Portland Biker

Mea Culpa

2009-11-10T11:12:00.001-08:00

Like every other person on the face of this planet, I balance a "push me-pull you" act with my time. So while I have no end of things I'm interested in sharing on this blog, there is also no easy way to find the time to do it.

So I thank you in advance for your forbearance!

Citations: Can They Make the World a Better Place?

2009-11-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

While there is probably something cathartic about leaving a note like this on someone's car, I wonder if it does any good? For the well-intentioned but oblivious driver, perhaps. Otherwise, I could see this potentially fanning the irrational flames of resentment. Anyway, this particular citation comes with the Bicycle Defense Kit. (In fact, it's the nicest thing IN the kit.)

Holiday Shopping for the Bicyclist on Your List

2009-11-05T08:56:00.001-08:00

Forget bike gear, let's look at a good gift for the biblioholic biker. And I have just the lovely volume in mind: Crap Cycle Lanes: 50 Worst Cycle Lanes in Britain.

Available at Amazon U.K., it's derived from a Flickr set of photos that has been expanded to include crap cycle lanes worldwide. And you can get a nice preview of them here.

"Grandpa, how did they sell cars in the old days?"

2009-11-04T10:12:00.001-08:00

"By role-modeling aggressive driving behavior... and with huge dollops of cheese! Now scram, before I run over your tricycle."

Bike Designers' Considered Insecurities

2009-11-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

Call me a rube, but one thing that caught me by surprise at the Oregon Handmade Bike Show was this bit of security engineering from the Pereira bicycle: A built-in lock! (The key slot is on the other side of the stem.)

As I've had to wrap my Kryptonite lock with rubber bands to keep it from rattling, I did wonder about how much sound this generates while pedaling. Also, I suppose its paint could chip more readily than one might like.

Oh, and I also liked the Pereira's built-in, generator-powered rear light.

There were some other bikes present that included some of these features, like this saddle leash from PsCip. More later, but additional photos from the show are here.

Prepare Your Engines— Wait, There ARE No Engines.

2009-10-30T10:34:00.001-07:00

It's Almost Time for the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show

2009-10-29T16:26:00.001-07:00

As we're just two days off from the Handmade Bike Show, I thought I'd whet your appetite with a few more bikes from last week's Oregon Manifest event in Portland.

An oenophilic pannier from Signal Cycles'
design-award winner caught my eye.

Along the lines of toting a load, I was a little surprised to find that Joe Bike had an electric assist on this small cargo bike. Though I don't have one on my Bakfiets, I can't deny there have been times where I would have like one (hello, Alameda Ridge with three kids onboard).

And I did take my first test drive of an electric bike ever, courtesy of the folks over at the Kalkhoff booth. They'll be selling their electric-assist German bikes in a Pearl location soon. As to the bike, the "assist" that the motor provides is remarkably discreet. The Kalkhoff weighs in the neighborhood of 50 pounds, and so getting things moving from a dead stop is when the motor's silent assist is most welcome.

Of course, I don't see ANY electrical assist on Metrofiets legendary Hopworks Beer Bike, so perhaps this topic is unmanly. (I'd love to try taking this for a spin with just my power and two full kegs... as an academic exercise, mind you.)

Bike Alert: Beware of Candy Corn Traffic Cones

2009-10-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

From over here.

Goats Dig Fixed Gears

2009-10-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Responding to the goat bike posting, Michael Mechthold-Jin points out that bikes and goats are a natural combination.

Salute!

2009-10-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here's one way to make drivers aware of squishy-bodied pedestrians and bikers: Salute every car that goes by. Silly idea? Perhaps. Actual edict passed by local Chinese officials? Yep.

Another nice image, this sign from Mark V... it had been run down by a car.

Oregon Manifest: Grabbing the Mountain Goat by the Horns

2009-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Manifest had an outdoor show today that focussed on utility/cargo bikes. Meanwhile, indoors one could learn about Sögreni, a Danish company that makes bikes, bathroom equipment and “street furniture.” (You know, like alley recliners and boulevard ottomans?)

The Sögreni CEO designed this “Mountain Goat” bicycle. (It’s a mountain bike, see?) Its ad copy reveals that it was developed “for both [the] petroleum magnate in Texas and the Spanish toreador.” Nice.

Another bike that caught my eye was this handsome Joe Bike model that seems designed for wee passengers. (They'd sit/stand in front, straddling the wood bench.)

More later; for the moment, some of my shots of the day can be found at that link I just left on the word "shots."

Using Helmet Adornments to Repel Magpies

2009-10-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

There are those who might claim that dive-bombing magpies are less of a problem in Portland than Australia. But better safe than sorry:

The Long-Awaited Bike/Car Hybrid

2009-10-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

This unidentified shot is from the Toronto Bike Show; despite the Specialized logo, the company apparently denies any involvement.

Women: The Indicator Species (and the Lying Wussies Who Love Them)

2009-10-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Percentage of Female Riders

The Netherlands: 55%

Germany: 49%

USA: 33% (at best!)

How important is female ridership? In this Scientific American article, author Jan Garrard states, “If you want to know if an urban environment supports cycling… just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female.”

Okay, it's important. So why the pronounced gender disparity in the U.S.? The SA article points out that since women are more risk-averse than men, a “safe bike infrastructure [is] a prerequisite for riding. Women also do most of the child care and household shopping, which means these bike routes need to be organized around practical urban destinations to make a difference.”

A study of Portland by John Pucher (professor of urban planning, Rutgers) revealed that “women were less likely than men to try on-street bike lanes and more likely to go out of their way to use ‘bike boulevards.’ quiet residential streets with special traffic-calming features for bicycles.”

So far, so believable, but I’m skeptical of the findings of UC Davis Professor of Environmental Science Susan Handy. Her study shows that while “comfort” and “needing a car” are unimportant factors on a man’s cycling decisions, they are of paramount concern for women. Ha! In my anecdotal experience, men will often CLAIM that comfort isn’t an important factor out of a misguided sense of gender role modeling.

That is, many of the men who don’t cycle are lying wussies who are terrified of being caught in a light rainfall. Less risk-averse, indeed!

Photo by Leah Nash for the New York Times.

I Don't Want to Overstate This, But...

2009-10-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

...every time someone sees a biker and thinks or says, "Get off the road!", a person in Portland dies.

Sad, isn't it?

Addendum: Amy Baskin tweets that each time someone thinks "Get off the road!", a new biker is actually born in Portland. (Much better!)

Point Taken

2009-10-14T09:35:00.001-07:00

Man, I Really Don't Understand Cars

2009-10-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

Be sure to make it to 1:55. (For the purposes of obscurity, I can't tell you what happens.)

Freedom Begins with a Folding Bulldog

2009-10-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Bigfish folding bike is fresh out of Slovenia, and its marketing campaign provides fresh new perspectives on folding bike technology. (In short, it's fresh.) For instance, look at the happy, hip couple above, enjoying life on a dock with their folding bikes and bulldog. "But how did the dog get there? In a pannier?" a wag asks. Not to worry: he folds up too!

I also love promo shots that illustrate how seamlessly a folding bike can fit in with a professional's work life. "Jones, where are my efficiency reports? And get that greasy chained contraption out of the conference room!"

This reminds me of a funny call-and-response from over at the Guardian between a folding bike advocate (think Bromptons and Bike Friday) and a Specialized hybrid commuter. The two swapped bikes for a week and then compared notes. Here’s the hybrid rider inveighing against folding bikes:

I'm afraid I won't be taking any style tips from a man who rides a two-wheeled folding pogo stick…there are only three types of people who ride Bromptons— attractive women, men in suits, and weird men [Ed. note: That seems accurate based on the demographics in these marketing photos]…I found that riding your Brompton was more likely to elicit the derision of gangs of kids on their way to school than coy jealous glances…

The ride was like bouncing along on a space-hopper attached by a pole – such is the irritating, energy-sapping suspension. It was exciting though, I'll give you that. Riding this tea-cup sipping stiletto-bike transformed me instantly into a super-powerful giant. All my body movements were exaggerated with often near-fatal consequences.

As I took a hand off the handlebars to signal ahead of a junction, the sudden upset to the bike's equilibrium sent me veering dangerously towards a parked car or oncoming traffic…

Biking All Day at a Literary Festival

2009-10-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Over at Wordstock today, I took note of the guy assiduously pedaling on the custom Wilier road bike. Since the biker wasn't getting anywhere, one wonders if he is a hard-breathing allegory for the task that a writer faces in getting creative traction?

Writing in the Oregonian, Jeff Baker described it as a simple attention-getting device for the booth of Veneer Magazine and Marriage Publishing House. The latter's website notes, "We publish experimental literature. Unsolicited material is welcome but will not be considered for publication." This raises another question: Experimental literature must always be solicited? Humph. It's enough to make me drop my venti latte in amazement. (No wonder that bicyclist isn't getting anywhere.)

Nice Handlebars. Great Rear-View Mirrors.

2009-10-08T16:07:00.001-07:00

But what really caught my eye was the vintage Motorola speaker mounted on the front stem!

Seen at La Crema on SE Ankeny.

Portland: The City the Rest of the Nation Should Aspire to Emulate?

2009-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Daily Beast has ranked U.S. cities in order of their intelligence. Is this possible? Isn't the methodology immediately questionable? Wait, never mind, Portland came in 9th!

1 RALEIGH-DURHAM

2 SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-SAN JOSE

3 BOSTON

4 MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL

5 DENVER

6 HARTFORD-NEW HAVEN

7 (tie), SEATTLE-TACOMA, WASHINGTON, DC

9 PORTLAND

So what got us in? We’re smart! Plus, besides reading a lot of books, we’re big on civic participation, and smart people tend to be civically engaged. We're the kind of people who encourage their kids to ride or walking to school on International Bike or Walk to School Day. This was yesterday, and in my neighborhood, there were actual schools of large and small bikers pedaling to school, and blowing the minds of commuters along the way. (The photo above is of the bike racks at Buckman School yesterday; filled to capacity.)

Of course, Portland has also been recognized by the the League of American Cyclists as the only major U.S. city to be awarded a “Platinum” level. Thus, while David Owen argues in Green Metropolis that New York is greener (copies of the book are still available for blog readers, BTW), the argument could be made that Portland is the most civilized, forward-thinking urban space in the U.S.

And I just made it.

It's a Dead End. Really.

2009-10-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

This wee appendix to the street by the Hollywood Fred Meyer's doesn't qualify as a full-fledged cul-de-sac. (It's just a cul.) And if you don't believe it, there's TWO signs designating it as the deadest of ends.

So don't even THINK about trying to go through!

Vaporous Buzzwords and Book Giveaways

2009-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Question: What do you mean when you state that one of the most abused words in the English language of late has been ‘sustainable’?”

Answer: “Sustainable” is a vaporous buzzword that signifies both anything and nothing.

Oof. That trenchant comment is one reason I’m pleased to see that writer David Owen will be in Portland tomorrow night. While here, he’ll have a debate with Portland State University Ethan Seltzer, director of PSU's School of Urban Studies and Planning. (The event begins at Powell’s downtown location at 7:30 PM.)

A good starting point for the conversation will be Owen’s excellent new book, Green Metropolis, with its thesis that New York is the greenest city in the land. (Peter Ames Carlin has a good article about the upcoming bamboo-cage death match in today’s Oregonian.)

In the interim, let me share a favorite passage from Owen’s book:

The energy inefficiency of individual automobiles…is a far less important environmental issue than the energy inefficiency of the asphalt-latticed way of life that we have built to oblige them—the sprawling American landscape of subdivisions, parking lots, strip malls, and interstate bypasses…Suburbanites who trade down from an SUV to a hybrid may cut their personal automotive-fuel consumption by half or two-thirds, but they have done nothing to address the far more fundamental and intractable environmental problem, which is that automobiles have enables us to create a way of life that cannot be sustained without automobiles. This is why, in the long run, a car’s fuel gauge is far less significant…than its odometer…It’s miles traveled, not miles-per-gallon, that make the critical difference.

So, are you interested in the Green Metropolis book giveaway? I have a few copies, courtesy of the publisher. Just drop a line in the comments section below with contact information, or e-mail me at kingbart@comcast.net.

IN VELOX, LIBERTAS: Everything We Know About Bike History Is Wrong

2009-10-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

A historian named Sandy Collins has a recent article in the magazine Scientific Archevelogy regarding the ruins of a castle once frequented by famed medieval Crusader, King Richard the Lion-Hearted. Among other finds, the digs revealed fragments of a device which appeared to be… yes, something very much like a bicycle.

Steve Berkeley, of Cambridge University’s Scientific and Technical Center of Cardiff said, “When they called me from the excavations saying that they had found a 12th-century bicycle, I would have suspected that it was an All Fool’s Day hoax, were it not the excavation’s leader Professor John Williams himself to tell it. And as we were gradually assembling the surviving fragments, our admiration grew higher and higher for the unknown medieval constructor.”

In short, it WAS a bike. (Somewhat fanciful re-creation, right.) But how could this be possible? Peter Godward, (professor of History and Archaeology, Cardiff): “[The] bicycle is a much older invention in human civilization than one would think. The sensational discovery of Château-Gaillard only reinforces the earlier results of our university’s researchers.”

The professor is referring to this illuminated manuscript from 1230. It represents a knight riding before the army on a construction very similar to a bicycle, and his shield shows a crowned lion standing on two wheels.

This motif has been revealed elsewhere, e.g., this coat-of-arms from a 15th century French volume. It is accompanied with an interesting motif and credo: IN VELOX LIBERTAS. This can be translated as “Freedom in velocity.” (Or perhaps “Traveling quickly into freedom.”)

In more recent bicycle timeline developments, an archaeological excavation in Versailles revealed a closed cellar, where a bicycle from the reign of the Sun King was discovered.

There have been other cases of bicycles in Europe’s historical record. Take this painting by renowned Flemish artist Jan van Eyck (1385-1441):

Ah, but I dally too long. The impressive hoax above has been executed with such elaborate, loving diligence on site known as RioWang, I fell prey to its charms. And in execution, its conceit of “bikes throughout history” vastly exceeds the genre of mere pranks. It’s really more like a fantasy story that one wishes were true. What IF bikes had existed in bygone eras?

History would have been altered, perhaps profoundly… and it seems almost certain that the changes would have been for the better.

All images from the RioWang blog.

Bummer

2009-10-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dang, even the seat? (As seen at NE Tillamook and 41st.)

I have tethered my saddle (not a mere "seat", mind you) with a small chain before when leaving my bike downtown, but have often wondered if I was being needlessly paranoid. I guess the question isn't "Am I needlessly paranoid?" but rather "Am I needlessly paranoid enough?"

From Revolutions to Metropolises..s

2009-10-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Pedaling Revolution giveaway. Both are also writers; Hilsy has a gardening blog titled No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn (97202) and Amy Baskin’s Euphoria site is devoted to kid lit.

Stay mildly attentive in the near future, as I will also be having a book giveaway for David Owen’s Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability.

Book Giveaway: Pedaling Revolution

2009-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

The good people at Oregon State University Press have kindly donated copies of Jeff Mapes' superlative Pedaling Revolution to this site. If you want one mailed to you, it's yours.

Just leave a succinct comment on this post explaining that you'd like the book. (Trust me, it's not that hard.) Better yet, send an ethical dilemma for the Principled Pedaler or

(Oh, and include contact info; if you don't want to leave it on-line, e-mail me at kingbart@comcast.net.)

Nadir at the Summit

2009-09-29T07:27:00.001-07:00

After the good vibrations of my last post, this makes for an unfortunate contrast... from the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, police are directing a number of protesters away from an area. At about 34 seconds in, a young woman with a white road bike gets a not-so-kindly push from behind and decides she's had enough: She stops, turns, and uses her bike as a deadly weapon!

Actually, the cyclist just sort of throws her bike at the offending officer. The retaliation seems out of proportion to the situation; she gets pole-axed. Yeesh.

Bike Donation Karma

2009-09-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Speaking of virtue, I was feeling pretty good about disassembling a bike, and then donating it to our local cycling center.

And since I biked the bike over, my halo had some extra luster. Arriving, I parked, and suffused with a warm glow, I entered the Community Cycling Center. A volunteer greeted me.

"Hello!" I announced. "I have a bike to donate."

The volunteer silently looked askance at my empty hands.

"That is, I have it outside... would you like me to bring it around back?"

"No, just lean it right here," volunteered the volunteer. So I went and got the bike's parts. I leaned them against the chosen spot.

And then, without further ado, I left.

Ho-hum. I suppose it's best to donate in anonymity. After all, does the whole world have to know about my nominally good deed? (Answer: No. I'd settle for Multnomah County.)

Metropolitan Danes of the Mid-20th Century

2009-09-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Behold, an MGM “Traveltalks” educational film from 56 years ago. In it, Americans are introduced to the quaint bicycling habits of metropolitan Danes. Especially interesting are the bits at 1:19 and 6:14 in.

Also, keep you ears peeled for the “pension” that Danes get starting at the age of 65. That kind of social security was science-fictional! (And a tip of the hat to Copenhagenize for the… tip.)

The Principled Pedaler on Bike Thefts and Aristotle

2009-09-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Biking is an inarguably virtuous activity. (So don't argue!) In my experience, bicyclists are among the people who care most about health, the environment, and their own communities. But while we try to behave in an ethical manner, questions can arise that test our consciences and force us to turn outwards for answers.

That’s why the Principled Pedaler is happy to address your concerns. And lo, here is "T." of Sellwood, who writes:

I rode to [a local bike seller] and left my aged Specialized road bike parked in their mudroom. After buying some gloves, I was ready to leave, only to find that my bike was gone. I was angry, particularly since my bike was IN the shop, and thus the store’s responsibility. There were a number of other inexpensive shop bikes in the room, and impulsively, I chose not to report the theft and took the lowest quality model. How wrong was I?

Dear T.,

Very wrong. That was MY bike, you creep!

Kidding, kidding. One way to analyze your actions is to find a close parallel. What if you had gone into an umbrella store to replace the umbrella you had. You set your umbrella in the stand by the door, shop, and find nothing you like. Returning to the stand, you find your umbrella gone! Could you, in good conscience, TAKE a store umbrella of lesser quality?

Hmm, maybe you could. Bad example. Aristotle held that virtues such as charity and generosity benefit both the person possessing them and that person's society, and you have behaved in a very un-Aristotlean way. Yes, it was wrong for someone to steal your bike. But many criminals have had less than ideal life circumstances. If you knew that the bike thief was worse off than you, would that have lessened your anger? And more importantly, will my condemning your action lead to me getting a gift certificate of some kind from [a local bike seller]?

*****

Life is full of roads that are difficult to negotiate, especially when there are no bike lanes or cycle tracks. But never mind that, because I’m speaking allegorically. If you have a knotty ethical dilemma relating to cycling or more general transportation issues, the Principled Pedaler can weigh in on the matter. Just e-mail them to kingbart@comcast.net or leave them as a comment at the end of this posting.

Post-Apocalyptic Biking

2009-09-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t play enough on-line games to know if Icicle is a good example of the popular “naked bicyclist traverses icy, treacherous, post-apocalyptic world” genre.

But I did just spend the last 30 minutes playing it. Stupid icicles! Playing Hints: The bike’s not a fixie, so don’t try pedaling backwards. And though creaky, it must have a carbon-fiber frame, because it jumps incredibly well.

Don't Let Your Attitude Shine Through Your Synthetic Fibers

2009-09-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here are three views on bikes that I took notice of this week. Over at NewWest, Bill Schneider gives a thoughtful take on what causes road rage against cyclists. It includes the memorable line "No doubt some cyclists... have a self-righteous attitude that shines through their Spandex."

Gee, I hope not.

And at the Guardian, Ben Thomas makes the claim that cars are whales. Bikes are plankton. And pedestrians are amoeba. (It actually sort of makes sense.)

But the thing that made the biggest impression this week was this ad for the allergy medication Zyrtec. (I think I uttered that very word when tumbling off my bike this summer: "Zyrtec!") It equates bike riding with freedom and stuff. That's good. But the effect is partly ruined for me by the way the pedalist perches the helmet on her head. Is it just me, or is that WAY too far back?

Electric Cars: Silent But Deadly

2009-09-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

There is something a bit eerie about pedaling blissfully along, taking in the scenery, and then sensing a presence behind you. Turning your head, you're startled to see an electric car (or hybrid) RIGHT NEXT TO YOU!

Then you steer into a bollard, which can be quite painful.

Invariably, the innocent driver of the auto will be quite courteous, pulling over, extricating your bike frame from the bollard, and wiping blood from your brow, but all the while, he will be privately amused at the memory of your double-take/collision.

And so plans must be laid to deal with this lethal problem. Over at the Washington Post is a report on how Nissan is experimenting with adding sounds to its upcoming electric car (the Leaf) that include a chime, a benign melody, and a "futuristic whir." (This is not to be confused with an "anachronistic whir.")

Meanwhile, the National Federation of the Blind is lobbying for a car sound that replicates the sound of —wait for it— a car. While I can see the sense of this, isn't that a bit like buying a new Mac laptop and then camouflaging it as a Radio Shack PC, circa 1988? (It isn't, is it?)

Anyway, my favorite tale of silent car terror came from Representative Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.): "I was... in the parking lot of a shopping center, and I was wheeling my groceries with my wife, and I didn't hear a car come up behind me. If all the cars are silent in the future, it does pose a problem."

Alistair Overeem Doesn't Understand the Whole "Car-Free" Thing

2009-09-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Either Mixed Martial Arts fighter Alistair Overeem has an anti-social way of training for his bouts or this whole Car-Free Day really rubbed him the wrong way.

Since attacking this defenseless —and seemingly functional— bike is like kicking a field goal with a kitten, my money's on Overeem's opponent in his next bout. (Speaking of whom, it would be cool if that opponent were named Tommy Schwinn or Alisander Trek.)

Inspirational Reading for a Car-Free Day

2009-09-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

From the Rush Limbaugh website:

You know, I have to tell you something funny. While driving to FedEx Field from the Hay-Adams hotel yesterday, our driver took us on a route where... I noticed three of the tiniest, little bug kind of cars I have ever seen. Three wheels, too. Three of them together, they were in like formation, one was leading and the two were behind, and all three of them fit in one lane. And I'm seeing all these other large cars, standard size cars around them, and I'm thinking, "These people are driving death traps thinking they are saving the climate!"...

These cars… I mean, they look like… You know these weirdo helmets bicycle riders wear...? That's what this thing looked like... I wasn't that far from them and the wheels looked like they were maybe two inches thick, the tires... Well, these weird cars I saw make the Corvair look like a Hummer, and yet everybody is applauding: "Oh, wow, we're saving the planet!" No, we're putting people in death traps! And we're convincing a bunch of, I'm sure, well-intentioned stupid idiots thinking that they're actually saving something by driving around in these things. I can't tell you how small they were. They looked like an elongated bicycle helmet that one person could sit in...

Calling All Cars: Get Lost!

2009-09-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's time to get on the horn and let the folks dangling from your phone tree know that tomorrow is World Car-Free Day.

While I hate to place too much importance on a voluntary celebration that is only scheduled for four continents, I think that this might be the start of something monumental.

Arguing Against "Just in Case"

2009-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the chance to commute to school with a neighbor youngster in need of a cycling chaperone. It was a terrific experience, enhanced by the fact that my ward’s destination was Sunnyside Environmental School (photo below). Do you have any IDEA of how much extra credit she’s going to get for pedaling to her classes?

The trip also brought to mind a recent piece in the New York Times titled “Why Can’t She Walk to School?”. In it, reporter Jan Hoffman takes a look at the kind of society that considers it abnormal for a kid to walk or ride a bike for block or two. The end of the article summed up the problem neatly. To wit:

Recently, Amy Utzinger, a mother of four in Tucson, Ariz., let her daughter, 7, walk down the block to play with a friend. Five houses. Same side of the street. Afterward, the friend’s mother drove Mrs. Utzinger’s daughter home.

“She said, ‘I just drove her back, just in case ... you know,’ ” recalled Mrs. Utzinger. “What was I supposed to say? How can you argue against ‘just in case’?”

Like this: STAY OUT OF THE CAR. It may be tempting to add epithets to this phrase, but do not do so. Instead, politely inquire why she is not simply walking her back?

A little role-modeling goes a long way... especially over the space of five doors.

Joules the Pedaling Robot

2009-09-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

If you’re tired of dragging dead weight on your tandem, maybe it’s time to install some robotically-animated weight. A fellow named Carl (aka, “Greyhair”) has done just that with this robot named Joules, who’s powered by an electric PMG-132 motor. According to Carl, Joules actually does ALL the pedaling.

Ah, but what if Joules decided to eliminate his biological master by simply refusing to stop pedaling? And if the human onboard bailed out, how would Joules shout out, “On your left!”? (This was spotted at the Electric-Vehicle-Technology Forum, where all the cool kids hang out.)

The Cycle Track: A Vegan Bon-Bon for the Cyclist's Soul?

2009-09-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

As I was riding over to the new cycle track on Broadway, I came upon two out-of-town teens staring at me incredulously from the sidewalk. I had my left arm up in the "L" position denoting a turn. Both youths gawped, stepped off the curb, then hastily retreated.

The young man timidly waved to me ("Look, that man is waving!") while his female companion raised her own arm in an "L" and asked, “What does this mean?”

“It means I’m turning right,” I replied, as I turned right.

The two looked at each other and burst out in embarrassed laughter.

Apparently, I’m here to inform and entertain.

As for the cycle tracks, they work as advertised: Safe, expansive, brilliant. It’s a remarkably secure feeling being buffered from car traffic, though I suppose that you can still get “doored” on the left side if you weren't paying attention.
The little side-boxes for turning left are interesting; it took me a moment to understand that the circle in this one is just a manhole cover.

Some pedestrians understand they should look out for bikes.

Some don't.

Now I'm imagining a city in which I could do the bulk of my riding in cycle tracks. That’s like a vegan bon-bon for the soul. (Actually it's not, so I need to circle around and ride the cycle track again till I come up with something better.)

I’ve Cancelled My Bike Tours for Qatar and France

2009-09-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

According to the Economist, two of the worst places to bike (aside from Texas and Tigard) are Qatar and France. Qatar has the most dangerous drivers on the planet (9,989 injuries and 33 deaths in road accidents per 100,000 people), while France is home to the world’s sleepiest populace (residents average 8 hours 50 minutes of repose every 24 hours).

Of course, the argument could be made that the French are actually more well-rested as a result, and thus, alert on the road. Further, the sheer volume of flaming wrecks on Qatari roads are probably easy to negotiate, and lend interest to the cycling experience.

A Suggestion and a Warning

2009-09-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Why do I think you need Hello Kitty! bike tires? Because it’s all about performance… that, and sugar-coated goodness. (Bonus: If you go down a trail, you leave a string of Hello Kitty face-prints behind.)

In other news, on your next trip to Amsterdam, don’t think your bike’s going to be locked up safe and sound when you come back to it. Because the bike Mecca of the world is now home to The Open Organization of Lockpickers (ToooL), a group devoted to lock-picking competitions.

In an interesting case of a backwards-technology-trend, the sport of lockpicking apparently grew out of computer hacking. Even so, one of ToooL’s enthusiasts, Jos Weyers, said he began picking locks with “bike stuff in high school.” Forewarned is forelocked.

HK from endgadget,

ToooL photo from the New York Times.

City-Boys in Fluorescent Spider-Man Outfits, Beware!

2009-09-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Aside from the cell-phone talking Prius driver who almost T-boned me on my Bakfiets, I find hybrid and electric car drivers to be quite considerate.

But my bubble was burst by celebrity chef and auto enthusiast James Martin's description of driving the new Tesla electric car in a review of same. Cloaked in silence, Martin snuck up on a group of cyclists, then blared his horn at them and drove them off the road. Then he wrote about it:

“The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror.”

That incendiary portion of his article has since been bowdlerized by the Daily Mail, but the rest still contains some good bits. Like this:

“God, I hate those cyclists. Every last herbal tea-drinking, Harriet Harman-voting one of them. That's one of the reasons I live in the countryside, where birds tweet, horses roam, pigs grunt and Lycra-clad buttocks are miles away. But recently, there's been a disturbing development. Each Saturday, a big black truck appears at the bottom of my road, with bikes stuck to the roof and rear. Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile. I'm sure they just come here to wind me up.”

Amid the fallout on this piece, Martin be praised for astutely noting the grim demeanor of "serious" cyclists. That said, I guess the most important question raised by this is: Who is Harriet Harman?

Photo from TreeHugger.com.

Tourists Are Drawn by This Book's Tractor Beam

2009-09-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

TravelPortland.com has a très hip video out extolling the virtues of our fair city, and— what’s this? At about 58 seconds in, a certain book is shown on-screen that sums up all that is right with our metro area!

No, not that. This!

Extra-cool points for the bicyclists and the Rudy Fernandez clip that runs just before my title peeks out.

(And thanks for the hot tip, B.!)

With a Little Cramming, We Can Be a "Perfect City"!

2009-09-13T15:46:00.001-07:00

Over at the Washington Post, bike enthusiast, author, and musician David Byrne had a recent piece about the “perfect city”. His criteria and my local grades follow:

Size (a city can’t be so small that you lose your anonymity)— Portland’s grade: C

Density (high density = low sprawl)— Portland’s grade: A

Sensibility and attitude (not a value judgment, but an indication of the unique demeanor residents have)— Portland’s grade: B Look, passive-aggressiveness and politeness count for something.

Security (self-explanatory)— Portland’s grade: A

Chaos and danger (I know, this is seemingly at odds with the preceding category)— Portland’s grade: D While the city is sometimes ugly or odd, but rarely "dangerous".

Human scale (architecture on a human scale)— Portland’s grade: A+

Parking (Byrne’s consideration is whether allowing for parking creates “dead zones” in the city)— Portland’s grade: B+

Boulevards (abundant tree-lined streets that aren’t too wide)— Portland’s grade: NA There are boulevards in evidence in places like the Park Blocks, Ainsworth and Eastmoreland, but I have to think harder on this.

Mixed use— Portland’s grade: A

Public spaces (parks, plazas, public access to the waterfront)— Portland grade: A-

Overall Portland grade: B+ If we just study a little more, we'll be perfect!

Other cities that came to mind for me (and other readers) while taking in article: Vancouver, B.C., Rome

Photo by Natalie Kuhn.

No One Ever Expects the Spanish Inquisition— er, Canadian Public Service Ads

2009-09-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

From here.

Picking Up the "Bike Commute Challenge" Gauntlet

2009-09-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

In observance of this being Bike Commute Challenge month, let me share this photo of my bike after getting me to a workplace. No, no, not the Townie —not that there's anything wrong with that!

And in the spirit of more sharing, TreeHugger.com encouraged its readers to send in photos of their commuter bikes. (Gallery here.) A fellow named Eric Stoddard commutes in Seoul with this Strida, which folds up in an interesting outline that I haven’t seen before.

And then it unfolds into something even more suprising!

But it's not as weird as “Guiso’s” customized bike from New York (right).

But of course, the ultimate commuting bike is the Faiyatorikkubobu Rocket Bike from Japan. It’s yours for one million yen (about $11,000, US). Here’s the translated specs:

Help run the engine, for aircraft equipped with TABINJETTOENJIN RAJIKON structured as a real jet. The smell and the sound of hot air, you can get real experience as real. Full-throttle state (turbine rpm: rotation per minute 120,003 thousand) thrust in the 5 km (4.4 equivalent of horsepower) to get HAIPAWAASHISUTO, continue to pull the pedal in the flat road, and before I knew it fast you can reach. Since there is no sense of acceleration torque but it is not (about to get a child back then), also helped KUREZU takeoff climb also.

Dogmatic Riding Positions Need Not Apply

2009-09-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Cycling up N. Interstate yesterday, I saw this bike locked up near the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. Odd! Named the Revive, it’s apparently “the ultimate comfort bike with a neutral riding position”.

I confess that I don’t really know what that means. Is a “neutral riding position” one where you’re not bent over and you’re undecided regarding which government’s health plan to endorse? Either way, the bike's seat seems to run up and down that track behind it, and as for the handlebars… uh, they’re up kind of high.

Glancing at this design, it seems that the makers of the Revive have distanced themselves from traditional bikes (and their dogmatic riding positions) by going for a Jetsons' mini-bike look. If you may have an interest in seeing this landmark bike for yourself, remember to go past Blandena Street (“Where Life Is Just a Little More... Blandena”)

But if you get to Kenton’s mighty Paul Bunyan statue, you’ve gone too far.

Fenders Aren't Manly

2009-09-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Writing for the New York Times “Fashion & Style” section, David Colman has an article up on Dutch bikes and fashion. And for some silly reason, I quite enjoyed the “interactive feature” of this piece. In it, Colman narrates some key points about bikes, including:

—“[Riding a Dutch bike] is a different sensation than probably what most Americans have ever felt on a bicycle.”

—“If you talk to any bike shop owner, they’ll tell you that women are a lot more practical when it comes to buying a bicycle.”

—“Fenders are not manly” but “these [Dutch] bikes have a solidity and a manliness to them.”

Ooh, another great quote from the article from James Vicente, a court attorney: “I never ride with a helmet either, even when people are telling me I’m an idiot. Riding a bike should be normal, and you shouldn’t have to wear a funny Styrofoam hat.”

Photos by David Roemer for the Times.

“I’m not a part of your race.”

2009-09-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine the situation: You’re pedaling along, minding your own business (and the potholes), when you’re briskly flanked by motorcycle outriders. They escort you through a crowd of spectators and to a mob of reporters all clamoring for your attention. Why? You just won the Tour De France!

And when a microphone gets pushed in your face and someone asks what it feels like to have won the Tour, have some presence of mind. There’s no point in denying that you were in a race in the first place!

Bike-Racking the Brain (or an Ironman Competition?)

2009-09-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Eccentric objects locked to bike racks can be intriguing. This ironing board (spotted outside the Hollywood Library) may have a practical use for one of the ubiquitous signature gatherers hovering outside the library's sole entrance, like fruit flies attracted to a ripe demographic.

(Or something like that.)

But other bike rack items (right) have got to be there solely for comedic value.

Addendum: The Honorable Jim Bertoli has suggested that the top photo clearly illustrates an unknown aspect of Ironman competitions. (Oh, snap!)

Bottom photo from strangecosmos.com (thanks, David!).

Tour de Disney

2009-09-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney, and his wife Lillian, out for a spin on an unusual tandem. A few thoughts come to mind looking at this:

1.) I can't remember ever seeing a bike in a Disney movie.

2.) This tandem must have weighed a ton.

3.) I don't understand how they steered it.

4.) Croissants are really good. (Irrelevant? Admittedly. Indisputable? Indeed!)

From the Life photo archives.

This Air-Borne Liquid Is Compromising My Brakes' Efficiency

2009-09-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

After such a dry summer, it felt strange to cycle in the rain this weekend. It's been so long! Surveying my closet to consider the proper apparel, age-old questions popped up:

—Do I need Gore-Tex, or is “rain resistant” enough?

—Is it warm enough to wear shorts?

—Where’s that umbrella?

And in news unrelated to the weather, the BBC has a short video narrated by Copenhagen’s bicycle program manager, Andreas Rohl. (See below.)

Addendum: Ooh, last thing. Russell Crowe was mocked by Australian columnist Annette Sharp in the Daily Telegraph for his penchant of smoking a cigarette after a good bike ride. In retaliation, Crowe challenged Sharp to a 20 km race. (It wasn't even close, but Crowe was gentlemanly about it. Story here.)

Bike umbrella shot from the Dutch company Dry Bike.

"Dude, You're Bleeding All Over Your Bike" OR What Chris Horner and I Have in Common

2009-09-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

The list of injuries that local pro cyclist Chris Horner sustained in his recent fall at the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) included a broken pelvis, a broken wrist, and lots of road rash.

And I read Horner's account (in the Oregonian's print edition today) with great sympathy, because I also recently suffered a dramatic bike crash. (Note: Here, the word “dramatic” signifies contrasting extremes of low-speed and high-dorkiness.) Further, like Horner, I was trying to accomplish something noteworthy. In my case, this entailed delivering an asthma inhaler to a friend. Such selflessness!

But no good deed goes unpunished, and the tragic aftermath of my wipe-out included a bruised hip, some good road rash, and a dented camera. But I didn't really hit rock-bottom until I accidentally smeared some Neosporin on the couch. (My wife was not amused.)

However, I did score some points on my home from the wreck. If one can limp while pedaling, I was limping along when a cycling friend saw me and we stopped to chat for a moment. And when he made this admiring comment, I knew I had passed a watershed moment:

“Dude, you’re bleeding all over your bike.”

That's right, I'm hardcore.

Anyway, hearing of my accident, another friend charitably wrote to me:

Your carrying on despite your life-threatening injuries is an inspiration to all of us. A small group of your friends is establishing an international foundation and a tribute bike ride in order to prevent such a disaster from happening to anyone else. Just the thought of what we hope to accomplish brings tears to my eyes.

While I was touched by this outpouring of support, I’m afraid that I really must cancel the event. Please rest assured that I don’t do this out of any misguided sense of nobility or martyrdom.

Rather, I seem to have gotten better. Here's hoping that Chris Horner does the same.

Zen Koans on Wheels

2009-09-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

According to Bike Portland, the Portland company Cycle Works is now selling bikes from its Beloved Cycles line. To my untutored eye, the photos of the cycles look plenty attractive. However, when it comes to brass tacks, the Beloved website is a bit long on poetic license and short on little details like, er, the price.

Take these limpid lines, which accompany the commuter bike known as the Everyday:

A grin from the face of solitude captivates Everyday to be the best of very bests.

The town and the city enrapture its very being of existence.

A new route or a constant stream of consciousness are the dreams that lift it over a rise or river as the world changes all around.

Everyday complements this potential and greatness to come from the very legs that give it life.

Ride on. Sun. Rain. Smile. Everyday.

That sound you hear is lorry full of Zen koans having a head-on collision with Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I believe the last time I can remember a poem persuading me to buy something, the item in question was a book of poetry.

But I have no interest in letting snarkiness reign; I wish Beloved the best, and let me reiterate that the bikes look attractive. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to test-ride one at the Beloved sales outlet in Portland, namely Veloce Bicycles.

The Only Good Engine Is a Non-Idling Engine

2009-09-04T10:12:00.001-07:00

I’ve always appreciated how well-run schools have their buses dutifully lined up to take kids home BEFORE they’re released from classes. That means the buses aren’t idling their engines and belching fumes into the lungs of boarding youngsters.

But the parents picking up their own kids is another story, which has prompted many schools (like West Hills Christian School) to post signs like this.

I applaud the thought, but wonder if biking could be worked into it. Something like: Idle feet are the devil’s work: Consider biking to school. Hmm, not secular enough. Maybe something more esoteric, e.g.: American Idle has high emission ratings (and, uh, that’s bad!). Strike that— this sign is fine.

Photo from Planet Manhasset.

Perks of Bicycle Commuting

2009-09-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

The folks at the Left Bank Café share that during the month of September, bicyclists can score 50 cent coffees. The café’s at the east end of the Broadway Bridge (240 N. Broadway) and has good bike parking, so pop in to get a warmer-upper one of these fall mornings. (Ooh, and tell the barista you heard about the deal at this site and see how long it takes to get thrown out of the joint!)

Photo by Andy Powell.

The Future Is Now, and It's Very Silly

2009-09-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Yike Bike (motto: “I park where I damn well Yike”) is a folding electric bike. Here’s how it works: First, you unfold the bike’s small 22-lb. frame. Then you sit on the Yike Bike, which, as you can see, is a bit tricky. The pedals are right on the front tire, so it’s a bit like an electric tricyle, but without that troublesome third wheel. (Add it in, and you've got a Yike Trike.)

Next, be sure to set your sense of dignity in a cup for safekeeping. Then you’re off, at speeds up to 12 mph! If you want to really push it, I suppose you could pedal, but the slick-slick-slick promotional video for it doesn’t show any pedaling at all. Can it be because this makes the rider look even sillier?

This bike goes for sale next year in Europe and New Zealand and runs around $5,000 U.S.

Fun Trivia: A Yike Bike is a type of mini-farthing!

Not Very Fun Trivia: The Yike Bike founder has a blog. It's titled Lick My Battery.

Newbies on Townies (and other threats to society)

2009-09-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Reading the vitriolic letters to the editor (“Bike lanes: Wrong priority for Portland”) in today’s Oregonian, I wondered: Why are these people so grumpy? The city applies a little paint to a few of the countless blocks in the city and drivers are incensed. INCENSED!

As the BTA’s Stephen Gomez and Mary Roberts point out elsewhere on the same page of the print edition, more car lanes lead to more cars. Thus, one could reasonably assume that more bike lanes will mean more bikes.

And one wonders if that isn’t really what the car advocates don’t want to see. But I suspect a prankster may have crept into the “letters-to-the-editor” mix. The first writer complains that his “beloved Holgate” has been ruined (RUINED!) by the addition of a bike lane. Look, I don’t want to put too fine a line on it, but Holgate sucks. This is nothing personal against Holgate. How could it be? It’s merely a paved road. Lots of paved roads suck. Few have such charms as to be beloved. Holgate is not one of them.

But it’s not just car drivers who can be haters. Have you ever had an encounter with a vituperative cyclist in a huff? Particularly guilty of impoliteness are the Ironman-ish bikers, who —like SoCal surfers guarding “their” beaches— deny others the pleasures that only the stratified classes should enjoy.

While I haven’t seen it, my guess is that some commuter bicyclists, weary of dodging Voodoo Doughnut trucks (look, I’m trying to give this local flavor!) and minivans from Beaverton, also could have a short fuse when confronted with nervous newbies tottering on Townies. They're endangering all of us!

But for Pete’s sake, keep those Townies off of my beloved Holgate.

Bike lane graphic by James Victore.

Neon Nuff Nuffs and Die-Cast Bikers

2009-09-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Even as Portland is embroiled in a cycle track debate (look, someone must be debating it), there are hot-blooded bike disputes taking place elsewhere as well. From Australia, writer Wendy Hargreaves has a piece in the Herald-Sun where she lets loose a polemic on the “neon nuff nuffs, lycra losers, poncey prats, and complete tossers” that she has to share the road with.

Those guilty of offending her finer sensitivities are the lycra losers who are clad in skin-tight synthetic fibers which show off their “veranda guts”.

Oh, snap!

Knowing that Ms. Hargreaves bike-commutes makes the piece ring funnier though the wasp's nest of reader responses may make me the exception. Take “Erk of NYC” who writes: “If you've ever ridden a bike for longer than your paltry commute, you'll quickly realize the lycra is an absolute necessity.” (Not sure I’d agree with that one. I just saw some padded bike shorts that were cotton at the shop today.)

And today's New York Times has an article about a traffic circle north of Milan that features metal-cutout figures of bicycle-riding politicians from one of Italy’s myriad political parties.

Many Italians revile this public art on the grounds that it’s cheesy and shows an “Italy entrusted to the bad taste of those who can make decisions about sensitive questions like urban décor without supervision.” Uh, okay. But the man responsible for the art has a good idea: Putting in more cyclists from other parties and having them go all the way around the turnabout!

Photos by Ann Althouse and Elisabetta Poveledo.

Why GM Is So Cool

2009-09-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tracks Around Town

2009-08-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

The city of Portland opened its first cycle track on Broadway today, but I'm going to give it till the end of the week before taking a spin on it; call it a cowardly avoidance of beta versions. (The illustration is from the Portland Bureau of Transportation's informational brochure on the cycletrack.)

So for the moment, let me share a track story of a different kind from the Portland International Raceway.

Colin Fogarty of NPR had a recent story on electric dragsters; pictured is Portland resident Mike Willmon and his electric orange Ford Pinto. It can go to zero to sixty in less than three seconds (!), and can cover a quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds.

That's really, really fast. Best of all, a Ford Pinto without a rear gas tank is a Ford Pinto that won't self-immolate after getting rear-ended!

Will silent EV (electric vehicle) dragsters ever replace the hideously noisy dragsters of yore? Probably not. My guess is that the visceral roar of a mighty slow internal combusion engine will be irreplaceable... hey, maybe if they installed noisemakers inside the EVs?

Barreling Along

2009-08-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

These competitors from Portland's recent Soapbox Derby on Mt. Tabor may not appear to be on a bike, but take a closer look. It seems to fit the bill!

Shortly after this photo was taken, the wooden vehicle barreled into the crowd and rammed a white SUV. The riders bounced a good distance; there were no injuries, but a cooper did have to be called.

Pedal + Perform = Art?

2009-08-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

There’s an arty explosion going on this morning. We start with the Cycologists. These are three musicians who will pedal up, break out their instruments (which are always made of bike parts), and play. Apparently, they never perform longer than seven minutes... then they’re off again!

Here’s a non-woodwind solo from one of the troupe members:

Want something on a larger scale? Here’s a music video from the Dutch band pEp that makes liberal use of bikes. The name of the song is “Fietsen” which translates to… “Bikes”.

For a live performance on bikes, try the Trompetterkorps Bereden Wapens from Holland.

If this has sparked an art-bike jones inside of you, take a spin down to Santa Barbara for Jessica Findley’s new project. It involves giving bicyclists whimsical, wind-inflated outfits.

Then they ride around in them. (It’s art.) More here.

Staying "On-Message" Isn't Always a Good Thing

2009-08-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

He eschewed protective headwear as a child.

And Barack Obama stayed on-message this week cycling with his family in Massachusetts.

Maybe part of the problem is that he served as a senator for one of only two states (Illinois, that is) that have no helmet requirements of any kind.

Admittedly, he looks cooler without the helmet, but then who doesn't? But hey, it's not like Obama is only beholden to himself. There's a lot of us counting on him. And I don't even want to consider more frightening security issues. For example, maybe you heard the recent story about the North Carolina cyclist riding with his 3-year-old son in a child seat? You know, the guy who was shot by an enraged motorist?

The oddest parts of the tale:

—The shooter, Charles Diez, was a firefighter.

—After Diez fired off a round at the cyclist's head, the bullet hit his bike helmet. This prevented the bullet from going into his noggin, and explains why Diez is only in jail for attempted murder.

I don't know what kind of a gun can't penetrate a styrofoam bike helmet, but long as there's an audience for hominids like Sean Hannity, I'd like to see the President of the U.S. wearing a helmet for safety considerations of ALL types.

Photos from the L.A. Times.

Dude, Read the Sign

2009-08-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Overbrook, Kansas, as seen at Kansas Cyclist.

The Cycling Detectives

2009-08-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Among the most highly rated TV programs in Germany are detective programs that are analogous to CSI: Wherever and Law & Order.

For example, Tatort (roughly translated: Crime Scene) has been on the air for 40 years in Deutschland. Among its current stars are cyclists Jans Josef Liefers (left) who plays a pathologist, and a detective played by Axel Prahl.

Now try imagining CSI Miami star David Caruso pulling up to a crime scene on a bicycle. He rolls to a stop, looks over a body, and intones: "Drive-by... Miami style." (Hard to picture, isn't it?)

Photo by Michael Böhme/WDR as seen in today's New York Times.

Flaxen Bicycles

2009-08-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

We tore up our much-damaged linoleum kitchen floor last year, hoping to find a fir subfloor that we could finish and use. No such luck; the fir was there, but it had dried and shrunk over the 85 years of our house's life, leaving wide gaps between the planks.

So we elected to replace the floor with an environmentally responsible choice: linoleum. Again. That is, we chose marmoleum, which is just a high-grade trade name for solidified linseed oil and small wood chunks.

I mention all this because I just read a report on former Belgian racer Johan Museeuw’s new venture: Road bikes made out of linoleum. Yep, that’s right, the bikes are constructed using as much as 80% flax (the same stuff that’s in linen and linoleum) and 20% carbon fiber.

So even though this particular model is blue, it’s actually green. Just like my kitchen floor.

How Many Bikes Can Fit in a Parking Spot?

2009-08-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

If they are Brompton folding bicycles, the correct answer is 42. (Say, wasn't that the answer to all important questions in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?)

Photo from BoingBoing Gadgets.

Red Lights Are Good

2009-08-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

After all, they give drivers a chance to finish texting and see you. Speaking of which, here is an outlandishly graphic PSA regarding the matter:

Balancing a Diary on the Handlebars

2009-08-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Huh! In 1978, poet/intravenous-drug-user/Irish-redhead Jim Carroll wrote a heralded book called The Basketball Diaries. (And a couple of years later, Carroll branched into rock with the excellent album Catholic Boy.)

I mention this because appearing in the Irish Times is a certain Jim Carroll with an early review of former Talking Heads frontman David Bryne’s Bicycle Diaries.

Nuggets I’ve gleaned about the bike-travel book include:

—Byrne favors a “fold-up push-bike”

—Kraftwerk’s Ralf Hütter is another rock-biker

—The book includes “a couple of pages on how to maintain your bike”

—Byrne is “a passionate advocate for using bikes rather than cars in the urban environment”

Byrne had already earned some goodwill for his favorable review of Jeff Mapes’ Pedaling Revolution, so I’ll gladly add his volume to my reading list of bicycling books.

Portland State University Wants You!

2009-08-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Press release from PSU:

September 30th marks our first annual bike fair. "Get to Know Your Bike" will provide your business or organization the opportunity to engage the greater Portland biking community. Serve new and returning students arriving on campus for the beginning of a new school year. Talk shop with avid cyclists. Help curious commuters switch from four wheels to two!

Where?

Portland State University

Smith Memorial Student Union

3rd Floor Ballroom

When?

September 30, 2009?10am-4pm

Fees:

$50 for Informational tables

$100 for Vendor tables

Call or email with any questions:

bikefair@pdx.edu //503-725-4442

Are You English, North American, or Mentally Afflicted?

2009-08-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

The only avocation more popular than biking in Portland is reading. But try not to combine the two; it's in violation of city statutes.

This charming signage comes courtesy of Will o' the Wisp, a Dutch women's site with a bit of a bite. To wit, this posting on bike helmets:

This is extremely important; do NOT wear a helmet. Three types of people wear a helmet on a bike in Holland:

—The English.

—North Americans.

—The mentally afflicted.

The English and Americans wear helmets because in their worlds common sense no longer rules and people must be safe from their own actions at all times. Also it is a well known fact that when Americans fall off a bike they fall on their heads, why this should be we do not know. God gave us each an ass, in fact he appears to have given many Americans more than one ass each and yet they do not use them, you have to wonder why. On the rare occasion a Dutchman comes off their bike we fall on our well padded behinds (and it’s ALWAYS the fault of a German motorist).

The only time you need to wear lycra when riding a bicycle is when you are a speed rider at a velodrome or riding in the Tour de France, there is not any other occasion when lycra and bicycles should be mixed together.

Shake, Rattle, and— What IS That Sound?

2009-08-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I let it bother me so much. But I must account for every click, rattle, and jingle that my bike makes. While I could pass this off as perfectionism, the truth is I have an unreasoning fear that my front wheel is going to pop off at any given moment.

But however much noise my loose bolts may be making, it's unlikely that my ride is making as much of a racket as this trailer that Kevin Cyr designed. It's an improbable image, isn't it? Bonus: The trailer gives Mr. Cyr the perfect place to showcase his Good Sam Club sticker.

Addendum: Over at Bike Portland, Jonathan Maus has a posting today about Brian Campbell, a man with an entire trailer home that he pulls by bike. (The photo to the right is by J. Maus.)

Scrapin' By

2009-08-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

These Oakland bikers can cruise the middle of the street with impunity, secure in the knowledge that California is the 7th safest state for pedaling. (I base that on the last safety ranking for U.S. bicyclists that I’ve seen.)

Top 5
1. Washington
2. Wisconsin (!)
3. Arizona
4. Oregon (Portland had the highest ranking of any city)
5. Minnesota

Scraping the Bottom
46. North Dakota
47. Mississippi
48. Alabama
49. Georgia
50. West Virginia

Speaking of scraping, East Oakland’s scraper bikes were the subject of an interesting report by NPR. For the uninitiated (that’s me!), scraper bikes are colorfully customized bicycles. "Scraper" was a term originally used for custom cars that had such beefy rims, they almost scraped the wheel well.

Making a scraper bike is low-tech. One way to scraper-ize is to insert food wrappers into a bike’s spokes. Then, spray-paint the frame a retina-scorching color. Done? Good. Now take your scraper bike and go scraping on the scraper bike. That means riding in such an uncool way, it becomes cool again. Don’t get it? Maybe this way-popular scraper video will help.

Scraper biking is an offshoot of the Bay Area’s “hyphy” (HIGH-fee) movement, which (according to the Urban Dictionary) encourages irrational, amusingly eccentric, and goofy behavior. (Sound familiar? If not, read this blog more.)

Top: Photo of Portland-style scraper bike by Jonathan Maus.

Your 2009 European Junior Indoor Artistic Cycling Champions (Women’s Pair Division)

2009-08-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

While German sisters Carla und Henriette Hochdorfery may be the champions of what sounds like a hopelessly specialized and esoteric event (and while aspects of this clip look like outtakes of ABC’s Wide World of Sports circa 1976), this is, in a word, awesome.

And just imagine what these two sisters could do outdoors!

Gunning the Engine

2009-08-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by how the legal roles that bike riders play can vary wildly worldwide. Naturally, every country, state, and city has its own set of standards regarding bikes, cars, and traffic. The U.S. is relatively notorious for its “car-first” culture, and even here in Portland, I’ve heard motorists yell “Get off the road!” at law-abiding bikers.

Meanies!

Of course, things could be worse. In Aravind Adiga’s excellent novel White Tiger, the author describes India’s traffic laws this way:

A man on a bicycle getting killed— the police don’t even have to register the case. A man on a motorbike getting killed— they would have to register that. A man in a car getting killed— they would have thrown me in jail.

Note how it’s the machine that dictates the legal consequence of the accident. If that seems barbaric, U.S. law adheres more closely to this model than to the one in place in the Netherlands. In Jeff Mapes’ superlative Pedaling Revolution, the attitude in the Dutch attitude is depicted thusly:

The most vulnerable road users... [are] the exalted kings of the Dutch road hierarchy. Pedestrian advocates often grimly remark that the only legalized form of homicide in the U.S. occurs when a walker gets mowed over by a motorist... At one point, Dutch law presumed motorists to be at fault in a collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian unless proved otherwise... One Dutch cop I met on the streets of Amsterdam bluntly told me it was easy to assign blame in auto-bike crashes. “It’s always the car’s fault,” he said. In a sense, Dutch drivers are treated like hunters. They are the ones with the dangerous weapon and they are assumed to be at fault if they shoot another person in the woods, even if it’s a clueless hiker who has wandered off the trails and is not wearing bright clothing.

But aren't some bikers just looking for trouble? Tevane Sean Lennon sure wasn't. He's the Toronto bicyclist who was recently killed in a drive-by shooting. This prompted a group named Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists to issue the following statement:

In this strange convergence of the car and the gun as the source of danger to our fellow cyclist, we ask how strange is it, really? The car, like the gun, represents power, a machine purchased toward the end of enabling weak, dumb humans to rise above their station at the expense of the environment, including the lives of other human beings. A cyclist has made a choice of human-ness in the face of dumb power, and as such is vulnerable to the expression of dumb power. We speak of “gunning the engine,” and the cowardice implicit in the gunning down of this man is a demonstration of a power relationship, just as much as if he had been driven into and run over.

Photo of the world's longest

bike tunnel from Copenhagen-ize,

gun-bike from here.

Your Bible for Cycling in the Pacific Northwest

2009-08-18T08:10:00.001-07:00

It may be 25 years old, but when you combine Bill Walton's expertise with the insights of Bjarne Rostaing, the results are timeless.

Crime and No Punishment

2009-08-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Gawker reports that Fox News producer/writer Don Broderick will not be charged for hitting a Central Park cyclist back in June. Broderick also allegedly dragged Brian Dooda on the hood of his SUV, and then left the scene of the accident.

Yesterday, the Manhattan D.A.’s office stated, “We declined to prosecute because we could not sustain the burden of proof on personal injury.”

Quoted in the New York Daily News, hood-riding victim Brian Dooda had a good idea for Broderick's punishment: “He has to ride a bike through Manhattan in rush hour.”

This Is WAY Better Than Fireworks!

2009-08-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

It’s July the 4th in Indonesia, inasmuch as the country achieved independence from Holland on August 17, 1949. To celebrate, a variety of prizes —including bicycles!— are set at the top of greased poles. If you can get to them, they’re yours.

Which leads to the question: Would it be fitting irony or meaningless symbolism if those were Dutch bikes?

Photo from Reuters.

Splashing in the Shallow End

2009-08-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

If a fake cowboy is “all hat, no cattle” is a bogus biker “all helmet, no chain”?

That’s not something that could be said of this pennyfarthing pedal pusher. (He’s no helmet, no chain... but all authenticity.)

Addendum: David Strom (of Dave Knows) suggests "Maybe go in a different direction, e.g. 'All spandex, no erythropoietin.'"

Photo by Art Illman.

Sunday Parkways and a Paragon of Biking Virtue

2009-08-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

The trailer above was spotted on today's Sunday Parkways route. It was constructed with bike parts and a wooden box (neonate not included). To the left is a bike-pulled chariot created by the inimitable Ted. And below, members of the Drop-Out Bike Club get gawked at by wagoneers.

Voyaging farther afield, there's an odd green machine over here, Hunter Mann pedals his own movie theater to small towns here, and Portland Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder gets quoted in the Boston Globe as follows:

“We’re not draining the world of people who like to ride bikes. It’s facilities that make people switch over, not philosophy.’’

I had never thought of Portland as a brain drain for the bike culture folks... but from a selfish viewpoint, I like the sound of it. If we can establish ourselves as a paragon of biking virtue, I'd like to think that others will follow. But some of the Globe's more hominid-like reader comments ("They can have my car when they pry my cold, dead hands from the steering wheel") make me wonder a bit.

How Many Things Are Wrong with This Picture?

2009-08-15T09:08:00.001-07:00

The first time I saw a biker on a cell phone was a couple of years ago. It was at Wilshire Park; an unhelmeted, husky young man on a banana-seat one-speed was talking loudly when he hit a portion of the asphalt trail that a tree root had pushed up. He cursed, swerved, and bit it, landing heavily and rolling.

He lay there for a moment —with the cell phone STILL pressed against his ear— and then staggered to his feet.

"Dude, I just ****ing wiped out!" Still talking, he brushed the bark dust off of himself, retrieved his bike, got on it, and pedaled off.

He was still talking. Chowderhead!

So what's wrong with the picture above?
1.) The biker is talking on a cell-phone.
2.) In traffic.
3.) With school children crossing ahead.
4.) I took this photo of the biker talking on a cell-phone in traffic with school children crossing ahead while pedaling on my bike.

Good thing this didn't happen in Philadelphia... it just became the first city in the nation to ban cell phones for bikers, skateboarders, and (?) in-line skaters. Assuming that Portland joins this enlightened stance at some point, I guess I'll never be able to do this (left) again.

Chowderhead!

ANOTHER Citation?!

2009-08-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Pedaling in a Teutonic Mire

2009-08-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, Germany will host the Mud Olympics in Brunsbüttel, Schleswig-Holstein. The m.o. of the M.O. is simple: Take an existing sport like table tennis or bicycle racing.

Now hold the event in the mud.

Currently in its sixth year, the events are a sublime blending of competition and ecology. As an organizer said, “[As] you become one with the mud, you become part of the natural environment.”

But the bikers have to forget about clipping in: The best footwear for the muck are tennis shoes tightly duct-taped around the feet. (That’s not a problem for me, as it’s how I’m usually shod.)

Photos from Der Spiegel.

Adventure at the Waterfront

2009-08-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend, an adventure awaits those who venture down to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I’m not referring to the games of chicken that racers have been playing with the Silver Man trying to get him to flinch. (So uncool.)

Nor do I mean the Tour de Fat, which hits town Saturday and has a freak bike arena where one can enjoy a spin on a tall bike right before garnering a concussion.

No, I’m talking about the oversized bikes that are already for rent down by the waterfront.

These afford bicycling dilettantes the chance to take a spin on relatively freaky bikes that are extremely stable.

In fact, given that these models have more than two wheels, I suppose they’re not bicycles at all. But no matter, they’re so much fun!

The Bicycle Thief of Toronto

2009-08-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

Prepare for a sad story: About 18 months ago, someone stole my commuter-style bike out of my garage. I'd left the garage door unlocked (d'oh!), gone to bed, and in the morning the bike was gone in 60 seconds... plus the eight hours I'd been asleep.

I wondered about my bike's fate, but I've learned that it's probably been sitting in a huge garage in Toronto.

Igor Kenk (photo below) was arrested a year ago in Toronto on suspicion of stealing thousands of bikes. He had so much two-wheeled loot, it filled a police garage... 2,396 bikes.

Plus a tricycle.

The motive? It appears that Igor Kenk was waiting for metals prices to rise before melting the bikes down for scrap. Nice.

Like Portland, Toronto is a bike-friendly city (and isn't that just another way of saying it's a truly 21st century city?). That means that there are a substantial number of Toronto natives feeling ill will towards Igor Kenk. (His name, BTW, is too villainous not to use at every opportunity.) And Igor Kenk is feeling the heat, saying after a court session, "I'm a dead man."

But so far, so good. Nobody can recognize him as shown in the photos taken after his arrest and then more recently (hey, is that Jeff Bridges?). And while it has been more than a year since his arrest, Igor Kenk's case STILL hasn't gone to trial yet, partly because of the sheer volume of the evidence that needs to be processed. (I mean, whose trike was that, anyway?)

So isn't it obvious now that Igor Kenk was in my garage on that fateful night 18 months ago? So if you'll pardon me, I need to purchase a one-way ticket to Toronto. My baby's coming home, and I've got a long ride ahead of me.

John Hughes May Be Dead...

2009-08-12T07:14:00.001-07:00

...but the "Pretty in Pink" philosophy lives on.

As spotted by Groinstrong.

The Portland Bridge Pedal Ain't Nothin'

2009-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

If you want an adrenaline surge on one of Bridgetown’s spans, forget the Portland Bridge Pedal. Instead, try crossing the Hawthorne Bridge on foot with a tottering relative who’s deathly afraid of heights, and wants to keep as far away from the safety railing as possible even as she walks two jittery border collies tethered to long leashes.

For their part, the dogs were scrabbling their nails on the pavement in a desperate effort to throw themselves into the path of the passing Subarus and Priuses. (Hawthorne hara-kiri?)

I provided a rear guard, calling out, “Three bicyclists coming in seven seconds! Seven, six, five, etc.”, giving the party time to reel in the canines and regroup.

Upon finally descending the exit staircase on the Hawthorne’s east side, a tripod-toting photographer who’d been shooting the bridge rushed over. “Congratulations! I didn’t think you’d make it!” he exclaimed.

Me either!

Photo from here.

One Path to Motivated Pedaling

2009-08-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Keep a beehive under your bike seat.

(As seen here.)

Ooh, here's another even less likely way to get motivated:

Going the Extra Green Mile

2009-08-05T11:07:00.001-07:00

There are a handful of great reasons to ride a bike, and a host of less valid ones (most of which seem to involve spandex). But the most admirable incentive is environmental responsibility— the belief that by skipping a car trip, one can make an insignificant yet still meaningful gesture against global warming, pollution, and one’s own carbon footprint.

But according to the good statisticians at Oregon State University, I can pedal till I’m blue in the face, and it won’t come close to matching the positive ecological impact that comes from simply not reproducing! And please, no specious arguments along the lines of “What if EVERYONE stopped reproducing? We'd go extinct!” As Zoe Williams writes in the Guardian, “It is a consensus among environmentalists that a decline in human fertility will, if not solve the planet’s problems, at least give us some breathing space in which to solve them.”

For those who go ahead with making a family, the worst-case environmental scenario entails spawning a host of overweight children and then divorcing. Among other things, doubling the number of households also doubles-down on the family's domestic carbon footprint. (But this could be slightly alleviated if the kids get a bike at each of their respective homes!)

Deep Questions

2009-08-04T14:14:00.001-07:00

Whatever happened to “Speed Bumps”?

And how is “Speed Hump” a more graceful or accurate usage?

Get Better Mileage on Your Bike

2009-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Looking to get the most miles per calorie out of your bike riding experience? Follow these easy tips.

—Remove as much deadweight from your bike as possible.

—As momentum is your friend, don’t engage in jackrabbit starts. Sure, that 20-something clad in riding britches looks like he needs to be put in his place, but don’t engage. Sure, he’s coming out of the gates fast, but he’ll flame out before making it to the tattoo parlor. Note: If that britch-boy is jacked up on a triple latte, you don’t want to be racing with him anyway.

—Avoid idling. One way to do this is to look well ahead while you’re riding. This will help you to properly time your arrival at intersections, diminishing your need to brake and accelerate. Sure, Idaho stops are technically illegal, but you’re serving a higher purpose here. (And by doing so, you can increase your bike mileage by a third!)

—Keep your lungs and tires properly inflated.

—When choosing what to wear, remember that aerodynamic drag will also drag down your mileage.

Top photo by Dave Sohigian,
stop sign by BikePortland.org,
bottom photo from Clever Cycles.

Just Admit It

2009-07-30T10:30:00.001-07:00

You’re pedaling along under the baking sun, and your shirt is starting to stick to you. As a stinging stream of sweat runs into one of your eyes, a silent Prius or vintage Pinto passes… and you surprise yourself by detecting, beneath your justly earned sense of righteousness, a mild twinge of envy for the air-conditioned splendor of the luxury auto.

The car comes to a stop, and you pull up behind it. In the heat, your brakes don't grab properly, and you inch forward and tap the auto's back bumper. And if it's a Pinto, you then immolate in a crimson fireball. (And you thought you were hot before!)

Hot Tip

2009-07-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Whenever possible, park your bike in the shade.

That way, it won't be all hot and stuffy when you come back to it.

It's a T-shirt

2009-07-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

Available here.