March 6, 2008
Seattle Here I Come
This weekend is the Group Health Seattle International Bicycle Expo, organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club. The expo is a complete celebration of cycling, with exhibits and presentations. It's a great opportunity to see what big rides are planned for 2008. Oregon's own Joe Kurmaski, aka the Metal Cowboy, will be there for special activities and info in the new Expo Youth Zone.
It's going to be a busy weekend for Team ORbike. Three of us are headed up to staff a booth and check out the scene. If I get a chance to break away from the action for a moment, I'll check in with you all to let you know some of the coolest stuff I'm seeing out there.
If you happen to be free this weekend, head up to Seattle. It's $8 to get in for a day, $10 for two days, and kids get in free.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 6:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
February 19, 2008
Brown Bag Lunch in Portland - Bike Lanes
Portland Department of Transportation's Bicycle Brown Bag series is a nice way to spend lunch in you're in the downtown area on you rlunch area. These free lunches happen once a month.
This month, the topic is Portland's First Bicycle Paths, 1896-1899. Historian Eric Lundgren will discuss early efforts to fund and build safe routes for cyclists. From do-it-yourself to public funding, a lot of effort went into making the area's first bike paths happen.
Bring your lunch, hang with other cyclists and enjoy this afternoon lecture followed by discussion.
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February 6, 2008
NAHBS Brings on the Fun
This weekend is the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, a touring show that visits a different city every year. Portland is hell-bent on ensuring the out-of-towners see the very best that Portland has to offer so on top of the convention's after-parties, Portlanders have organized additional activities. The most comprehensive list of what's happening when during this jam-packed weekend is on the BikePortland.org website. See details here.
There will be workshops for builders, casual riders and competitive riders. Maybe you want to catch the alley cat on Saturday. Maybe you're riding the not-to-be-missed Worst Day of the Year Ride on Sunday. Or you can just spend all day geeking out and freaking out on some of the world's most beautifully-constructed bikes. See? Plenty to do.
You can read more about NAHBS in the most recent ORbike newsletter. By the way, if you're not receiving our newsletter, you should be. Sign up through the front page of our website.
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February 9, 2007
Bicycle Fitting Workshop
It's really tempting to just keep talking about the Worst Day of the Year Ride, but I thought you might like a break from that. So, here's a very cool workshop coming up on Saturday:
Fitting expert Michael Sylvester presents a two-day 16 hour seminar on the Art And Science Of Bicycle Fitting. This class open to anyone who's interested but it's especially intended for professional bike shop employees and others who want to further their skills in this area.
Gudmestad Yoga Studio 3903 SW Kelly Suite 210 Portland Oregon 97239
COST: $325 -First come first serve and the class limited to 20 people, so call first to see if there is still room.
For more info call 503-233-4284.
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June 13, 2006
Monday Nights at PIR Get Hot!
Jim Anderson and I have been talking a lot lately. Jim's the organizer of the Monday night race series at PIR. From the get-go this season, the Monday nights have been a big hit. Jim says, "This month is bike crazy, its really good to be in Portland!" I agree and I think his Monday nights are definitely part of our big summer cycling boom. On just about any given Monday night, (schedule) you can head out to PIR and learn a little about racing on a closed course.
What's so great about Monday nights at PIR? Jim says "It is a perfect place to learn all about bike racing 101. The course is closed to traffic, wide, flat and smooth pavement. There are mentors to answer questions from Lakeside Bicycles/Fred Meyer Cycling Team. There are always other novice racers that are trying this out for the first time, so you don’t feel alone. Its a supportive and fun group to be around."
Jim really likes to empasize how easy and accessible it all is. "You don’t have to commit to a lot," he says. "You can just show up day of event to fill out paperwork, etc. You don’t even have to been on team. Its only two miles around. If you get bored you know you will always be near your car or main gate and can leave. It's not a massive time commitment, no planning weekends away, avoiding to-do lists or leaving at 5am to make it to the race in middle of Central Oregon."
So how is this season going?
Jim says, "This season has been taking off, we are amazed. For May we got average
150 racers. Only a few years ago it was a good night to get 77 TOTAL racers." There are a ton of new racers every night. Most are coming back and doing other OBRA events. Jim estimates that there are 5-15 new OBRA annual memberships per night.
Don't be deterred by the location. PIR is actually only a short ride from Downtown on a pretty good route, or you can take the MAX. If you come via alternative transport, you'll get $1 off your $12 registration AND $1 will be donated to the BTA.
Jim's doing great work as a volunteer to put these nights together. I'll be checking back in with him some more throughout the season. Head on out, see what you think, let me know.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 2:58 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 8, 2006
Pedalpalooza Starts Today!
The festival of 170 bike events in 17 days kicks off today! Sure, maybe you're not into the goofy costumery of bike parades (tonight, 6:30 pm, Jamison Square), but don't be turned off - there's something for everyone! Events are hosted by Portland and Vancouver's community of very diverse cyclists and the calendar reflects it. Oh, and it gets better: nearly all the events are free!
Check out the calendar for the full listings and dive on it. It's beautiful outside, get out on your bike and check out the scene.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 10:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
May 26, 2006
Pedalpalooza: 170 Bike Events in 17 Days!
There's no denying it that Pedalpalooza, which started as BikeSummer in 2000, has grown into a tremendous festival. From a grassroots festival of small events, Pedalpalooza now hosts 170 bike events in 17 days. A pretty impressive printed calendar chock-full of details will hit the streets next week (look for it in the Portland Mercury) but in the meantime you can see the line up on the Pedalpalooza online calendar. From racing to dance parties and everything in between, nearly all the events are free and hosted by volunteers.
I'd like to say that it's not too late to host an event and enter it on the calendar, and that's true, but you may have a hard time finding a spot on the calendar where it will fit. Some days boast up to 13 events in one day. Pedalpalooza is a great way to kick of summer in Portland. Dive into the calendar and get ready for some bike fun.
Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 7:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
May 4, 2006
Ride Bikes With Kids
Ann Scalera, Youth Programs Coordinator at the BTA, reports taht their Bicycle Safety Education program is going great this season. They've got 3 fleets of 30 bicycles out at schools and they're training a ton of new little riders.
You can help by joining in on the last day of the program, the Community Ride day. To make the rides safer on this extended ride day, adults help chaperone groups of 3-6 children on the street, within the larger group ride. Kids will have already received 6-9 hours of training prior to the rides, so the role of Volunteer Ride Leaders is to remind kids of safety basics and offer encouragement.
They especially need assistance this Friday.
Available dates and times follow. For more info, contact Anna at 503-226-0676 ext. 19.
MAY 5 (Friday)
Gregory Heights Middle School, 7334 NE Siskiyou, PDX
Afternoon shift (no morning rides): 1:15-3:45
MAY 12 (Friday)
Sacramento Elementary School, 11400 NE Sacramento St., PDX
Morning shift: 9:00-11:30
Afternoon shift: 12:30-1:40
MAY 18 (Thursday)
Sellwood Middle School, 8300 SE 15th, PDX
Times TBA
May 19 (Friday)
Sellwood Middle School, 8300 SE 15th, PDX
All-day ride to OMSI trip (times TBA, but probably from @9:30 - 3:00)
MAY 26 (Friday)
East Sylvan Middle School, 1849 SW 58th Ave., PDX
Morning shift: 9:10-12:15
Afternoon shift: 1:45-3:30
MAY 26 (Friday)
Metzger Elementary School, 10350 SW Lincoln St., Tigard
Morning shift: 10:15-12:30
Afternoon shift: 1:15-2:30
JUNE 5, (Monday)
Creston Elementary School, 4701 SE Bush, PDX
Morning shift: 8:50-12:00
Afternoon shift: 12:50-2:00
JUNE 13 (Tuesday)
Buckman Elementary School, 320 SE 16th, PDX
Times TBA
JUNE 9 (Friday)
Vose Elementary School, 11350 SW Denney Rd., Beaverton
Times TBA
Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 8:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
May 3, 2006
Dear Dabby
Portland United Messenger Association (PUMA) now has it's own advice columnist...Dear Dabby (a recent, and excellent, guest on the KBOO Bike Show).
As PUMA puts it, "As many of you know, Dabby is an expert on almost everything. If you need help help with gear ratios, relationships, finances or pretty much anything else Dabby is here to help you. Send him an email now and you'll thank yourself later."
For more info, or to seek out advice, see the PUMA website.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 9:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
Reserve Some Time: Portland Bike Summit
Bicycling Magazine calls Portland the number one bicycling city in all of North America. The League of American Bicyclists rates Portland "Gold" along with four other U.S. cities. The next level is platinum and no large city has gotten there yet. Commissioner Sam Adams and the bicycling community want to Go Platinum! and they want your help.
On Saturday, June 17 from 8:30 to 1:30 pm, you are invited to join neighborhood and bicycling advocates at the Portland Bike Summit at PSU's Smith Hall. It's an opportunity to learn how we got to be the best in the U.S. and find out about all the exciting and fun ways you can get involved to make Portland a world-class bicycling city.
Workshop topics include:
- Portland's I Share the Road campaign
- Innovations in Bikeways Here and Abroad
- Who Put the Fun in Bike Fun? From Breakfast on the Bridges to Pedalpalooza
- New Laws for Bikes - What Strategies are on the Horizon
- Why Do People Not Ride - Really (or How to Get My Next Door Neighbor/Co-worker/Friend on a Bike)
FREE and lunch is included.
Should you attend? PDOT is encouraging attendance from anyone who bikes, likes bikes, wants to bike, owns a bike, etc.
[ More info ]
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 1:25 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
March 15, 2006
Transportation Ambassadors Sought
Yesterday my friend Janis sent me this volunteer announcement. Janis works for the City of Portland's Transportaion Options department, renown for their great bike programs, and mentioned that they have openings for summer Transportation Ambassadors.
Read the full announcement.
Transportation Options Ambassadors Program is a limited opportunity for volunteers to get hands-on experience with Transportation Options' staff to reach out to Portland residents through walks, bike rides, tabling community events, helmet fittings and more. Ambassadors get an inside look at how the
best bicycling and one of the best walking cities in North America gets that way.
Ambassadors represent the Office of Transportation and present information to encourage pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit riders to travel safely together - share the road. Other activities include bicycle helmet giveaways, bike counts and transportation fairs. Ambassadors would be expected to commit to at least two events throughout the spring, summer and
fall of 2006.
Selected Ambassador applicants receive a 3-hour training at the Transportation Options Ambassador Academy on the information and skills necessary to talk with the public at outreach events about all
transportation options. Additionally, Ambassadors get an official City of Portland Office of Transportation T-shirt, an Ambassador Academy Certificate, a variety of walking, biking and transit incentives throughout the summer, and an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills.
To apply for the Transportation Options Ambassador Academy, or for more information, visit our website at www.GettingAroundPortland.org and click Options Ambassadors, or contact Janis McDonald at 503-823-5358 or janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 7:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
January 2, 2006
New KBOO Bike Show Podcast
In addition to working for ORbike.com and writing this blog, I also host the KBOO Bike (radio) Show with esteemed Portland bike hero Sara Stout. Thanks to Chris Smith from PortlandTransport.com, our program is now being podcast (meaning it is available on the internet for your iPod or just net listening).
MORE INFO | PODCAST
Coming up on the KBOO Bike Show: Safer Streets
TUNE IN! - Wed 1/4, 9-10 am - 90.7 fm or streaming live at KBOO.fm.
This month on the KBOO Bike Show, special guests, Bill Sinnot, Commander of the Portland Police traffic divison and Greg Raisman, PDOT's traffic safety specialist will discuss projects they are working on to make the streets safer for cyclists.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 2:20 PM | Permalink
November 14, 2005
Gordon Price to Speak at Portland Office of Transportation Class
When I took PDOT's Traffic and Transportation class for community advocates, one of the highlights was a presentation by Gordon Price from Vancouver, B.C. talking about great ways to design high density cities with smart transportation options.
I just got word that Gordon will be in Portland for his talk on November 17th. I highly recomend it if you have any interest in transportation issues.
The Portland Office of Transportation's "Traffic & Transportation"
course welcomes Gordon Price to Portland for a special presentation
focusing on the transportation and land use connection in Vancouver
BC.
Gordon Price Presentation
November 17, 6:40
PSU, Shattuck Hall 112
All are welcome to join PDOT's "Portland Traffic & Transportation"
class for a special presentation by Gordon Price on Thursday, November
17 at Portland State University.
Gordon Price, adjunct professor in the School of Community and
Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia and former
member of the Vancouver BC City Council, will make a presentation on
the effective integration of transportation in high-density
environments, with emphasis on land use.
The Portland Traffic & Transportation course is a 10 week course
offered by PDOT and PSU, and is geared toward neighborhood activists
and those interested in learning more about how transportation works
in the Portland region. You can find out more about the class, and
view the syllabus online.
Thank you,
Dan Bower
Project Manager
Office of Transportation
Options Division
Phone 503-823-5667
Fax 503-823-9194
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 2:55 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
October 31, 2005
BTA is looking for volunteers
The BTA reports that their kids programs are going well, but they're in need of adult volunteers.
From Anna Scalera:
Bicycle Safety Education programs offered by the BTA are in full gear and we need adult Ride Leaders to join students on the street. Programs are being run with 4th and 5th grade students in three more schools this fall. Ride Leaders chaperone a group of 4-6 students within the larger class Community Ride. All students will have received six to nine hours of training prior to the ride, so your role will be to remind them of bicycle safety tips and etiquette on the street. Community Rides start and end at the school and are led by an experienced instructor. Bring your bike and join the fun! To sign up for a ride, or for a brief orientation prior to your first ride, please contact Anna.
Email: anna@bta4bikes.org
www.bta4bikes.org
Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 5:35 PM | Permalink
October 29, 2005
REI Awards Community Cycling Center
On Saturday, October 22nd, REI presented the Community Cycling Center with their largest award presented to only six organizations nation wide. The award honored Tom Ralley, a Community Cycling Center volunteer who has really gone the extra mile in assisting with and expanding the CCC's Bike Safety Club.
Tom Ralley is on the right
The Bike Safety Club offers children a safe, supportive after school environment to learn and grow while they gain bike safety skills. Tom, the husband of the Lent Elementary principal Linda Ralley, had been volunteering with the program at Lent Elementary, but when he learned that many kids couldn't make it to the club or had so much enthusiasm they wanted to come more often, Tom decided to do more. Tom offered to come in on his own another day a week and start an annex club.
Tom is one of six volunteers chosen among thousands of applicants nation wide. CCC was awarded $20,000 at a special REI kick-off party. The party celebrated the Holiday Bike Drive, CCC's seasonal program to provide reconditioned bikes and helmets to 1,000 deserving children. REI hosted bike collections and volunteer work parties at all their local locations.
For more information on the CCC, check out their website at www.CommunityCyclingCenter.org.
Comments (2) | Posted by orbike at 4:23 AM | Permalink