Lizann Dunegan - Best Bike Rides Portland, Oregon: The Greatest Recreational Rides in the Metro Area

Ayleen Crotty is the director of Filmed by Bike, a film festival that travels the globe featuring the worlds best bicycle movies. She is also the editor of ORbike.com, a resource to help people find bicycle adventures in and around Oregon. As an avid traveler, Ayleens favorite way to discover new regions and cultures is to explore by bike. Learn more about her at AyleenCrotty.com.

Lizann Dunegan is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in writing outdoor guidebooks and travel articles about the Pacific Northwest. A Portland resident, she has been riding and exploring bike routes in Portland and the Northwest for more than 20 years. Lizann has written other cycling guides to Oregon including Road Biking Oregon and Mountain Biking Oregon: A Guide to Northwest and Central Oregons Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides.

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Crotty, Ayleen, author. | Dunegan, Lizann, author.

Title: Best bike rides, Portland, Oregon : great recreational rides in the metro area / Ayleen Crotty and Lizann Dunegan.

Description: Helena, Montana : FalconGuides, 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016032776 (print) | LCCN 2016032859 (ebook) | ISBN 9780762784462 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781493014262 (ebook) | ISBN 9781493014262 (e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: CyclingOregonPortland Metropolitan AreaGuidebooks. | Bicycle touringOregonPortland Metropolitan AreaGuidebooks. | Portland Metropolitan Area (Or.)Guidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV1045.5.O72 P674 2017 (print) | LCC GV1045.5.O72 (ebook) | DDC 796.609795/49dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016032776

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

The authors and Rowman & Littlefield assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Considerable thanks go to the many Portland cyclists who helped shape this book by offering route advice, sharing their favorite spots, and riding alongside the authors. Thanks also to Stephanie Edman, Brian Hinsley, Greg Larson, Kiran Limaye, Lisa Luna, Matt Stefanik, and Ride with GPS.

A. C.

Thanks to my cycling friends who accompanied me on many of the rides in this book, as well as to the bike shop owners who helped with route questions and offered suggestions for new routes to explore.

L. D.

Cycling is by far the best way to see Portland. A vast network of low-traffic streets, bike lanes, and off- road paths makes it easy to snake around the city in search of adventure. Weve put together a series of forty routes that will help you explore the region by bike. Theres a little something for everyone in here, no matter your age, riding experience, or endurance.

Portland is internationally regarded as one of the worlds most bike-friendly cities, and has been honored with the Platinum Status designation from the League of American Bicyclists. In the urban core, many streets are designated as greenways, with traffic-calming features that allow cycling in an environment more relaxed than the busy nearby streets. Its easy to navigate the city safely from east to west and north to south on low-traffic roads and in designated bike lanes, even while crossing the Willamette River, which divides the city, or traversing over the I-84 freeway, which cuts through the city from east to west.

A whopping 7 percent of Portlanders bike to worka national highand daily bike commute numbers are proudly showcased on the digital display boards of bike counters mounted on several of the popular bridges that span the Willamette River. Its not uncommon to see moms on cargo bikes toting kids to school, dogs riding in trailers, and cyclists of all stripes streaming down the streets of Portland rain or shine. In fact, on sunny summer days you may even find yourself behind a stop light traffic jam of more than 20 people on bikesaffectionately known locally as a commuter peloton.

Over the years, the city of Portland has worked hard to make Portland bike friendly by installing road infrastructure that makes it safer and easier to ride a bike in the increasingly busy urban center, but other factors have also contributed to Portlands active transportation success: Retail, advocacy, and bike fun.

Bike shops abound so youre never too far from supplies and friendly service, where the staff will assist you in answering questions or getting your bike in tip- top shape.

The local bike advocacy organization is the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. The alliance works hard to raise awareness about cycling at the state level and in government.

Since 2000, Portland has had a vibrant bicycle culture that started around that time with monthly casual group rides, and has blossomed into weekly offerings of rides and activities for people who love all types of riding. Whether youre looking for gravel-grinding off-road excursions, picnics by bike, or group rides with your little ones, youll find an event to join.

Every June, a grassroots network of cyclists hosts hundreds of events over the course of three weeks for the Pedalpalooza festival, and nearly all the events are free. If you find yourself in the city during this time, be sure to catch at least one event during this impressive spectacle. Though they brave rain for eight months out of the year, Portland cyclists love to have fun on two wheels, and their efforts have inspired a rich community of cycling.

Share the road is the Portland way to ride, meaning all road users have a right to be on the road. We can all contribute to safe roads by being respectful. Follow the rules of the road, make eye contact, and ride predictably. Signal your turns clearly by pointing in the direction you want to turn.