4/25: Hello readers and friends. I'm still recovering from a surgery I had on 4/11, so I'm unable to attend events and do typical coverage. See this post for the latest update. I'll work as I can and I'm improving every day! Thanks for all your support 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor

ODOT “improvements” for Barbur Blvd set for construction this month

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

ODOT just announced a few changes coming to SW Barbur Blvd (including a restripe of the southbound bike lane at Taylors Ferry Rd) that are expected to be completed by this fall. Check out the details via the official statement blow:

A series of improvements will get under way this month along Southwest Barbur Boulevard that will improve safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

The improvements will be found at three locations: Southwest Taylors Ferry Road, the Barbur Transit Center and Southwest 13th Avenue. Some of the work is under way while additional elements will begin later this summer. Motorists may find occasional lane closures during the projects.

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David Rosen looks for success with Sage Cycles brand

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Riding with David Rosen of Sage Cycles-1

Sage’s new PDXCX model is made in Tennessee.
(Photos J. Maus/BikePortland)

From a garage and a small storage space in Beaverton, David Rosen has launched a new bike company: Sage Cycles.

Rosen, 41, created the brand in 2012 after he saw a niche in the market for bikes made out of titanium. “Ti”, as it’s known in the industry, is a great material for bikes because it’s light, very durable, and offers a ride that can be the perfect blend of stiffness and compliance. The vast majority of bikes you see around town or at the races are carbon, aluminum, or steel. But ti, mostly because of its higher cost, is relatively rare.

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Job: Store Service Manager – Bike Gallery (Lake Oswego)

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Job Title
Store Service Manager

Company/Organization
Bike Gallery – Lake Oswego

Job Description

The Bike Gallery has an immediate opening for a Service Manager at our Lake Oswego location.

Overview
The Store Service Manager is responsible for supporting and enforcing the service department policies and procedures for the individual retail locations. 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. Store Service Managers are also expected to monitor and adjust to service department sales goals and manage the parts inventory for that store location. In order to manage these resources, the Store Service Manager will work closely with The Company Service Manager, and the Store manager.
The Store service Manager is a permanent, full time position requiring an average of forty-five hours per week during the retail season, with additional hourly requirements likely to result during company events such as the warehouse sale, Cycle Oregon, and the summer sale. Vacation and leave times must be coordinated with the Store Manager.
All company Service Managers are expected to attend and participate in technical trainings, clinics, and service summits in order to be informed of all developments pertaining to service procedures, techniques, and salient features. Bike Gallery has certain behavioral expectations of all managers, these include; returning all phone and e-mail messages within 24 hours, conducting all inter-company communications in a professional and results oriented manner, conducting all business dealings with integrity and communicating variations in scheduling to all parties affected.

Responsibilities

Reinforce standards and procedures for store service department
The reinforcement of consistent standards for performance is critical to the process of measuring the effectiveness of the individual service departments. These responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
• Reinforce the protocols and procedures used for service intake and customer interaction.
• Participate in training and coaching to develop the critical skills needed to perform these functions to a high level of performance.
• Reinforce consistent standards and procedures for service writing, and creating service tickets.
• Reinforce consistent standards and procedures for closing service tickets and delivering completed service jobs to customers.
• Reinforce clear time and quality standards for the completion of uniform service tasks such as overhauls and tune ups.
• Make use of established systems to measure staff performance against company standards.
• Reinforce standards for the maintenance and appearance of the physical environment of all service departments and individual work stations
• Evaluate the production capacity of the store service department in terms of both service work and bike building potential.
• Evaluate opportunities to expand productivity, quality of service, and overall sales.

Development and training of service staff
The Store Service Manager is expected to be directly involved in selecting, interviewing, and hiring all service department staff members, in cooperation with the Store Manager. The Store Service Managers first priority is reinforcing and communicating the necessary skills, proficiencies, and standards to individual members of the service staff. These responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
• Evaluate the skill level of individual staff members and allocate responsibilities accordingly.
• Identify the potential for individual achievement and provide incentives for the realization of that potential.
• Support the development of programs for measuring the performance and productivity of service staff personnel; work to meet established goals.
• Attend staff clinics, demonstrations, and educational summits on a regular basis; encourage the active participation of all service staff members.
• Provide performance evaluations and reviews for individual store service staff members.
• Provide new product information and technical updates to all service department members.
• Facilitate the development of a strong sales culture within the stores service department.

Qualifications:
3-5 years bicycle service experience
Service department management a plus

The Bike Gallery has the following benefits: medical/dental/vision insurance, 401k plan, supplemental insurance and flex spending accounts.

How to Apply
Please send resume and cover letter to BGResumes@bikegallery.com

Please do NOT call the store to inquire

MTB news roundup: Arrests and a new trail at Sandy Ridge, new shop in Portland, & more

Sandy Ridge is getting more beginner-friendly
with a new section of trail set to open this
weekend.
(Photo by Adam Milnor/BLM)

From where I sit it appears 2014 is poised to be a huge year for mountain biking in Oregon. There’s exciting growth and news to report from all over the state. There are many factors for the surge — from a growing momentum for bike tourism development to a successful approach to off-road advocacy that includes collaboration with land managers and a huge amount of volunteer hours and sweat equity.

While high-quality off-road riding options are lacking here in the Portland metro area, advocates have helped create several excellent destinations in Mt. Hood, the Gorge, Vernonia, and beyond.

I’ve let a few stories pile up in my inbox in the past few months, so now it’s time to catch up with all the action in news roundup below…

Mace-toting Couple Arrested for Repeated Harassment of Trail Users at Sandy Ridge

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Why are they so angry? (A guest essay)

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gilbert

Sarah Gilbert

This essay was written by local writer and bike tour guide Sarah Gilbert. Her last piece for us was Two moms, two cargo bikes, one big adventure.

Why are they so angry?

This was my first question. I told my story from the day a woman in a Mercedes pulled out from a side street onto Holgate, turning right, when I was riding up the sidewalk with my oldest son on the back of my longtail. But I could have told you about the man in a sports car who swung around a group of us, narrowly skirting my mama bike, as we rode laughing in the middle of a beautiful spring morning east on Everett Street. I said something like “watch it!” and I too was angry but not so much as the pedestrian walking beside us. He told us it was the law to ride single file.

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The BikePortland Podcast: The surprising power of bike fun

Benson Bubbler Ride - Pedalpalooza 09-10

Bike fun comes in many shapes and sizes in Portland, and it’s impact is profound. This is a scene from a 2009 ride led by our podcast producer Lily Karabaic where she shared the history of the “Benson Bubbler” fountains.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

With the crazy month of June behind us, our latest edition of the BikePortland Podcast delves into the power of Pedalpalooza and the surprising secrets that make bike fun both a pleasant pastime and a potent pillar of cultural change.

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TriMet re-opens Esplanade path under Tilikum Bridge (photos)

New Eastbank path under Tilikum Bridge -6

Some of the first riders to ever travel on the new section of path under the Tilikum Bridge on the east side of the Willamette River.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

After a 14-month closure, TriMet re-opened the Eastbank Esplanade path (which some are calling the Eastside Greenway Trail) between OMSI and SE Caruthers Street this afternoon. The new, 14-foot wide path begins just south of OMSI, goes under the Tilikum Crossing Bridge and then back up to Caruthers just south of the Portland Opera headquarters.

I rolled over today for a closer look.

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Job: Mechanic/Sales – Bike N’ Hike (Beaverton)

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Job Title
Mechanic/sales

Company/Organization
Bike N’ Hike – Beaverton

Job Description
Beaverton Bike N Hike is currently hiring for positions in both sales and service. Bike mechanic applicants must have shop experience. Sales position applicants must have a positive attitude and a love for bicycles, no shop experience required.

How to Apply
Drop off a Resume at our Beaverton shop, located at 10120 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, OR 97005. Or email a Resume to beaverton@bikenhike.com