🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏
We hear a lot of debates about our roads: Who pays for them, who’s at fault when vehicles and people collide, and so on. But there one thing that’s relatively clear. The reason people fear traffic is because too many of us drive distracted, drive too fast, and simply don’t follow the rules.
Multnomah County continues to inch closer to completion of the Sellwood Bridge project; but some of the final changes mean yet another temporary closure.
Starting this Friday the 19th at 7:00 pm through Tuesday morning the 23rd (no later than 6:00 am), the bridge will be closed to all users. When it reopens you’ll notice new lane striping and new traffic signals at each end of the bridge.
Welcome to the weekly video roundup. I have a fresh batch of great cycling videos for you. I want to start off with the latest from Mike Cotty of Col Collective. He’s been branching out from the French Alps as he rides (and narrates) up Mount Evans in Colorado. It’s over 14,000 feet, which is 3000 more than Mt. Hood, the highest in Oregon. It’s also very impressive compared to the European peaks, as the video illustrates.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about Portland’s incredible culture around bicycling is how one great idea begets another. It’s typical of any healthy cultural ecosystem: One person does a cool thing and it inspires another person to do a cool thing that riffs on the original cool thing. And so on and so forth.
The Ronde PDX is a perfect example. That unsanctioned ride was first held in 2007. Only about 100 intrepid souls showed up that first year, eager to challenge themselves against an insanely difficult route that tackled nearly ever climb in the west hills between Saltzman Road and Council Crest.
Word spread quickly about the Ronde and a few years later it had become a bonafide phenomenon. Then in 2013 the Ronde spawned La Doyenne, another epic ride scheduled for the same weekend. This gave strong riders the opportunity to climb about 15,000 feet over 100 miles in two days.
Now there’s a third ride in the series: the Giro PDX.
The crew that brought us the 3rd Avenue plaza, Better Broadway and Better Naito are about to embark on yet another ambitious project: this Saturday Better Block PDX will connect the north and south Park Blocks to create a one-mile stretch of carfree streets and plazas.
Welcome to Cycle Exploregon, our annual adventure done in partnership with Cycle Oregon to explore beyond their official route. See other stories in this series here.
I love the Oregon Coast Highway — a.k.a. “The People’s Coast.” It’s a national treasure and also one of the most famous bicycle routes in the world.
But it has a dark side. It has stopped being the “Scenic Byway” it was intended to be and now it’s also a major thoroughfare used by commuters, commercial truckers, and oblivious RV drivers. I’ve ridden its narrow shoulder many times since my first ride down it 20 years ago. When I ride it these days, my main goal is to get off the highway as much as possible and leave the loud and smelly motorized traffic behind.
This is easier said than done. Because of rugged cliffs and steep mountains, backroads are few and far between — especially ones that loop back onto the highway eventually. And much of the land around the highway is privately owned by ranchers and farmers who put gates up on their roads to keep people out.
It’s the Monday Roundup… On Tuesday!
Here are the stories that caught our eyes in the past week.
Bike theft drop: The latest data from the UK says bike theft has dropped 25 percent in five years. While most theft goes unreported, this is still a very encouraging sign.
A golden idea: The Netherlands wouldn’t be at home without their bikes at the Olympics so they brought a fleet with them to Rio.
Job Title *
Website and Webstore Manager
Company/Organization *
Nutcase Helmets
Job Description *
The Website and Webstore Manager is directly responsible for daily and long-term maintenance of the Nutcase Helmets site and ecommerce store, and in managing our direct-to-consumer email marketing program. The role involves using a suite of web technologies and tools and requires a functional knowledge of front-end web languages. In particular, the Website and Webstore Manager is responsible for ensuring the sustained success and profitability of our ecommerce sales channel.
The Website and Webstore Manager also works closely with the marketing team to ensure the success of a variety of other campaigns, marketing initiatives, and programs. An ideal candidate would be self-motivated, comfortable with a position that evolves over time, and allows room for incorporating new technologies and new responsibilities.
The role includes (but is not limited to) the following duties:
•Proactive maintenance of brand website, and international multi-sites, with WordPress
•Active development of brand ecommerce channel on Shopify, using front-end development languages and ecommerce insights
•Write, edit, and schedule regular direct-to-consumer email campaigns, using Mailchimp
•Interpret Google Analytics data and other ecommerce metrics to make and implement optimization recommendations based on those insights
•Content production and writing for web, blog, and other digital marketing copy
REQUIREMENTS:
•At least two years in digital marketing or web design
•Working knowledge of WordPress, and ideally Shopify, but in lieu a willingness and ability to learn new technologies quickly
•Familiarity with front-end web development languages, and ability to debug potential issues
•Knowledge of, and interest in, current web development frameworks and processes
•Skilled with Google Analytics, or expertise with interpreting marketing datasets and making reasoned recommendations
•Excellent grasp of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and the ability to channel the energy of the brand in official writing
•Eye for design and attention to detail
•Working knowledge of Photoshop and basic web design principles
•Skilled with Apple products and applications
•Willingness to learn new technologies and web tools as the position develops
•Preferred: a personal interest in cycling, and familiarity with current trends and conversations within the industry
How to Apply *
Email your cover letter and resume to employment@nutcasehelmets.com by 9am on August 22nd, 2016.
Did you ride Bridge Pedal? The weather was perfect, and I saw lots of families having a great time riding and enjoying the views.
Today’s ride was short but oh so sweet.
“Ride a bull. Bag an elk. Land a steelhead. Climb a mountain. There is no shortage of adventure to be had in Myrtle Point.” That’s one of the marketing slogans you’ll find on the City of Myrtle Point’s website.
After a 104-mile journey yesterday through the forests and river valleys that surround this small town, I think they should add, “Ride a bike” to that list.
