BikePortland

PBOT’s new guide takes the guesswork out of family biking

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Even in Portland, riding with infants and small children on your bike often elicits stares, questions, and comments.

At what age can we start biking with our baby? Which bike set-ups work best for toddlers? Is it better to use a tag-along or encourage kids to ride their own bike? These are just some of the myriad questions anyone who bikes with kids is used to getting. Now there’s a helpful guide from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) that aims to answer those questions.

Portland’s Family Biking Guide (PDF) is a new, 16-page booklet created by PBOT’s Active Transportation Division. The new guide will be distributed through the city’s “SmartTrips Welcome” marketing program that targets new residents and encourages them to bike, walk, and take transit.

According to PBOT’s Active Transportation Division Manager Linda Ginenthal, the new guide fills a gap in the city’s available suite of bicycling information. “We have a tremendous amount of bike information on our website and in printed materials,” she shared with us today, “but we had nothing for families.”

Screen Shot 2021-08-20 at 9.03.42 AM — Just lights to some people, but an
annoyance — and even a health hazard — for others.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Why would someone spray paint an angry, profanity-laced message about “epileptic lights” on a bikeway? Well, as the story we posted earlier this month illustrates, there’s a lot more to the topic of bike lights than you might think.

With that in mind Michael Andersen, Lillian Karabaic (our wonderful producer) and I tackled the topic of lights in the most recent episode of the BikePortland Podcast.

A woman being exposed to more pollutants than she’d like.
(Photos J.Maus/BikePortland)

With a homebuilt $300 pollution monitor strapped to his bicycle and seven years of Portland State University education in his brain, Alex Bigazzi has been leading a deep exploration into your lungs.

Joel Brown, happy with his bright green Kona.
(Photos courtesy of Joel Brown)

We’ve shared dozens of stolen bike recovery stories here on BikePortland over the years. From an editorial standpoint, I usually don’t like to repeat similar stories; but in these cases I make exceptions. Why? Because I know the despair people feel when their bike gets stolen, and I want to give victims hope. I also feel that given what a huge problem bike theft is in Portland (much larger than you might think), I jump at any excuse to cover the topic.

On that note, here’s the story of reader Joel Brown, who emailed his recovery story to us this morning:

There’s only one constant in Portland’s bike shop ecosystem: change.

With about 70 or so bike retail shops in the city boundary, hundreds of employees constantly switching between them, and an ever-changing market of bicycle riders, we need a full-time business editor on staff here at BikePortland just to keep up.

In the meantime, I’ve cobbled together several weeks of notes and emails to bring you the latest local bike shop news…

Bike ‘N Hike closes Portland store

One of Portland’s largest shops, Bike ‘N Hike, is closing. The 7,500 square foot store at SE Grand and Oak is having a big inventory closeout sale through the end of this month, then Portland will be without a Bike ‘N Hike location for the first time in over a decade. Owner Kevin Chudy will still operate his five other locations throughout the state (in Albany, Corvallis, Beaverton, Milwaukie, and Hillsboro).

An edited overhead map of the new path (highlighted in orange) along the west side of the Willamette River, with east up and Macadam Avenue along the bottom.
(Map: November 2011 Multnomah County open house, edited by BikePortland)

Noting that the current detour along a narrow Macadam Avenue sidewalk “has some challenges,” Multnomah County says it’ll open its much-improved path along the Willamette River by the time the new Sellwood Bridge is ready next year.

We’re maybe a little late to the Portland Mercury’s “Most Underrated” issue, out last week, but it’s a nice twist on the “best of” genre and it has a few interesting details about bikes.

The most intriguing claim, from Merc reporter Dirk VanderHart: Portland’s “most underrated bike jump” is a not-explicitly-identified private driveway on North Ainsworth Street near Peninsula Park. Here’s what he says:

It’s not much to look at, but if you’re pedaling west on N Ainsworth near Peninsula Park, there’ll be a driveway off to your right that’s so choice for the casual jump enthusiast. This driveway gives way to the curb not in the straight, matter-of-fact manner of most. Instead, it swoops up gracefully, exultantly, a miniature launch ramp to add some sweet altitude to your stolid commute. Hit it right, and you can pop over a bed of succulents and correct in time to avoid the tall wooden fence. Hit it wrong, and you’re killing succulents and/or injuring yourself. Bike jumps are awesome; not easy. (Also: This is someone’s home. Don’t mess it up.)

The city created a process for East Portland businesses to request free bike staples in exchange for dedicating space in their parking lots and maintaining the racks.
(Photos by David Hampsten)

Portland may have just cracked a very important puzzle: How can the public provide convenient bike parking in neighborhoods where the front door of a business is half a football field away from the sidewalk?

The city just wrapped up a project that bought metal bike racks in bulk and donated them to interested businesses, who in turn agreed to maintain the racks along with the rest of their private parking lots.

Intersection of Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and 50th.

The Portland Police Bureau have arrested a woman who drove her car into two people that were bicycling on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway Saturday night.

30-year-old Jasmine Zamora and 25-year-old Cameron Duff were riding home from a track race at at Alpenrose Dairy when the collision occurred. Zamora is active in the local track racing scene. She had won the Women’s Pursuit race at the Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge on Friday.

Zamora and Duff were traveling ~~west~~ east on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway between 50th and 45th (we have conflicting reports on the exact intersection) when 32-year-old Lisa Lynn Vesely drove her car into them then drove away without stopping.

Competitors Ryan Hashagen (R) and Michael Jones work together to lift a loaded cargo bike over one of the many obstacles on the course.
(Photos by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

“I help you, you help me!”

Those aren’t the words you expect to hear during a competitive cycling event. But when the event — the third annual Disaster Relief Trials — is based around a mock disaster and the competitors are piloting 150 pounds or more of bike and cargo on a challenging, 35-mile course, teamwork takes priority over individual gain.

Job Title
Sales Associate

Company/Organization
Cynergy E-Bikes

Job Description
Electric bicycle specialty store has immediate opening for an enthusiastic, engaging part-time salesperson.

Responsibilities:
* Greet customers
* Identify their interests and requirements, provide assistance in selecting bikes that fit the customers needs
* Provide personalized instructions on how to operate the electronic controls.
* Accompany customers on test rides as needed.
* Close sales and ring up orders in point of sales system.
* Install basic accessories as needed.
* Setup for events – drive van to event, setup 10×10 exhibitor tent, unload and load bikes.

Requirements:
* Excellent verbal skills.
* Enthusiasm, ability to engage, persuade
* Good general working knowledge of bicycles is highly desirable
* Computer aptitude, especially the ability to navigate a computer system that is not highly intuitive
* Current drivers license.
* Ability to lift 60 lbs 2 feet off the ground.

This position will start as part time 10 am – 7 pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Hours may expand to additional days.

How to Apply
Please forward resume to rich@cynergyebikes.com.

Job: Mechanic/Sales – Holy Spokes!

Job Title
Mechanic / Sales

Company/Organization
Holy Spokes!

Job Description
Holy Spokes is a new full service bike shop opening soon in SE Portland. Offering a variety of in-store and on-site mobile options, we cater especially to the daily commuter cyclist. We’re looking for a mechanic / salesperson with great customer service skills and a passion for bikes.

Overview of Position:
The bicycle mechanic will assist in the maintenance, repair and assembly of all types of bikes, both in-shop and on-site at various locations, in addition to assisting customers on the shop sales floor. This is currently a part-time position with the potential to be full-time.

Primary Responsibilities:
Complete repairs in a professional and timely manner
Assist customers on the sales floor
Ensure that all necessary reporting is accurate, complete and timely
Qualifications:
One year minimum experience in professional bicycle repair setting
Strong analytical and problem solving skills
Adaptability – enthusiastically adapt to changes in the work environment
Dependability – follow instructions; respond to management direction; communicate frequently
Passion for bikes, efficiency and sustainability
Interpersonal skills – maintain confidentiality; demonstrate willingness to try new things
Customer service skills – professional and friendly interaction with customers
Schedule and Compensation:
Position is P/T with the potential to become F/T and year round. Flexible hours are required, schedule to be determined with manager
Compensation based on experience

How to Apply
Email resume to info@holyspokespdx.com.

PBOT’s new guide takes the guesswork out of family biking

BikePortland Podcast: The Great Blinking Light Debate (and more)

Want to breathe as little pollution as possible? Pedal at exactly 11 mph

If only every stolen bike story ended this well

Local bike shop news roundup: Major closures, big moves, and smoothies!

New path link will open in time to greet Sellwood Bridge, County says

City’s most underrated bike jump? A driveway near Peninsula Park, Mercury says

City drops 84 bike parking spaces into East Portland parking lots

Woman arrested after hit-and-run injures two riders on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway

Cargo bikes, community win the day at Disaster Relief Trials

Job: Sales Associate – Cynergy E-bikes

Job: Mechanic/Sales – Holy Spokes!

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