The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife can no longer keep up with the amount of people who drink and drive on Sauvie Island. ODFW says the problem has become so bad in recent years they want to ban alcohol on the island’s popular public beaches.
If you’re worried that this crazy weather has foiled your bike fun for the weekend, think again! While the snow and ice (and soon, mud and gravel) might seem frightful, we’ve got a full menu of great options that look simply delightful. Not to mention most of them are indoors.
And you want ride inspiration? How about meeting the expert on the Coast Route on Friday night? Then on Saturday you can hear bikepacking tales galore from pioneers who’ve tackled the Oregon Timber Trail. On Sunday, why not get together with fellow three-speeders and plan your world takeover?
We’ve got all that and more in this week’s event guide. And as always, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the BikePortland Calendar for even more great ideas.
This morning on Twitter we asked our friends if they were still riding through the snow and ice. It was great to see all the responses. People shared photos and tips about how they fared.
Here are some of those replies:
James Buckroyd is our resident product geek. See his past reviews here.
I have been slinging this guy around the city for a while now. Mainly on small in-city runs to and from meetings where I needed a few essentials but not a massive bag full. Here’s what I found:
About two dozen people stood on the corners of SE 26th Avenue and Powell Boulevard last night to protest plans to remove a pair of bike lanes. As big, wet snowflakes fell, people rang horns and bike bells and held signs high that read, “No backpedaling on our safety,” “It’s always biking season,” “Keep your hands off our bike lane” and “Vision Zero now”.
Bicycling friends: Did you know that @Giro, Bell, @CamelBak, Copilot and a few other bike gear brands that you may enjoy are owned by @VistaOutdoorInc, America's largest manufacturer of ammunition? https://t.co/BGXEjEvgvo
— Aaron Naparstek (@Naparstek) February 21, 2018
Last night Aaron Naparstek shared via a Twitter thread that Vista Outdoor — parent company of many well-known bicycle product brands like CamelBak, Giro, Bell, CoPilot, and Blackburn — also owns brands that sell assault weapons and ammunition. Moreover, the company is a proud supporter of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Given the current tenor and seriousness around the gun control issue, the news has spread quickly in cycling circles with some people calling for a boycott.
And the facts check out.
Vista Outdoor owns 50 different brands. Their core business is their “shooting sports” division. Rifles, rifle accessories, and ammunition make up over 75 percent of their revenue, which is expected to reach $2.4 billion in 2018. One stock analyst said Vista is the largest seller of ammunition in America with 40 percent of the total market.
The company rode what Mother Jones referred to as “the Barack boom” in firearm sales, capitalizing on people who feared Obama and Democrats would severely restrict gun rights. And Vista’s sales soared after high-profile mass shootings with profits skyrocketing from $10 to $64 million the year after Sandy Hook.
Advertisement
In early 2015 Vista was hailed as the, “biggest company in the outdoor recreation sector,” by the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. But in the past few years they’ve purchased several non-gun-related brands in a bid to diversify their business.
In July 2015 they bought CamelBak for $412.5 million. Then in February 2016 they purchased Bell, Giro and Blackburn for $400 million. By early 2017 however, the company’s revenue began to decline. In the first quarter of that year overall sales went down 5 percent and their stock sank nearly 30 percent. Shooting division sales plunged nearly 20 percent and the company laid off 57 employees. Why? Their CEO blamed the election of Donald Trump and the lack of fear from Democratic rule.
By November of last year Vista saw a 13 percent decrease in revenue and announced plans to sell the Bollé brand, because their CEO said it was, “not core to our business.” Now Vista’s stock is in freefall with shares falling 62 percent in 2017.
With their shooting sports business hurting badly, Naparstek thinks boycotting their bike-related brands “could really hurt them.” Several of our friends on Twitter have said they will, reluctantly, stop buying Vista-owned brands completely.
“I own products from several of these brands and I’ll continue to use them,” said Portlander Andy Kutansky, “but I’ll take a hard look when it’s time to replace – and I urge everyone to do the same.”
UPDATE: Please see our follow-up post to this story where we asked local bike shops what they think about Vista Outdoor and calls for a boycott.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
Never miss a story. Sign-up for the daily BP Headlines email.
BikePortland needs your support.
Job Title *
Mechanic – Full Time
Company/Organization *
TriSports
Job Description *
TriSports is looking for a full time mechanic.
JOB OVERVIEW: This role is literally the barrier for many of our customers in getting back on the road, and as such must be prepared to fully investigate the customer’s needs, find efficient solutions to their problems, and own the customer experience from the moment a repair is checked-in until the moment the customer is back on the road.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• Provide higher than expected (by the customer) customer service including but not limited to assisting with removal of bicycles from their vehicle, searching all possible avenues for special order or out of stock product, expediting all service and transactions as much as possible, and able to refrain from offering an opinion on the quality of the customer’s bike
• Operate store Point of Sale equipment
• Assess customer’s bikes for indicated problems and generate an accurate financial and time estimate for repairing the issue to the customer’s satisfaction
• Familiar with all aspects of bicycle technologies, including but not limited to
• Di2
• Campagnolo
• SRAM Red eTap
• Hydraulic Disk Brakes
• Front and rear suspension
• Able to troubleshoot appropriate solutions for systems that do not have readily available replacement parts
• Willing to have service quality held to a checklist of required services for completion of a given type of service
• Prepare the service area for normal operations at opening time and handle End of Day procedures including cleaning up work station and ensuring all continuing work is communicated appropriately
• Answer incoming phone calls and respond to incoming customer email
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:
• Able to assist on the sales floor when required
• Comfortable transitioning a customer to other appropriate staff members when needed
• Interested in providing gratis repair or safety checks at community-support events
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
• No specific formal education is required
• Two years of professional shop experience
• Must be computer literate
How to Apply *
Please apply by clicking on company post below:
The Street Trust will host a rally this snowy evening at 5:30 pm Powell Park to show support for the bike lanes on SE 26th Avenue.
The saga on this street (which we’ve been reporting on since 2015) has opened up an important debate over whether narrow bike lanes are better than no bike lanes at all — and whether having a safer bikeway two blocks away is a reasonable justification for getting rid of one. It also shows just how far the City of Portland is willing to go to stay in good graces with its powerful state partner, the Oregon Department of Transportation.
You’ve decided to start biking more with your little ones. You’ve found routes that work for you. You’ve got your bike set-up figured out.
And then you look outside and realize it’s 35 degrees.
Pedaling my heavy bike keeps me warm, but it’s a different story for my non-pedaling passengers. They need at least one extra layer when it’s cold outside. That’s one of the many things I’ve learned over the years.
As we get our first major snow storm of the year, this week’s post is all about how to stay warm and dry while biking with kids. First, I’ll go over the things you can put on your bike, then I’ll share the things you can (hopefully) put on your kids.
A two-year project to repair and upgrade the Burnside Bridge has started and it’s having an impact on everyone who uses it.
For bicycle users, the changes are mixed: In one direction conditions are much more cramped, in the other, some say it’s actually better than before.
