The Atlantic: New research has found that bicycle commuters inhale more than twice the amount of black carbon particles as pedestrians making a comparable trip. That healthy bike ride to and from work might be getting you out of a car, but it’s not getting you out of the way of the automobile emissions. The […]
Bikes
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Oregon Manifest: In Which I Met a Horse, Went on a Bike Ride, Became Delirious, Didn’t Die, Then Had a Beer
Oregon Manifest is the national bike building competition hosted in Portland this weekend that aims to inspire the perfect city bike—a practical, highly function (and beautiful) handbuilt bike. Yesterday, the 34 teams unveiled their innovative designs, which ranged from wooden cargo bikes and doggie sidecars to straightforward gorgeous citybikes. Today, they were put to the […]
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Bikes with Dog Sidecars, Stereo Systems, and Cell Phone Chargers Debut at Oregon Manifest
This morning, 34 teams from around the country rolled their custom-built bikes into the main hall of Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) for the official start of Oregon Manifest and… holy promised land of designer bike porn! The bikes are fabulous. The last time Portland held the national bikes-as-transportation design competition, the results were […]
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Bike on the Sidewalk, Crash into a Cop Car
Here’s a quick public service announcement from the Portland Police about why it’s actually more dangerous to bike on the sidewalk that to bike in the street. Last night, a 22-year-old guy was biking on the sidewalk on the north side of Powell Blvd just near SE 50th Avenue. Meanwhile, a Portland Police officer was […]
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Touring and Talking Business at Portland’s Massive Chris King Bike Parts Factory
Up in NW Portland is a factory that bike nerds internationally revere and basically no one else knows anything about. It’s the Chris King Precision Components factory, where 92 people work creating top-of-the-line bike headsets, hubs, tools, and full bikes from parts that are all made in America. No where is Portland’s bike economy on […]
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The “Original” Fixie Movie
Mercury production designer Nick Olmstead pointed me toward this hilariously vintage clip in response to yesterday’s post entitled “Here’s That Fixie Movie You’ve Been Waiting For.” As it turns out (as a few of you B-townies noted), “that fixie movie” was actually made way back in 1986 and called Quicksilver starring the almighty Kevin Bacon. […]
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Here’s that Fixie Movie You’ve Been Waiting For!
Ohboyohboyohboy! I saw this trailer the other night at the movies, and immediately thought, “This… is going… to drive Blogtown… CRAZY!!” It’s the trailer for Premium Rush—the first movie (that I know of) that glorifies the fixie bike. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an aggressive NYC bike messenger who opens the trailer with the following line: I […]
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Seattle Grapples With Cyclist Deaths, Like Portland Circa 2007
Our sister paper up in Seattle is going ahead and declaring war on cars after a string of deadly car-bike collisions. The city has seen a spike in bike traffic deaths recently, prompting bike-friendly Mayor Mike McGinn to call for an immediate summit on the bike safety. Cycling has jumped 60 percent in Seattle over […]
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NYC Gets Bike Sharing, Too
Bike sharing in Mexico City Big news for Portland out of New York City: The Big Apple will launch a bike share system of 10,000 bikes by summer 2012. The company chosen to run the system is Portland-based Alta Planning and Design. The company says the bike sharing project will create 200 jobs in New […]
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Wayne’s World Bike-In Movie
Schwing meets Schwinn this Saturday, September 10 at a Wayne’s World bike-in movie shindig! Pedal on over to NE Garfield and Failing around 8 p.m. (or sundown) for the free showing in an empty, grassy lot. Blankets and chairs recommended. Host Nickey Robo promises “skits, air guitar contests, and more” along with a post-movie Wayne’s […]
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License Bicycle Riders!
Gas taxes! Car tab fees! Drivers pay to use the roads! So why shouldn’t cyclists? Um, because cyclists pay to use the roads already and they subsidize the roads for drivers, the ultimate welfare queens: That same media is also littered with driver self-pity over the high costs of driving and there is a false […]
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Take Bike Sharing on a Test Ride!
Remember the bike sharing plan the city council recently adopted, welcoming 740 rentable bikes to Portland’s streets? But, of course! Sarah Mirk Bike sharing station in Mexico City However, while the council passed the bike sharing plan in August, the program itself isn’t predicted to be up and running until Fall 2013. So to tide […]