BikePortland

Weekend Event Guide: Cross Champs, Cranksgiving, Day of Remembrance, and more

This weekend marks the official entry into the holiday season in more ways than one.

If you race cyclocross, after Saturday there’s a good chance you’ll begin your off-season. Pat yourself on the back! It was a challenging year. It’s also time to remember your good fortune, give thanks by helping those who are less fortunate, and connect/re-connect with family and friends. And then there’s the weather. We’ve had some of our coldest days of the year recently and the snow level is dropping. The dark days of winter are here.

If you’re feeling stress about the state of the country and the world (and there are many reasons to be feeling that way), now is the time to remember the joy of cycling and to embrace the cycling’s power to connect us to ourselves — and more importantly — to places and people that we love.

Here are some events to consider…

Saturday, November 19th

OBRA State Championship at Corn Cross – Add Day at Liepold Farms (14050 SE Richey Road in Boring)
The Cross season comes to a close with a race for all the marbles. Show up for a chance to be crowned State Champion — and/or just enjoy the festivities at the farm and soak up all the remaining cross spirit of the season (unless you plan to be at SSCXWC of course). Learn more here.

Portland’s bike-related businesses and organizations are reacting to the impending Trump administration in a variety of ways.

Gladys Bikes on northeast Alberta has taped up a large poster on their window that reads: “We welcome all”. And down the street, the front door of the Community Cycling Center (and their blog) make it clear they too are a safe haven from hate.

And then there’s Ruckus Composites. The quirky and successful company that specializes in repairing carbon fiber bicycles is selling water bottles that feature an illustration of Vice President Joe Biden on them. Here’s why they’re bringing back this popular item:

“Maybe it’s our way of dealing with the stresses of operating a small business and the general modern world. Maybe it’s because we find that humor is sometimes the best way to deal with the truth. We made these bottles years ago as a joke but the time to bring them back couldn’t be more perfect. All jokes aside, the best thing one can do now is to get off the internet sometimes and take legitimate physical and peaceful action. Let these bottles serve as a reminder that each individual does have the power to make change, and to never forget the power of humor.”

For the coming week, Ruckus is donating 20% of the sales from each of the $10 “Biden Bidons” (“bidon” is French for can and it’s what the French call water bottles) to the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) — which they say is a “potential target for a certain incoming administration.” And because it’s Ruckus — and Biden — they’ve put some funny captions in the photos of the bottles on their website. Read them and buy them here.

Know of other ways Portland’s bike-related businesses are responding to these unprecedented political times? Let us know and we’ll update this post.

— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Gal by Bike: Dispatch from a bike maintenance class

Tori Bortman holding court inside Western Bikeworks.(Photos: Gabriel Amadeus) — Tori Bortman holding court inside Western Bikeworks.
(Photos: Gabriel Amadeus)

This is the latest from our Gal By Bike columnist Kate Johnson (formerly Kate Laudermilk). See past articles here.

A few weeks ago, five determined gals, including myself, joined together at Western Bikeworks in northwest Portland to learn a thing or two about our beloved steeds. The general consensus between us was that we were all tired of needing someone else to do bike repairs for us.

We wanted to empower ourselves — and Tori Bortman was going to show us how.

Bortman is the frank, to the point, direct, and yet entirely approachable owner of Gracie’s Wrench, a business that helps people “get intimate” with their bicycle. She’s a real no nonsense gal. “If I can do this, anyone can. I am not mechanically inclined,” she assured us. I wasn’t at all surprised to find that she grew up in the Chicagoland area just like myself. We’re a unique and hearty bunch with can-do attitudes. The idea that becoming a master mechanic is within reach for anyone was very prominent in her workshop. Making mistakes was encouraged and celebrated and the needs of the those attending far outweighed any prior written syllabus.

Rep Earl Blumenauer at opening plenary-3

Blumenauer in 2012.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

As the Republican party takes over our federal government, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer feels like all hope for his transportation and livability agenda is not lost. Reached via phone from his D.C. office yesterday Portland’s popular representative referred to the election results as “personally appalling” and “grim news for the presidency.”

But despite major losses for Democrats, Blumenauer, who won over 73 percent of the vote in Oregon’s 3rd congressional district on Tuesday, is optimistic about the future of “livable communities” — a set of issues and policies he’s built a legacy on during 20 years in office.

In an interview yesterday I asked Blumenauer for his thoughts on the election, whether he’ll work with the Trump administration on a new transportation funding bill, and more. The questions and answers below have been edited for clarity.

A big turnout in St. Johns.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

About 75 people packed into the St. Johns Community Center on a rainy Monday night because they want the streets in front of their homes, schools and businesses to be safer and more humane.

The event, hosted by the St. Johns Neighborhood Association’s Safety and Livability Team, was scheduled before the death of a bicycle rider on the St. Johns Bridge late last month; but that tragedy has given even greater urgency to the concerns expressed last night.

Like many areas of Portland, St. Johns residents are fed-up with their streets being dominated by people who drive too fast and cut-through their neighborhoods to avoid congestion. Another issue on the minds of many last night was how their part of the city is hemmed in by large arterial streets managed by the Oregon Department of Transportation to prioritize freight traffic at the expense of everything else.

“Trucks drive fast past homes and crosswalks,” someone scrawled on a piece of paper that was turned in after the meeting. “And the road is too small for them… Residents don’t open their windows because of the fumes!”

A storied name in the cycling world now has a local home. Portland-based bicycle parts and accessory distributor Cyclone Bicycle Supply announced today that they’re the exclusive distributor of Cinelli USA.

For more, check out the press release below:

Cyclone Bicycle Partners with Cinelli US to Become Exclusive Distributor

PORTLAND, OR.—August 15, 2016 — Cyclone Bicycle has partnered with Cinelli to manage the exclusive distribution for Cinelli USA.

As one of the first Italian brands with a US presence, Cinelli has enjoyed a strong presence in the US market with handlebars, tapes, and the iconic Laser and Supercorsa bike models. “The recent growth of the urban market and Cinelli’s position in the fixed gear scene has grown significantly, thanks to our collaboration with BTI,” said Fabrizio Aghito, Vice President of Cinelli’s parent company, Gruppo SRL.

Read more

An Uber driver strikes again: 3 assaults on bicycle riders in 10 weeks

People who drive for ride-sharing company Uber frequently ignore a key traffic law that impacts bicycle access on major streets. And when called out for doing so the drivers have a tendency to lash out at — and in some cases physically assault and/or harrass — other road users.

We now know of three such incidents in the past ten weeks.

This morning we received an email from a reader who came upon an Uber driver who was parked on the new raised bike lane on NE Couch as it enters the Burnside Bridge. When the bicycle rider confronted the person inside the car and attempted to photograph the vehicle, he claims he was verbally threatened. “He got out of his vehicle, got face-to-face with me, and threatened to asssault me.” Not wanting the situation to escalate, the man on the bicycle says he stood down and let the driver vent. That tactic didn’t prevent the driver from forcibly grabbing his bike and throwing it aside.

On October 19th another Portlander tried to document illegal and dangerous parking by someone who drives for Uber (and Lyft). He said the driver got mad, stepped out of the car, and grabbed his phone. He captured it on Twitter…

Welcome to the first full week in what some are calling “The Trump Era.”

Deep breath.

The rise of the right means different things to different people. From our end, we’re staying vigilant to the real and potential changes that Trump’s access to power might bring to all aspects of our lives. While it’s hard to focus on anything but national news right now, there’s a lot of work to be done in our respective corners of the world.

Here are the stories that caught our attention this past week…

Bike comic in New Yorker: It’s not every week the New Yorker includes a multi-page comic from the perspective of a city-dwelling woman on a bike that deals with race and urban life.

Velo Cult's party-barge parked at Sandy Ridge after an event last month. A major expansion to the parking lot will feature more room for tailgating and other uses.(Photo: Velo Cult Bike Shop) — Velo Cult’s party-barge parked at Sandy Ridge after an event last month. A major expansion to the parking lot will feature more room for tailgating and other uses.
(Photo: Velo Cult Bike Shop)

Since they first opened in 2010, the off-road cycling trails at Sandy Ridge have become such a resounding success that the Bureau of Land Management wants to double-down on its investment.

According to environmental assessment documents filed by the BLM, their Sandy Ridge Trailhead Access project is comprised of a slew of additions and upgrades that will add over four acres to the facility. The project includes: an expanded parking area with oversided stalls and “tailgate bumpouts,” a beginner skills trail loop and a bike demo area; a “bicycle hub” featuring a changing room, bike-wash station and a bus stop; a designated special events area; an upgraded entrace; and two short connecting trails.

Here’s a bit more info and a few images of the proposed improvements (taken from the BLM environmental assessment document):

Riding in downtown St. Johns.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The death of an innocent man on the St. Johns Bridge last weekend has spurred — and renewed — activism around transportation reform on many fronts.

Tired of freight trucks and reckless driving holding their streets hostage, on Monday the St. Johns Neighborhood Association will host a forum to delve deeper into the issues of traffic and transportation safety. Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and representatives from the Portland Bureau of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Transportation are slated to attend. Local residents passed out flyers for the event at last week’s protest ride; but SJNA Board Member and Chair of their Safety and Livability Team Travis Parker tells us the event was planned prior to the collision that killed Mitch York.

Welcome to the weekly video roundup! Sorry for skipping a week of the roundup. Perhaps one of these weeks I’ll actually catch up on my video queue. This first video is the best thing I’ve seen in a while. I like pro bike racing, and the GCN crew did a fun and creative race on Majorca’s Sa Calobra (aka Col del Reis). What really clinched it as a great video to me is that Carlton Kirby did the commentary- he is probably the best-known voice on Eurosport for racing (not just cycling, also Paris-Dakar and more). Anyhow, enjoy.

You might want to consider showing up this year.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

As the reality settles in that we are just two months away all three branches of our federal government being controlled by Republicans, people who advocate for cycling need to take stock.

Yes I know, cycling isn’t always a purely partisan issue, but let’s not be naïve: The fact is a large majority of powerful, high-profile Republicans tend to strongly support transportation policies that favor the use of motorized vehicles.

Put another way, interest groups that don’t make cycling accessible infrastructure a priority see a friendly ear in President-elect Donald Trump. And early signs make it clear that automobile-centric interests are lining up to take advantage their new friend in the White House. To counter what could be a transformative era (to put it mildly) in national transportation politics, people who care about bicycling need to line up against — or figure out a way to align with — these forces.

Weekend Event Guide: Cross Champs, Cranksgiving, Day of Remembrance, and more

Saturday, November 19th

Joe Biden water bottles to raise money for environmental group

Gal by Bike: Dispatch from a bike maintenance class

In election aftermath, Blumenauer resolute on transportation agenda

Speeding, truck traffic top concerns at St. Johns neighborhood forum

Industry Ticker: Portland distributor Cyclone Bicycle Supply inks exclusive deal with Cinelli

An Uber driver strikes again: 3 assaults on bicycle riders in 10 weeks

The Monday Roundup: Election reactions, victim shaming response, Chicago’s Gateway Green, and more

New skills trail, major upgrades proposed for Sandy Ridge trailhead

St. Johns fatality fuels fire of neighborhood’s safe streets activism

Weekly Video Roundup: Dream roads in Bali, a WTF moment, bagel slicing, local ‘cross, and more

Stakes have never been higher for upcoming National Bike Summit

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Off-Road Cycling Master Plan: A decade later, what has changed?

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland