June 28, 2006
Be Seen at Night - on The Night Ride!
If you're riding at night and you're the light hearted type, you just might fall in love with Magnet Spotz. These highly reflective helmet accessories were created by Portlanders Colleen O’Hair and Julie Bessie. Last year the women purchased bicycles and began searching for fun, reflective accessories to add to them. They found some products but nothing that made them laugh while visible and safe. When Colleen and Julie headed out to a night ride, they knew it was time to come up with something special, and Magnet Spotz were created.
Magnet Spotz will make a special appearance at The Night Ride on July 8th (a benefit for the BTA). Riders with the very best costumes and decorated bikes will be awarded a free design. Come dressed to impress!
Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 5:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 26, 2006
Riding a Century in the 100's
Who is crazy enough to want to pound through 100 miles in 100+ degrees heat? Plenty of people, apparently. River City's Jason Bietz, who organized the event, reports that, "The 2006 BARLOW TRAIL CENTURY was a mad success! Registration was up approx. 50%! We were running SAG like CRAZY!! People were really good about drinking though. We tried to provide salty foods and cool drinks where ever we could."
[ read more ]
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June 24, 2006
Barlow Trail Century
The Barlow Trail Century is tomorrow! Organizer Jason Bietz from River City is wondering about all that heat that's coming our way, but that shouldn't deter riders. Registration is up this year for the Barlow. It's not too late to register, you can register at the start of the event. There's a lot going on this weekend!
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June 22, 2006
Any Elkhorn Classic Crit Racers Out There?
The Baker City paper is looking for crit riding experiences to feature in an upcoming article about the Elkhorn Classic. For more information, see their website.
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June 19, 2006
Alpenrose 6-Day Results
Results are in for the Alpenrose 6-Day:
Overall A
1 Hosmer, Seth Bossen, Mikkel CMG/Alpine Mortgage - 57 pts
2 Beardsley, Steven Bjesse, Per Team Rubicon/Bike Central - 41 pts
3 Sinanian, Craig Tamel, Matt Hellyer Velodrome - 41 pts
Overall B
1 Hoefer, Carl Deck, Casey Team Rubicon -- 78 pts
2 Kovalcik, Zac Long, Jon -- 56 pts
3 Godfrey, David Godfrey, Norene Team Rubicon -- 55 pts
Day 6 B
1 Hoefer, Carl Deck, Casey Team Rubicon 78
2 Kovalcik, Zac Long, Jon 56
3 Godfrey, David Godfrey, Norene Team Rubicon 55
4 Matteson, Kirk Truesdale, Steve Half Fast Velo 35 -3
dnf Chacherine, eugene Murray, Mike Team Rubicon/Team Oregon
dnf Hughes-Godfrey, Lynn Mautner, Meg bike Central/NoMad
dns Curl, Chauncey Curl, Darien Team Rubicon
Day 6 A
1 Hosmer, Seth Bossen, Mikkel CMG/Alpine Mortgage 57
2 Beardsley, Steven Bjesse, Per Team Rubicon/Bike Central
41 -3
3 Sinanian, Craig Tamel, Matt Bike Central/Hellyer 27 -4
4 Boxberger, David Mautner, Paul EWEB Windpower/Team Rose
City 12 -4
5 Abers, Brian Beardsley, doug Team Rubicon/Fred Meyer 28 -5
dnf Martinez, Matt Godfrey, Mark Bike Central/Hellyer 0
dq Klipper, David Duncan, Todd Guinness Cycling
Overall B Pts Laps
1 Hoefer, Carl Deck, Casey Team Rubicon 78 Even
2 Kovalcik, Zac Long, Jon 56 Even
3 Godfrey, David Godfrey, Norene Team Rubicon 55 Even
4 Matteson, Kirk Truesdale, Steve Half Fast Velo 35 -7
dnf Murray, Mike Curl, Darien Team Oregon/Rubicon
dns Chacherine, eugene Curl, Chauncey Team Rubicon
dnf Hughes-Godfrey, Lynn Mautner, Meg bike Central/NoMad
Overall A
1 Hosmer, Seth Bossen, Mikkel CMG/Alpine Mortgage 57 Even
2 Beardsley, Steven Bjesse, Per Team Rubicon/Bike Central
41 -4
3 Sinanian, Craig Tamel, Matt Hellyer Velodrome 41 -11
4 Boxberger, David Mautner, Paul EWEB Windpower/Team Rose
City 41 -11
5 Abers, Brian Beardsley, doug Team Rubicon/Fred Meyer 27 -14
dns Martinez, Matt Godfrey, Mark Bike Central dns
dq Klipper, David Duncan, Todd Guinness Cycling dq -2
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 12:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 16, 2006
Portland Mt. Bike Short Track Series Starts Sunday
This Sunday kicks off mt. bike race season at Skibowl with a full day of short track, downhill and cross country mt. bike races.
Here is some more info on the short track races from race organizer Kris Schramp:
Start Times and Race Duration :
10:00am - Pro/Elite and Expert - racing for 25' + 1 lap
10:30am - Sport and Singlespeed riders - racing for 25' + 1 lap
11:00am - Beginners and Juniors - racing for 45' (*) + 1 lap
Noon - awards for beginners and juniors.
(*) This race is the Beginner/Junior XC and short track race rolled in one. It will be a lot of fun and perfectly suited for riders who have never raced mountain bikes before.
Course:
total distance per lap - 1 mile
total elevation gain per lap - 125 ft.
photos: http://www.portlandracing.com/skibowl-shorttrack.html
Race Fees:
$15 short track only
$10 if you also race XC and/or DH
No late fee!
Location: The short track races take place around Multopor Lodge (Skibowl East). Race registration is at the main parking lot of Skibowl. After you are registered, you can either ride your bike or drive your car to the Multopor area.
Click here for a race flyer
We will be done in time with short track races for everyone to witness the start of the XC races at 1pm. The XC start will be one that spectators don't want to miss out on, as it will send XC riders up a steep road right next to the area where downhill MTB racers will be bombing down the mountain. Plenty of action (of different nature) to witness!
The weather forecast for Sunday looks great (partly cloudy, then sunny) and Petr just told me that the trails are in excellent shape (snow is pretty much all gone).
Any question, feel free to contact Petr Kakes at 503-272-0146 or shoot me an e-mail.
Hope to see you on Sunday at the mountain!
~Kris
Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 8:14 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 15, 2006
Reminder: Bike Summit
Hey don't forget that the Portland Bike Summit is Saturday. Portland Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Go Platinum! Project, has put together a morning of workshops and information in hopes of inspiring the cyclists of Portland. They want you to attend and gain a renewed enthusiasm for what a great bike city this is and the visionary improvements we can work towards.
The event is free and lunch is included. Topics throughout the summit will range from off road riding and messengers to business and bike parking issues. I'll be presenting at 11:15 with Timo Foresberg on how to organize grassroots bike events. I'll also be speaking during the summary closure, talking about Portland's creative bike culture and how it contributes to a strong, healthy, mature bike city. Go Portland!
[ read more | event details ]
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 8:18 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 13, 2006
Monday Nights at PIR Get Hot!
Jim Anderson and I have been talking a lot lately. Jim's the organizer of the Monday night race series at PIR. From the get-go this season, the Monday nights have been a big hit. Jim says, "This month is bike crazy, its really good to be in Portland!" I agree and I think his Monday nights are definitely part of our big summer cycling boom. On just about any given Monday night, (schedule) you can head out to PIR and learn a little about racing on a closed course.
What's so great about Monday nights at PIR? Jim says "It is a perfect place to learn all about bike racing 101. The course is closed to traffic, wide, flat and smooth pavement. There are mentors to answer questions from Lakeside Bicycles/Fred Meyer Cycling Team. There are always other novice racers that are trying this out for the first time, so you don’t feel alone. Its a supportive and fun group to be around."
Jim really likes to empasize how easy and accessible it all is. "You don’t have to commit to a lot," he says. "You can just show up day of event to fill out paperwork, etc. You don’t even have to been on team. Its only two miles around. If you get bored you know you will always be near your car or main gate and can leave. It's not a massive time commitment, no planning weekends away, avoiding to-do lists or leaving at 5am to make it to the race in middle of Central Oregon."
So how is this season going?
Jim says, "This season has been taking off, we are amazed. For May we got average
150 racers. Only a few years ago it was a good night to get 77 TOTAL racers." There are a ton of new racers every night. Most are coming back and doing other OBRA events. Jim estimates that there are 5-15 new OBRA annual memberships per night.
Don't be deterred by the location. PIR is actually only a short ride from Downtown on a pretty good route, or you can take the MAX. If you come via alternative transport, you'll get $1 off your $12 registration AND $1 will be donated to the BTA.
Jim's doing great work as a volunteer to put these nights together. I'll be checking back in with him some more throughout the season. Head on out, see what you think, let me know.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 2:58 PM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 12, 2006
Barlow Trail Rider Profile: Christy Evans
River City's Barlow Trail Century is the hotly anticipated event of the season. With this awesome route, I can see why:
The 40 & 100 mile adventures begin on a unique rails-to-trails bike path. The route also features rural country roads then lead to an exhilarating descent down to Dodge Park and the Sandy River, a short but stiff climb up to Roslyn Lake Park, a blazing descent and drop into "Little Switzerland", lush green pasturelands of the upper Sandy River valley, the freshly paved Barlow Trail Road and Lolo Pass Road - the gateway to the Mt. Hood Wilderness Area where the real climbing begins.
Christy Evans is one of the riders this year. As soon as she heard what a great ride it is, she signed right up. "I moved here last year from the east and am really enjoying the scenery in Oregon - and what better way to see the state than to do the rides."
Chrisy got her cycling start doing triathlons and was very active in the long distance (Ironman) events for years, so it's no surprise that the Lolo Pass climb is what she's most looking forward to on the Barlow. Christy considers her other events of the season, such as Monster Cookie and Reach the Beach, to be merely "joy rides".
Christy lives in Hillsboro where she has great terrain available and can ride flats or hills, or a combination, right out her front door. She also enjoys riding with the Aloha Bike Club to Bald Creek, Grabhorn andother areas.
So what draws Chrisy to cycling? She says it's really the outdoors experience, and that cycling, once you get out there, is free.
Look for Christy out there on the Barlow Trail Century, crushing the hills and taking in the sites along the beautiful route.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 10:38 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 9, 2006
The Night Ride
Nighttime riding in Portland just got a little more interesting! Come over to the dark ride and take a moon-lit urban bicycle adventure through Portland on The Night Ride, a 2,000 person benefit bicycle ride on Saturday, July 8th, 2006 starting at 8:00 pm from the train station. The mostly flat, 15-mile street ride takes you past hootin' and hollerin' night life and fire jugglers, through a disco party rest stop and along spectacular cityscape views to an all-you-can-eat midnight doughnut finish line feast. The ride is sponsored by The Bike Gallery and is a benefit for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.
A new surprise and mystery awaits you at every turn on The Night Ride. The well-marked course will guide you through the city on a riding adventure like no other. You're in the nighttime club, and recommended attire includes costumes and pajamas. There will be prizes for the best getup, so come dressed to impress. Free glow-necklaces for all riders.
This ride is perfect for new riders or longtime road warriors. Fire jugglers, bagpipes and drums - oh my! Daytime rides are for chumps, it's time for The Night Ride. Saddle up, you're going for a ride.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 9:24 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 8, 2006
Pedalpalooza Starts Today!
The festival of 170 bike events in 17 days kicks off today! Sure, maybe you're not into the goofy costumery of bike parades (tonight, 6:30 pm, Jamison Square), but don't be turned off - there's something for everyone! Events are hosted by Portland and Vancouver's community of very diverse cyclists and the calendar reflects it. Oh, and it gets better: nearly all the events are free!
Check out the calendar for the full listings and dive on it. It's beautiful outside, get out on your bike and check out the scene.
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 10:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 5, 2006
Improving Cycling in Vancouver
The City of Vancouver wants your input on how to improve bicycling there. Completed surveys will be entered into a drawing to win one of several cool prizes including a League of American Bicyclists messenger bag by Chrome, a Bikestation t-shirt and hat, Flexcar commuter cup and shirt, and a Shimano commuter cup.
They've put together this online survey. Check it out and speak your mind!
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 9:55 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 2, 2006
Meet the Mt. Bike Oregon Riders
Mt. Bike Oregon draws people from all over the US for a weekend of epic riding in August. Take for example Janice Alexnder who is coming from San Francisco with her husband and her one year old daughter. Janice says she is excited to spend "summer in Oregon, biking as well as hiking and camping and still hang out as a family."
Janice usually rides in the San Francisco Bay Area: China Camp, Annadel and Mt. Tamalpais state parks, as well as Sea Otter in Monterey. She says she rides "woefully little these days, more road than trail. Maybe once a month in the dirt, but more in the summer (hopefully)", which I suspect is a result of that little one year old.
Janice describes her riding area as having "a mix of challenges and riders so that you can pick a trail to suit your mood and know that there will be lots of different kinds of riders out there with you." She likes that her husband, who she says is more experienced, can go off on a technical adventure while she picks "a trail that is swoopy and fun and beautiful, but still doable at my level."
Janice and her husband will undoubtedly find some good trails to ride at Mt. Bike Oregon!
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 10:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBack
June 1, 2006
Team Rubicon Hosts Coffee Rides
Team Rubicon's mission is to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, help develop junior riders to the next level, and encourage women to participate in cycling. You'll find them in orange at any of the local races (like this picture at the recent Willamette Valley Classic Stage Race), but starting June 5th you'll find them at the coffee shop.
Team Rubicon is hosting weekly Monday Night coffee rides starting from the Bike Gallery Sandy store. The rides are open to everyone and they'll ride to Tully's Coffee on NE Broadway and 10th. It's a 10 mile round trip ride.
For more info, see the Team Rubicon website
Comments (0) | Posted by orbike at 9:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBack