I lived in Portland in the 80s & commuted to school, work & all over town on a Raleigh Sports 3 spd which is no longer in production but you might find one used. My LBS here in Olympia sells Raleigh bikes & they have several models that would be fine commuters at a reasonable price. The "One Way" looks to be a good single speed commuter. Here is the Official Raleigh link http://www.raleighusa.com/index.asp so check around & find a shop in Portland that sells them & take a few for a ride. Also there is a map available that is color coded to show good commuting routes in your area. God Bless. Don