The City of Portland has a special permit process for art bike racks that has led to a lot of hilarious designs popping up recently. Here I’ve gathered together the 10 I think are the most surprising. There are dozens more around town, though, so feel free to disagree. Here we go!
1. WWJD? Ride a bicycle, of course, to the Lutheran church on NE 14th and Knott.
- Jim Waigand
2. This new whisk outside Saint Cupcake.
3. Choose your gender outside Planned Parenthood’s northeast headquarters.
4. I love this Easter Island totem rack made for tiki-themed karaoke bar the Alibi.
5. I ride past this one every day on SE Ankeny and I still have no idea what it is. I think it’s a software company?
6. Dentist bike rack!
7. This rack isn’t as well known as its four-eyed friend, but it’s always struck me as far more bizarre.
8. The Fremont Bridge rack. Beautifully made—I think a lot of people don’t realize this is a rack.
9. Northwest mountain rack! I’m pretty sure this is the one at the carts on 12th and Hawthorne.
10. And, of course, the bicycle bike rack.
Have you seen the giant bike bike-rack outside the Village Ballroom? It’s my favorite.
I’ve always thought that the Fremont Bridge rack was a piece of art, and have often been afraid that some pearl district rent a cop/security patrol would hassle me for using it.
@Distro – Yes! It’s like a giant, hippie penny farthing. That one’s great, too.
I think that globe/mouse one on Ankeny is in front of a GIS/mapping company. I ride by it daily, too.
Yes! The big bike on 7th & Dekum is great! Also the eyeglasses bike rack on Williams outside the optometrist office is pretty cool, and the coffeecup one outside of DiPrima Dolci on Killingsworth & Denver is cute.
Check out the giant headphones outside KBOO Radio. SE 8th between Burnside and Ankeny.
Speaking of bicycle bike racks, have you seen the one on Ankeny just a few blocks down the road from #5, it’s also made of bike frames.
There’s also the stethoscope bike rack in front of Broadway Medical Clinic in the Hollywood dist.
..and the eyeglasses rack outside what is now River City Eye Care at the corner of Sandy and Broadway, also in the Hollywood Dist.
jake, you’re a GRUMPYPANTS.
I know that hurt, but you needed to hear it for your own good.
hey sarah,
the one on ankeny that’s a mouse connected to a globe is for a software company – specifically one that does geographic information systems (GIS) stuff. that’s all i’ve been able to discern, though. so the globe represents mapping, not like circa-96 ‘the information superhighway’ type deal.
Well said, these are really crazy bike stands. Thanks for sharing such nice pics.
http://www.carboncompass.com.au/business/aseako-electric-bike/maroochydore