What bike questions should Portland political candidates answer?

Mayoral Candidate Jefferson Smith ride-17

Talking politics.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

With a big local election coming up, two biking advocacy groups are getting ready to ask politicians where exactly they stand.

On Monday, political action committee Bike Walk Vote released the 2016 candidates’ questionnaire that it’ll use to hand out endorsements. Next week, the advocacy nonprofit Bicycle Transportation Alliance is hosting an evening event to write a platform, make a list of questions and start organizing a get-out-the-vote effort for people who care about good biking.

Here’s the seven-question Bike Walk Vote questionnaire:

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Job: Senior Level Mechanic – Lakeside Bicycles

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title *
Senior Level Mechanic

Company/Organization *
Lakeside Bicycles

Job Description *
Lakeside Bicycles is looking for a qualified senior level mechanic. The ideal candidate needs to have 5-7 years of shop mechanic experience and be comfortable working on high end road and mountain bikes, along with well-loved relics. Comprehensive knowledge of Campagnolo, Shimano DI2, and wheel building is required. Our number one focus is customer service. Along with exceeding customers’ expectations, the optimal applicant will be adept at service writing, performing all types of repairs, and custom builds.

Position Requirements:
Passion to deliver excellent customer service
Equally excited to bring a neglected hybrid back to life as to build someone’s dream bike
Sense of humor mandatory
Strong attention to detail with an emphasis on quality
Ability to communicate effectively with staff and customers
Must like animals (shop cat present)
Must work summers
Some weekend work is required

What we offer:
A small team dedicated to spreading our enthusiasm for everything bicycle, recognizing the importance of our customers, all while having fun
Positive work environment that encourages self-motivated individuals to grow their skills and expand their responsibilities
Permanent, full time position
Health insurance provided
Women and minorities encouraged to apply

How to Apply *
Email resume to info@lakeside-bikes.com

Bike shop news: GenZe e-bikes now open, Crank moves and doubles in size

Crank Bike Shop-1.jpg

Crank’s new storefront on Southeast Ankeny.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The only constant in Portland’s bike shop scene is change. On that note, I bring you updates on two southeast Portland shops that have opened up new doors in the past few weeks.

Crank Bike Shop moves to Southeast Ankeny

When Crank opened in 2010 I rolled over to look for it and, given what I knew about its general location near Southeast 28th Avenue, I just assumed it would be on Ankeny. But it wasn’t. It was one block over on Ash. That was a bummer because Ankeny is the very busy bike boulevard in that part of town. So imagine my delight when I found out the other day they’ve moved to… Ankeny! Yes, after many months of hard work, the folks at Crank are enjoying twice the space in a wonderfully remodeled retail store on Ankeny just before 28th.

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Flashing Headlights

I’ll say right up front that I’ve never really understood the need for a flashing headlight on a bike. Isn’t the point of a headlight to be able to see where you’re going? I finally decided that cyclists must use them as another way to be visible to motorists and others.

But last night, I had an interesting experience. I was on Allen Blvd. in Beaverton, driving east on my way home from the Safeway. There was a cyclist on Allen (a very brave soul indeed to ride on a very busy street with no bike lanes, no shoulder, and fairly narrow travel lanes). He was also going east. When I passed him, he took the lane behind me.

He had a blindingly bright flashing headlight. Unfortunately, it was aimed high enough than when I checked my mirror, I got that bright flash right in my eyes.

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City proposes shifting future downtown bikeway from Alder to Taylor/Salmon

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
nw to se change with yamhill

The city has proposed to change the future bikeway that would be the fastest dedicated biking route from the Northwest District to the Central Eastside. (People would be able to choose between a longer jog south to Salmon or a shorter one to a lane of Yamhill shared with cars, presumably with diverters to hold down traffic.)

The city says there’s no room for future bike lanes on the most direct street between Northwest Portland’s fast-growing residential area and the Central Eastside’s fast-growing job district.

Instead, inner Southwest Alder Street is slated to become a “trafficway” offering automobile and truck connections to the Morrison Bridge and interstate highways.

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Speaker will bring Minnesota’s mountain-biking know-how to PDX

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
LebHills-BermTime

A berm on the Intermediate Trail at Lebanon Hills in
Eagan, Minn.
(Photo: Dakota County Parks)

As Portland works on its Off-Road Cycling Master Plan, an expert from maybe the country’s best state for urban mountain biking is coming to town.

Joshua Rebennack, a professional environmental engineer and mountain biking trail volunteer based in central Minnesota, will discuss “Knobbies in the Neighborhood” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at the Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon Street.

It’ll be free and open to the public. Sorry for the confusion. RSVP to Kelsey Cardwell of NW Trail Alliance at kelseyc@nw-trail.org.

According to the Northwest Trail Alliance, Rebennack will use “the experiences of off-­road cycling trail systems built and in other cities to distill out lessons that any municipality, including Portland, can apply to their own off­road cycling trail plans.”

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Crossing the Broadway Bridge during construction

Squeezing through the Broadway Bridge construction, westbound

There is only one (of two) pedestrian paths open across the Broadway bridge right now. They have pinch points that were being flagged for safety and perhaps efficiency, but they seem to have given up on flagging.

I’ve used other options when possible, but twice this week I was riding on routes that virtually force me to use Broadway to head into the Pearl or NW District.

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The Monday Roundup: The joys of snowy biking, Berlin’s bike vandals and more

First snow day of 2014-29

A rare snow day in Portland.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Here are the bike links from around the world that caught our eyes this week:

Snowy biking: People who ask why anyone would do it forget about its beauty, writes Anders Swanson.

Bike gang: A gang of masked vandals on bicycles has been demolishing expensive cars in gentrified Berlin neighborhoods.

Hit and run: The chief operating officer at Kaiser Permanente Dental Associates got a misdemeanor charge after fleeing (first by car, then on foot) the scene of a collision at NE Broadway and 24th that left a woman with a traumatic brain injury.

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2016 Worst Day of the Year Ride

I’ve volunteered a few times but I was really looking forward to participating in the Worst Day of the Year Ride for the first time. I got a great costume, but it was raining so I rode my Raleigh and skipped the costume, instead dressing in raingear. Jeremy and I met and rode together (well, approximately together, I’m faster on climbs).

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