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| stock footage Sunday Parkways |
I grew up in Portland Oregon and still have many friends and family living there so I visit a couple times a year. In the summer, I try to time my trip with a
Sunday Parkways event my daughter and I have done this with some good friends and their daughter for the last few years and it's always a blast. We missed out on doing it this trip but I hope to be able to post about it next year. Last weekend we were just in town for visiting but I was struck by how much bikes kept coming up even though I wasn't doing any riding.
My friends live in the Hollywood district of Portland and bikes seem to be all around in their neighborhood. There are places on the streets where a car parking space has been given over to a "bike corral".
And there are public bike stands with tools and pump if the urge to wrench over comes you.
The Hollywood district is also home to
Velo Cult a very cool bike shop that; focuses on vintage bikes and gear, serves craft beer and coffee and has a stage for live music. I try to visit every time I stay with my friends and if I lived there I am not sure I would ever leave the shop!
My friends live in a cool "Old Portland" style house with a deep porch that is great for sitting on in the mornings with the paper and a cup of joe watching the world go by.
And their street happens to be a designated bike way, a low traffic street that is part of a bike route, so its great for watching the bikes go by, like being on a canal and watching ship traffic.
I think my favorite thing is that fact that every where I look when I walk their neighborhood I see vintage bikes. They are all over the place!
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| Nishikis |
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| Schwinn's |
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| Fuji's |
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| Vintage Treks |
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| Raleigh 3 speeds |
Add in good food, good friends, did I mention the beer? and you have a perfect summer weekend. As always Ride.Smile.Repeat.
I love all your pictures of bikes that have been re-purposed and serving somebody new. I get the same vibe when I can get down to old town Ft. Collins. People get downright creative in re-working their bikes.
ReplyDeleteSomething about those 3-speed Raleighs that get me going
Totally agree Jim, that is one of the things I find so cool is that people have obviously personalized them with new bar tape or wheels/tires or a rack or what have you but they are still getting use out of a vintage frame set. One less worthy cool bike in a landfill or smelter and one more person with a bike that works for them-a win all around.
DeletePortland. Yeah. Looks pretty good from here in the Swamp. I am almost decompressed from my three weeks of hard labor in West Palm Beach, and another job starts Wednesday. There must be a reason for all this working...
ReplyDeleteAll that vintage wonderfulness! I think I would like to go to Portland. And Missoula. And Santa Cruz...
Well TPC I am biased but I think Portland is worth a trip of course so are the other places.....to many cool places and not enough time. Hope you get some time to work on that cool bike project you have going.
DeleteRyan