BikePortland

Save the Date: The Portland Bike Theft Summit is on December 10th

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

As many of you have noticed, after nearly a decade of reporting on and working on bike theft here in Portland, we’ve recently been trying to raise the profile of the issue.

On that note, I’m excited to announce the first Portland Bike Theft Summit. It will be held at Velo Cult Bike Shop and Tavern (1969 NE 42nd) on Wednesday, December 10th at 6:00 pm.

We are still working on a proper flyer and detailed agenda; but wanted to get word out as soon as possible in hopes that everyone who wants to come can get the date on their calendar.

A curb-protected bike lane proposed for Walker
Road would serve Nike’s campus, but has
been delayed until 2019.
(Image: Washington County, modified by BikePortland)

Nike is planning to spend millions of dollars to build parking garages for 2,500 cars on its growing Washington County campus, but it’s not yet clear whether the sportswear giant will also be backing investments that would help its employees bike to work.

Today, 3 percent of Nike’s more than 8,000 payroll and contract workers typically walk or bike for their commute, according to a transportation plan covered last week by The Oregonian. Another 6 percent ride the bus or MAX, 1 percent telecommute, 12 percent carpool and 78 percent drive alone.

Metro active transportation planner Lake McTighe, center, at Oregon Walks’ annual fundraising dinner and awards.
(Photos: Nina Johnson for Oregon Walks)

After a significant grant victory that’ll see the group partnering with biking advocates to advance street safety plans across the state, Oregon’s largest walking advocacy group had plenty to celebrate Saturday.

As it heads into the first year with a new executive director, Oregon Walks toasted its supporters, members and other advocates for ambling at the group’s annual Weston Awards.

(Photo: Johnson Family)

It turns out that Kirke Johnson, the man killed last Thursday when a truck driver turned his vehicle into Johnson’s path while he rode on NW Cornell Road, was a regular commenter here on BikePortland.

Given how involved Kirke was in the regional bike advocacy scene, I thought he might have sent us an email or two over the years. When I checked my inbox archives, sure enough an email address belonging to “kirkej” popped up; but it was only a CC’d message, not one directly to me. Then, out of curiosity, I copy/pasted his email address into our comment database. A few seconds later I was reading the 100 or so comments left by “bikesalot” — which was Kirke’s screen name here on BikePortland.

BikeCraft, where you can always find
wonderful bike-inspired things.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

BikeCraft, the holiday gift fair for bike lovers, is back.

This will be the 10th time we’ve gotten together to highlight the best local, bike-inspired makers and artisans. Time flies when you’re having fun doesn’t it? I can still remember that icy-cold December night in 2005 when I invited a handful of creative folks to a coffee shop to share their wares. When we ended up with 20 vendors and a huge, happy, crowd I knew we’d struck a nerve.

Yikes!
(From VengeCycle.com)

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

Modest anti-theft proposal: VengeCycle.com promises to “make thieves think twice about taking your bicycle” by strapping a GPS-activated explosive to the handlebars. (“Damage is generally limited to the hands and is not considered lethal. … You will have to purchase a new handlebar. … Make sure to check that unlicensed use of explosives is legal in your state beforehand.”)

Open streets: Here’s a map of every ciclovia festival in the Americas, Sunday Parkways included.

As more Portlanders get sick-and-tired of the bike theft-related activities happening in broad daylight all over our city, we’re hearing more incidents like the one just shared by reader Spencer B. this morning on the OBRA Chat email list:

SUBJECT: accosted, chased, chased suspect, then recovered high end MTB fork- Portland

long story short, this AM i rode underneath the Burnside Bridge where a group was finishing up chopping a high end bike. I yelled, they stalled, skeazy mkskeazo took the fork and bolted on his bike while I was surrounded. I broke free, chased the guy down in Old Town, the man proceeded to chuck the fork in the gutter when I got close.

Its expensive, its what I’d race MTB’s on. If you’ve lost anything recently send a message soon, otherwise its going into the black hole bike vault of the Portland Police Bureau.

Lock that business up.

Cheers

Spencer

— Read more Bike Theft Chronicles.

Photo Gallery: Dogs and humans get wet and muddy at ‘Kruger’s Crossing’

Having the time of her life.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

Special thanks to Sellwood Cycle Repair for sponsoring our 2014 cyclocross coverage.

There aren’t many outdoor activities that embrace wet, cold, and muddy weather quite like cyclocross does. That truism was on fine display out on Sauvie Island yesterday at the annual Kruger’s Crossing event. The conditions went from standard mud early in the day, to epic flooding for the later races. There was even a bout of thunder and lightning.

(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

We didn’t all love math when we were 15, but most of us probably liked buying stuff.

In a comment Wednesday evening on our post about how much money bikes can save a city, reader Gutterbunnybikes shared a story about helping his teenage son understand how big a difference bikes can make to one’s personal finances.

Oak Cliff Cargo Bicycles (left) and Bike Friday want to take a leap into cargo bikes. And you can help.

Two friends of BikePortland and fellow lovers of cargo bikes have recently launched campaigns that deserve your crowd-funding consideration.

Bike Friday (from Eugene) and Oak Cliff Cargo Bicycles (from Dallas, Texas) might not be from Portland, but our city has a solid place in each of their stories.

EnSelle, a bike shop that focuses exclusively on road bikes, will close its doors at the end of this year.

EnSelle was founded by Jask Liskear in 1998 and has built a strong niche as “the shop for connoisseurs of fine road bikes.” Liskear is a dealer for BMC and Land Shark bikes and his shop (located just off SW Macadam Blvd) is officially certified for repairs by Campagnolo and Shimano. In addition to the latest and greatest bikes, EnSelle is full of classic memorabilia of the sport he loves.

Liskear announced the big news via a customer email sent out today at noon:

With renewed energy from Portland’s off-road biking advocates and a Metro project that could open up 1,300 acress of trail possibilities, 2015 could be a very big year for advocates itching for more local single track trails.

As we reported yesterday, local advocacy and trail building group the Northwest Trail Alliance has thrown down a gauntlet of sorts by launching an online petition in the form of an open letter to members of Portland City Council. The petition urges them to “catch up with the overflowing demand for off-road cycling opportunities.” By the time this story is published there will likely be close to 1,000 signatures collected in its first two days.

Save the Date: The Portland Bike Theft Summit is on December 10th

As Nike expands, so too could nearby biking options

Oregon Walks celebrates Vision Zero plan and honors livable-streets visionaries

Kirke Johnson’s BikePortland comments are chilling and inspiring

Tenth annual BikeCraft set for December 6-7

The Monday Roundup: Extreme anti-theft measures, mapping ciclovias and more

Bike Theft Chronicles: Accosted, chased, then recovered

Photo Gallery: Dogs and humans get wet and muddy at ‘Kruger’s Crossing’

Comment of the Week: Teaching your kid to be a millionaire

Two cargo bike projects worth backing on Kickstarter

EnSelle ‘The Road Bike Shop’ to close after 16 years in business

After years of disappointment, single track lovers have reasons for optimism

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