted 500,000 trips in the Better Naito lane and it has been widely hailed as a success.