Sue Fly, Sue!!

Cross Season is here. We take this very seriously.

Bring on the RAIN!

It’s cyclocross season! Heidi Swift of Veloforma made this video to get us all jazzed about the weather… and you know that’s what really makes cyclocross – CYCLOCROSS. If it wasn’t for the rain, this sport just wouldn’t be that much fun, am I right???
In this video, Heidi is sporting the Showers Pass Women’s Elite 2.0 jacket. The one you see here is Crystal Blue and is also available in Goldenrod and Chili. Don’t worry guys, we have it in Men’s as well – Goldenrod, Black, and Chili.
Wearing the Showers Pass brand, you will realize there is no such thing as BAD WEATHER.

On Your Left!

Funny stuff!

Even though everyone and their mother’s posting this video, I’m posting as well. It’s that good!

View From the Top

This past weekend a few Showers Pass Team Members volunteered or participated in the 2009 Providence Bridge Pedal.  About 25,000 people participated in this event and proceeds from the ride benefited the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (http://www.bta4bikes.org/)  which works to promote bicycle use and improve bicycling conditions in the state or Oregon.

Check out the fun during the Family ride at the top of Freemont Bridge as a train  passes below.

Showers Pass Photo Contest

 

 Showers Pass is currently accepting photos of you and your SP gear for publishing in our 2010 catalog and website.   We are looking for photos in all weather conditions that represent how you use the product.

Women's Elite 2.0 Jacket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please include a brief description of how you ride: recreational, commuter, road,  mountain, etc. and any other comments on the gear.
 
Winners will receive 30% off your next purchase from Showers Pass, 5 copies of the catalog (featuring your photo) and infinite bragging rights.

 
To enter, email your photos and contact information to: info@showerspass.com    
before August 6th 2009   

Cycling Rx: healthier people, healthier planet

 

Here in Portland we have the luxury of living in one of the most bike friendly cities in America.  With 8-12% of all commuters riding bikes daily it’s hard to ignore the fact that cycling is becoming a more acceptable, safe and accessible form of transportation.  I am fairly new to the cycling community.   In fact I’ve only been riding a bike regularly for a little over a year now.  I’m a native Portlander and partly due to our already fabulous transportation system I never got around to getting my driver’s license (I’m 25 – yeah it’s crazy).   So last Spring it made perfect sense to me to take the bike commute challenge (http://www.bikecommutechallenge.com/) as a way to gain confidence on my bike, get to work faster and get a little exercise in the mix.  I grew to love my 9 mile commute each day and managed to ride to work almost every day for 2 months.   I got the job at Showers Pass last November and have been commuting 11 miles daily through the rain, wind, and 30-90 degree temperatures.  It’s been amazing. 

I talk to customers from around the country every day who are minority cyclists (my definition: cyclist that are biking in areas where biking is considered a recreational activity, not an widely acceptable mode of transportation).  They are the few that bike all through the rainy wet season and need the gear we offer to protect them from the elements.  Unfortunately since Portland is atop the list of bike friendly cities most people I talk to do not enjoy the benefits of city bike paths, bike boulevards and the hundreds if not thousands of bike related events Portland offers. 

With the economic crisis and an increasingly unhealthy American lifestyle the policy makers are starting to take notice of the benefits of cycling as a way to reduce carbon emissions and increase health benefits for the cyclist and the environment.   Neal Peirce details how Portland reaps the benefits of investing in bike infrastructure in his article ‘Biking and Walking: Our Secret Weapon?’ published in the Washington Post:

 “It’s time, argues Keith Laughlin, president of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (railstotrails.org), for a mega-federal step forward–toward “active transportation.” What would that mean? A quick answer: Walking and biking accepted as legitimate, viable and healthy transportation modes, worthy of priority, not last-and-maybe federal support.

Cities that have already invested seriously in walking and biking access are demonstrating solid results, Laughlin claims. The lead example: Portland, Ore., where $57 million has been spent on in a 300-mile bikeway/pedestrian network since 1991. Portland bicycling has lately increased up to 15-20 percent a year, and another $100 million trail investment is planned. By 2040, Rails to Trails calculates, Portland’s net benefit from better health and reduced fuel savings will be $1.2 billion, representing an eye-catching 8-to-1 return-on-investment ratio.”

Read the full article here: http://citiwire.net/post/1125/

It would be great to see the Portland Bike Bubble explode and influence transportation development around the country.  Spread your bike love to someone new today!

Sunday Parkways!

Sunday Parkways 09 -93, originally uploaded by BikePortland.org.

Now that every superhero and their trusty sidekicks are well rested up from North Portland’s Sunday Parkways, get ready for July 19th – Northeast’s very own Sunday Parkways! From 9am to 4pm, 6.6 miles of sweet, sweet streets will be closed to motorized vehicles for your Sunday Parkways pleasure. Throw on a pair of walking shoes, lace up those hot little roller skates, click into some fancy bike pedals, jump on your skateboard deck, hijack the back of an xtracycle, and enjoy what The City of Portland does for our communities! Once again, Thank you Portland!

http://www.portlandonline.com/Transportation/index.cfm?c=46103

Product Development

Ed, in the center, is working “closely” with his pals on some new design ideas for the company. I think we might have to put him on Double Secret Probation if keeps this up.

Awesome! Oregon bans the the use of cell phones while driving.

It frightens me how many people I see driving with a cell phone up to their ear as I ride my daily commute, and there’s definitely a lack of awareness with the majority of those drivers. This law can only help decrease unnecessary collisions – THANK YOU OREGON

Bike Lane to Go

I came accross this cool product over at the BikePortland.org blog today and thought I would share. 

 

Lite Lane is a LED back light with additional High Visibility DPSS Green Lasers that project a bike lane onto the street around you.  The video on their website is pretty cool.  Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOU563OvpUY&feature=player_embedded

How much would you pay for one of these things?

Precious Cargo

CIMG0133, originally uploaded by susan grandjean.

Friday Ride

pix ride , originally uploaded by susan grandjean.

pix ride, originally uploaded by susan grandjean.

This is how the showers pass cycling team trains – a training ride to pix.

showers pass knows how to use a plunger

uar09pdxSYfisheye110, originally uploaded by OregonVelo.

Showers Pass Cycling Team had a good showing at this year’s Urban Assault Ride in Portland, Oregon. Abra and her teammate won the women’s division. Debbie and Sue placed third (even with a car/bike incident). And Jacob and his teammate placed third in the men’s division. Big wheels, runt bikes, slip ‘n slides, plungers… no problem!

Welcome!!!! Thank you for finding us on the web.

Showers Pass was born from the desire to develop such technically innovative cycling gear that it would inspire more people to get out there and ride.  So who are we to take on such a challenge?  In a word, we’re athletes.  We play outside in Portland, Oregon, where we ride for fun, for competition, for transportation, for community.  We are creative innovators, constantly concerning ourselves with such things as finding the latest greatest fabric, or inventing the perfect zipper-pull.  We live by our drive to deliver that next truly inspiring piece of gear.  We hope you enjoy the result.  www.showerspass.com