Whether you’re a mountain biker, road rider, cyclocross racer, or bicycle commuter, you probably spend a decent amount of time pedaling. Bend’s urban infrastructure isn’t exactly the most bike-welcoming terrain, but plenty of locals prefer riding a bike anywhere they can, like Sean Shriver, who runs his tree-trimming business from an electric bike. Local geologist […]
Bike Issue
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The Prince & the Pauper
Bikes are for everyone—and every budget
by erin rook Petie Thom, sales manager at the Eastside Hutch’s Bicycles, says she usually starts by asking customers a series of basic questions to guide their search for the perfect bike, components, and accessories: Have you done any research? Where do you want to ride? What are your friends riding? Have you been to […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Ride On!
Bike rides, classes, and clinics
GROUP RIDES Hutch’s Club Rides One road and one mountain bike ride every month throughout the summer. Because these are “no drop” rides, no one gets left behind. Don’t have a mountain/road bike? Demos are half-price during club rides. Next ride: July 16. 6 pm. Hutch’s Eastside. Free. Hutch’s Hammer Ride Test your mettle against […]
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Bend’s Bike Boom
Forty years later, bike culture
is still racking and rolling
The long list of 17 locally owned bike shops might be one of the best indicators of Bend’s rise to one of the nation’s most biketastic towns. Speedy road racers, muddy cyclocross riders, hard-partying mountain bikers and high-flying downhill fanatics have claimed Bend as a home, because of its rolling and wide-open turf—perfect for any […]
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Make A Commuter
A few tips and items to switch over to bike commuting
The difference between being a bike commuter and a car commuter is, oh, about 20 pounds and a healthy, happy start to each work day. But the logistical difference between the two is not that much. Jeff Monson, executive director for Commute Options, has some good tips for becoming a bike commuter. “It really is […]
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Looking At Lanes
There’ve been improvements, but more work’s ahead
Although Bend claims Bike Town, USA, as its title, it is not for bike safety. In that regard, it has lagged behind no fewer than five other Oregon cities, only earning recognition as a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. But last year, the City of Bend moved forward and ratcheted […]
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Working Condition
Running a bike into the ground can be expensive
“You’re the motor,” bike mechanic and Hub Cyclery co-owner Matt Snow said from underneath the brim of his black hat, emblazoned with the store’s blue and white logo. But even so, for a motor to do its best work, it needs to have a machine that is working well. “When you ride it into the […]
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The Source Weekly’s Bike Issue
Land of the Free, Home of the Bike
Can Bend be fairly deemed Bike Town, USA? We’re competitive for the title of Beer Town and Subaru capital of the world…but Bike Town? Surely, Madison, Wisconsin—consistently ranked among the nation’s most bike-friendly cities—would contest. And, Bicycling Magazine has named Minneapolis as the #1 Bike City in America—a title taken away from Portland, that boasts […]
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The Commuter
Why bikes are the perfect vehicle
A recent study by the League of American Bicyclists shows bike commuting increased by an encouraging 80 percent in “bicycle-friendly [U.S] communities” from 2000 to 2011. The same study points out commuting by bike grew 47 percent nationwide during the same 11-year period. These are promising stats for advocates of alternative transportation—especially for those in […]
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The Clown
Bikes that get laughs
Cyclists tend to take themselves pretty seriously. But Mike Russe is a different breed. It is near impossible to keep a straight face when he rides by on his unicycle, which he uses amazingly, to commute up, and down (!!!) College Hill. “It’s the most inefficient means of transportation you can choose,” Russe said with […]
