Artisan Bike Movement in Portland, Oregon
Brew to Bikes
Brew to Bikes: Portland's Artisan Economy by Charles Heying is a book that was published in 2010 by Ooligan Press. The book covers many different aspects of Portland's artisan economy and includes a chapter on artisan bikes. Ooligan Press is affiliated with Portland State University. This book further emphasizes PSU's commitment to collaboration and sustainability. The chapter on bicycles in Portland addresses Portland's bike culture and economy in addition to building and selling bikes. Using this book in the classroom will expose students to the unique artisan economy of Portland.
Cycle Track Near PSU
This picture shows a cycle track along Portland State University buildings. The path is to the right of the parked car. Mayor Adams claims that this is a one of a kind cycle track that cannot be found elsewhere in the U.S. By situating the cycle track in between the parked cars and the sidewalk cyclists are safer due to being separated from the moving vehicles. The city of Portland has installed these cycle tracks near the PSU campus because of PSU's commitment to bikes as a sustainable mode of transportation.
PSU President & Portland Mayor
Portland State University (PSU) has embraced bicycle culture on campus. PSU is very committed to sustainability. One way PSU showcases this commitment is through the encouragement to ride bikes to campus. The picture shows PSU president Wim Wiewel and Portland Mayor Sam Adams riding bikes on the PSU campus. By doing so they are encouraging other students to ride bikes.
Bike to PSU Challenge
Another way that PSU encourages students and faculty to commute to school on a bike is by organizing a competition like the annual Bike to PSU Challenge where teams compete in a friendly way. Each team has 10 members. A team leader is selected to motivate the other members. Each group member must record daily their trip mileage on the competition web site. The web site shows numbers of riders actively logging trips. It also calculates total mileage logged, the predicted amount of CO2 emissions prevented by biking to school, and the total calories burned. Participants also have the chance to win prizes and awards. Overall, this a great event that further motivates students and faculty to switch their car out for a bike.
Introduction to Bikes
Portland is a city that is well known for its bike culture. Governor Geer helped introduce bicycles in 1899 in addition to creating bike paths around the city. Nowadays, Portland has embraced its bike culture with events centered around bicycles and schools that focus on making and fixing bikes. One thing that Portland prides itself in is its artisan, or handmade, bicycles. The exhibit ends with a discussion on the differences between handmade and mass produced bikes.
Works Cited
Heying, Charles. Brew to Bikes: Portland's Artisan Economy. Portland, OR: Ooligan Press, 2010.
PSU's Bike Hub
Artisan bikes
Artisans make handmade bikes locally, which supports the local artisans economy. Artisans will be more creative if more people buy these locally made bikes. On the other hand, mass production doesn't support the local economy. It can reduce the artisans’ creativity because of the smaller market for handmade bikes.
Mass produced bikes versus. . .
Mass produced bikes are mainly made in China. It is well known that China doesn't have many restrictions and regulations for their workers. Due to the lack of regulations to protect workers the labor is cheap, which leads to cheaper prices for products. Laborers often work long hours for little money. In addition, factories often hire young workers who may not be qualified for a position. These bikes are made in a very different manner from those made by hand in the U.S.
Handmade Bikes
Handmade bikes are environmentally friendly compared to mass produced bikes, which are made with heavy machinery that is harmful to the environment. Handmade bikes have a higher value because of the higher quality that comes from the process of creating something with one's own two hands rather than by a machine.
United Bicycle Institute Bicycle
United Bicycle Institute (UBI) is a school for bicycle mechanics and bicycle frame building. Ron Sutphin founded this school in 1981. Bicycle professionals often prefer UBI because of its knowledgeable, friendly, and dedicated faculty. UBI started with one campus located in Ashland, Oregon. In 2009, UBI opened their second campus at Portland State University. They have developed a helpful website for bicyclists where visitors can find information about the school, stores, tools, and bike paths.
Old bike maps
In the 1890s Portland started to support cycling. During this time bike riders had a difficult time sharing the road with the carts and buggies. In addition to the crowded streets, the roads were not ideal for the bicyclists because of the gloppy and deep mud in the winter and dust in the summer. In 1897, the League of American Wheelmen published a book that had information for bicyclists on “How to get there.” Then, bikes paths started to appear everywhere in Portland.
