Spinlister CEO Marcelo Loureiro (L) and CMO Andrew Batey in Portland earlier this month.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Portland is the market Spinlister could no longer ignore.
Entering 10th year, PBOT ‘crosswalk enforcement actions’ still going strong
The warnings don’t seem to stop folks from breaking the law.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
While everyone likes to argue about which type of roads users break more laws — and we are currently being forced to have the tired debate all over again thanks to a well-intentioned but misguided legislative concept — the Portland Bureau of Transportation is doing their part to address the issue.
PBOT’s Crosswalk Enforcement Action program has been going strong since 2005. We checked in on one back in September and have reported on them many times over the years. The idea is simple: Place a human decoy (sometimes a notable politician but more often PBOT safety staffer Sharon White) in a crosswalk and wait for people to break the law while a phalanx of Portland Police motorcycle officers wait in the wings, armed with radar guns and quick twists of the throttle to chase people down.
The efforts are usually quite fruitful and they offer us a small window into the rampant disregard many road users have for the law.
Safety advocate to Novick: Where’s the Barbur study you requested?
Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick in 2014.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)
When is a traffic study not a traffic study?
“Let’s work together to make Barbur safer,” Portland Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick wrote in October 2013, promising that “the Portland Bureau of Transportation will commit the time and resources to work with ODOT and engage the surrounding communities to see the impacts of a possible road diet and find the right solution.”
Now, some of the advocates who helped persuade Novick to make that commitment are saying it’s still unfulfilled.
Company places 14 orange bikes in Beaverton as part of marketing ploy
Orange bikes seem a strange
way to promote a gym.
(Photo: Orangetheory Fitness/FB)
way to promote a gym.
(Photo: Orangetheory Fitness/FB)
A marketing campaign that has generated backlash in several other cities for its similarity to ghost bikes has been launched in Beaverton and Tigard.
In the past two days we’ve received several reader tips about mysterious, spray-painted orange bikes locked up around Beaverton. One person thought they were a public art project.
Today we asked our friends on Twitter if they’d heard anything and we heard back from Tom at Seattle Bike Blog. He said the bikes were the work of a marketing campaign by a company called Orangetheory Fitness and pointed us to an article about the bikes published by The Stranger back in April 2014.
A few clicks later and we confirmed that Orangetheory has indeed placed the same orange bikes throughout the Beaverton area to promote their new Tigard location.
Lawsuit stemming from crash during mountain bike race is withdrawn
“With this decision, the future of mountain bike racing in state of Oregon has a somewhat brighter outlook.”
— Park Chambers, owner of Fat Tire Farm
A lawsuit many feared would have an ominous ripple-effect on mountain bike race promotion in the state of Oregon has been withdrawn.
As we shared earlier this month, Lisa Belair-Sullivan filed a lawsuit against a race promoter and sponsor after she crashed and injured herself on a log that had fallen across a trail. Belair-Sullivan was warming up for the Dog River Super D mountain bike race in May. Her lawsuit contended that event promoter Petr Kakes of Hurricane Racing and Park Chambers of Fat Tire Farm (a shop who was the title sponsor of the event) created a safety hazard that she was unable to avoid.
On January 9th, we confirmed with Belair-Sullivan that she withdrew the case. While she has yet to make an official public statement, Park Chambers issued one on January 23rd. We’ve pasted the statement below in its entirety:
Get ready for Southwest Portland Week!
Rolling through Hillsdale.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
The second week of February (9-13) will be Southwest Portland Week here on BikePortland.
That entire week, News Editor Michael Andersen and I will be stationed in a secret bunker (probably a pub or coffee shop in Multnomah Village) where we’ll focus our editorial output on the issues, projects, businesses, and people of southwest Portland.
If you recall our East Portland Week last summer, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. The basic idea with these focused coverage events is to open our eyes to places that we don’t cover — or physically inhabit — as often as we’d like to. Sure, we have sources all over the region and we can cover places we never visit; but it’s just the not the same as being there.
Job: Workshop Mechanic and Customer Service – Islabikes – FILLED
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Job Title
Workshop Mechanic and Customer Service
Company/Organization
Islabikes
Job Description
About Islabikes:
Established in the UK in 2006, Islabikes was founded by renowned British bicycle designer Isla Rowntree and in 2013 we opened our first overseas distribution hub in Portland, OR. The company is dedicated to offering a better experience of cycling for children and our business model delivers direct to the customer. We do this by continually striving towards perfection and approaching every stage in the process with efficiency and attention to detail. This requires a team attitude where every member of staff identifies with the company ethos and mission.
New roles and positions emerge in all areas as we grow so opportunities to develop into a supervisory/management role may emerge once you are fully trained and your understanding of the company has broadened.
Essential attributes for a good fit:
A commitment to work hard, develop your skillset and support the company in its pursuit of excellence is essential. In return, Islabikes will work with you to realize your potential in relation to the company.
Key employee competencies:
• You can multi-task and flex between roles when required.
• You’re prepared to do things differently with a passion to excel.
• You enjoy cycling regularly.
• You appreciate the value of doing ordinary things extraordinarily well!
Main functions of the roles
Workshop:
• To perform a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) routine in preparing every Islabike for dispatch.
• To work as a team in delivering a consistently high standard of quality and customer service.
Customer Service:
• To answer incoming calls – sales and inquiries.
• To accurately process telephone orders.
• To provide clear and helpful advice on bike model, size and fit over the phone, by email and occasionally face to face at events or in our fitting studio.
• To advise on the full range of accessories and technical detail as required.
• To manage customer email inquiries efficiently, providing knowledgeable replies in a concise, friendly and timely manner.
• To investigate and resolve order inquiries and ensure customers are informed of outcomes with minimal delay.
Skill set required
• Basic understanding of bicycle mechanics e.g. names of components and familiarity with their use from riding.
• IT literate – Microsoft Office
• Excellent attention to detail
• Clear, confident speaker
• Good listener, able to reason calmly
• Ability to be succinct in spoken and written word
• Organized
• Aptitude for problem solving
• Touch typist – min 40 wpm (or willingness to achieve this during probation period)
• Team player
Please note that while previous experience in similar roles is ideal, full training will be given.
Location: Islabikes, 2113 SE 7th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
Salary: Dependent on skills, plus health insurance and paid time off
Full-time position: Monday through Friday 9am – 5pm with some Saturdays
How to Apply
Please send your resume and cover letter/email to: info@islabikes.com
Thoughts on Hart Noecker and our community
In case you have not heard by now, Hart Noecker, a man who was well-known in local bike activism circles and who we used several times as a source for stories over the years, has been the subject of serious allegations regarding his actions and behaviors in numerous personal and group relationships.
I care deeply about our community and the people impacted by Noecker’s actions and I take this situation very seriously. Also, since I’m the one who decided to feature him on this website on several occasions, I want to share my thoughts and offer some clarifications.
One rider’s Twitter crusade shows the ‘City that works’ what doesn’t
Vanlue on the job.
(Photo: Asta Chastain)
(Photo: Asta Chastain)
Maybe the All-Powerful Bicycle Lobby had something to do with it, but the day Will Vanlue decided to start delivering for SoupCycle was an especially good day for the rest of Portland.
As a courier for the Portland-based soup delivery service, Vanlue — a former BikePortland contributor and Bicycle Transportation Alliance communications manager, a talented photographer and one of the most courteous and mindfully upbeat biking advocates in town — spends many of his daytime hours traveling the city’s streets in an upright city bike with a trailer full of fresh soup.
Also with him: a smartphone camera he’s been using for months to share street design shortcomings on Twitter.
Get involved: Write letters to city leaders about SE Clinton
Below is info about an event being organized by Bike Loud PDX on Wednesday, 1/28:
We have reserved a meeting room at the Belmont Public Library, located at 1038 Southeast Cesar E Chavez Boulevard, Portland, OR on Wednesday, January 28th from 5:30-7:30pm.
Purpose of meeting: Gather to write individual letters to various members of the City expressing our opinions regarding SE Clinton.
This will be in the spirit of Ted’s postcard campaign. We will each hand write (or type on laptops) letters of 1-2 paragraphs or so. I’ll be bringing lined paper, pens, envelopes and stamps.
The first half of the meeting will be us writing letters. During the second half we can discuss new ideas and follow-up actions. One idea I have is to begin a petition in which we have the goal of reaching 1,000 paper signatures for a more livable Clinton Neighborhood Greenway.
Alex has advised that the bulk of our letters be written to:
Steve Novick
Leah Treat
Charlie Hales
Comment of the week: A brief intro to bike fitting
Getting fit.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)
Jonathan’s very personal post last week about recovering from his recent knee injury with the help of a local chiropractor prompted some useful and impressively respectful discussion about the lines between physical therapy, chiropractic care, training and health care in general.
But as a relatively casual rider who’s starting to feel the first persistent aches of my 30s, I was especially interested by a comment from a reader named David, who offered a simple, compelling introduction to the practice of bike fitting.
Job: Service Manager – Bike Gallery – FILLED
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Job Title
Service Manager
Company/Organization
Bike Gallery
Job Description
The Beaverton Bike Gallery is a busy shop with repairs ranging from hybrid tune ups and high-end road group swaps to suspension and hydraulic rebuilds.
The Service Manager is responsible for supporting and enforcing the service department policies and procedures. This includes time and quality standards for service repairs, evaluation, support and supervision of service staff, and the measurement of service department sales and production performance.
The right candidate will be able to diagnose and service a wide range of bicycles (from hybrids to high-end road to full suspension mountain). Develop and train service staff on technique and new product. Keep service supplies stocked, shop tools up to date, and service area clean, organized, and presentable.
We want someone that has an amazing work ethic, takes pride in what they do and has a drive to always get better.
The Bike Gallery offers medical/dental/401k/supplemental insurance options to full time employees.
How to Apply
Send Resume & Cover Letter to:
BGresumes@bikegallery.com – please include Beaverton Service Manager” in subject line.
Or one off at the shop.
Bike Gallery
12345 SW Canyon Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97005