June 29, 2007

The Night Ride

Hop on your bike and see Portland at night! Sign up today for The Night Ride. This very cool ride is a benefit for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Last year's ride was great, and this year there are even more cool elements. The highlight of this year is the special rare screening of bike-themed film shorts from the Filmed by Bike film fest. This festival happens every April in Portland and submissions come from around the world. But it is not shown anywhere else around here nd it is not shown at other times of the year... until now. Get ready for some really cool movies and fresh popped-on-site popcorn. You'll be watching in an outdoor setting with a huge screen. It sounds like it will be a very cool set up.

The route is 15 flat miles, and an opportunity for nighttime indulgances like the all-you-can-eat finish line doughnut feast. See the website for more info and sign up today. This is an ORbike member event (and we think it's one of the coolest events out there). If you're an ORbike member, you'll get special discounts, giveaways and expedited registration at this event.

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June 28, 2007

Health Net Portland Twilight Crit

Construction in downtown Portand has required a lot of projects and events to make adjustments for the 2007 season and for the Health Net Portland Twilight Criterium things were looking a little worrisome for a while there. But the Crit is back in action! The organizers have worked closely with the City of Portland and Parks and Rec to find a new home for the event. This year the Crit will be in the North Blocks.

The new location retains all the exciting elements of the old South Park Blocks location: a 360 degree viewing oasis, the downtown vibe, tight turns, fast course and a beer garden in the middle of it all. Racers may miss the hills on course, but one things is for sure: this course is going to be lightning fast!

Also new this year, women can race in both races. The cat 3 is open to cat 2 women and the Pro 1,2 is also open to women.

Mark August 24th on your calendar and be prepared to spend a Friday evening in downtown Portland watching some absolutely hot racing action!

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June 22, 2007

Rider Profile: Iris Riggs

Iris Riggs, the Bicycle Recreation Coordinator for Oregon Parks and Rec., is one of the many riders gearing up for Mt. Bike Oregon. "It just sounds like a great event!" she says. "Good food, nice people, and great rides."

Iris is mostly a city rider. She lives in Salem and rides to work, to the store, downtown and for fun - but her roots are on the trail. "I grew up in the woods so my first bike was a mt. bike. I learned to ride on dirt trails and old logging roads. It was two miles to the nearest slab of asphalt, so needless to say training wheels were little to no help for me. Momentum and sheer will were the best teachers." But Iris hasn't done much mt. bike riding since those early days and she says she'd like to do a lot more.

So it's no surprise that what Iris is most looking forward to about Mt. Bike Oregon is the all-day opportunity to get back into mt. biking and learn more about it. "Not to mention fun, oh and free beer" she adds.

Iris says she is hoping for a really positive event with a lot of trail options and beautiful scenery. Just wait till you get there, Iris - you're in for a real treat.

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June 19, 2007

Volunteer at the Bike Fair

The Multnomah County Bike Fair takes a cycling spoof on the traditional American county fair. Think bike-trailer pulls instead of tractor-trailer pulls. The fair is completely free but it runs on volunteer powers. Volunteer Coordinator VJ Beachamp reports that they still need your help. "Volunteers will be in the heart of the action, setting up the fair, greeting folks entering the midway, helping with t-shirt sales, beer garden, music stage, smoothie booth and more," Vicky explains. "We'll have sunscreen and some snacky bits for volunteers, and folks on the last shift will get pizza." To volunteer, contact vickijean [at] gmail.com.

But be forewarned! If you're looking for a mellow, family friendly bike parade event, this isn't quite it. Sure, there are decorated bikes, and sure there are thousands of bike enthusiasts, but you'll also witness the knock-down-drag-out antics of the Figure Eight Derby and Tall Bike Jousting competitions.

The Multnomah County Bike Fair is this Saturday from 2-7pm at Col. Summers Park in Portland, NE 20th and Belmont. Is it worth a trip to Portland just for the fair? Uh, I'd say ABSOLUTELY YES, unless you fall into the faint-of-heart sect.

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June 14, 2007

Canadians Invade Mt. Bike Oregon

For the last six months, Craig Hunt's wife has been begging him to sign them up for Mt. Bike Oregon. "Actually, we plan almost all of our vacations around riding somewhere," he says. " I've heard good things about this event and haven't ridden in this part of Oregon so this is a good opportunity." Craig and his wife are from Delta, British Columbia, which is south east of Vancouver. They have spent a little time riding in the Hood River, Bend and MacKenzie River trail and they really like Oregon.

Craig is a huge mt. biker. He says he also does some North Shore stuff, but hasn't been doing it as much lately. He mt. bikes about twice a week and he and his wife take a few one- or two-week mt. bike trips every year. He and his wife moved further away from their work and he misses the bike commute, so once a week he rides 25 miles home from work.

On top of all that, Craig shows his mt. bike stripes as a moderator on the MTBR online bulletin boards. After so much time online, he says he's excited about Mt. Bike Oregon because it's a chance to "meet some people that I only know virtually from MTBR and socialize after the rides." We know what you mean, Craig, you mean beer garden.

Craig is also really looking forward to the singletrack riding on the Alpine trail that he's heard so much about, and we're sure he won't be disappointed.

Look for Craig in the beer garden and buy him a cold one. No wait, you can't do that because the beer garden is all free! Saddle up next to Craig and ask him about riding in B.C. He'll tell you all about his favorite places: Burnaby Mountain, the North Shore, Squamish, Whistler or the Sunshine Coast.

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June 13, 2007

Bike to Reunite: A Scavenger Hunt on Wheels

The Pangaea Project is a leadership development program that empowers low-income youth to become local community leaders with global perspectives. This year, 10 students have joined the program to study and work on housing and homelessness issues in Portland and in Ecuador. In Portland they will partner with and learn from leaders of Street Roots, Dignity Village and Sisters of the Road. In July, they will travel in Ecaudor from the mountains to the coast to the cities to the Amazon rainforest, where they will participate in community-service projects and meet with community leaders, government officials and inspiring change-makers.

It's a great project and here's a great way to be involved, while riding your bike. They are having a scavenger hunt bike ride on Saturday, June 16th. Registration is at 9:00am at the corner of NE MLK Jr. Blvd. and NE Graham, across from Venue Restaurant (formerly Billy Reed's).

Every rider must raise a minimum of $100 in donations in order to participate. The organizers suggesting asking around for $5 each from friends, coworkers and family. They have an online donation option which makes it easy for people to contribute.

The ride rounds out with presentations from the students and eating and drinking at County Cork in NE Portland.

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June 12, 2007

Forums to Gather Bike Plan Data

The City of Portland's Office of Transportation wants feedback residents to help shape the city's Bicycle Master Plan. There will be three public forums this month. The first was last Tuesday. The next two are from 5-8 pm on June 12 at 1120 SE 5th, Room C and June 14, at 5210 N. Kerby in the Jefferson High cafeteria.

Portland is knows as one of the nation's most bike friendly cities. Portland has earned Gold Status from the League of American Bicyclists and numerous awards from Bicycling Magazine. Portland is hoping to acheive the League's Platinum Status through input from citizens. Platinum Status will assist the city in gaining respect nationwide, provide leverage to continue funding for successful bike programs and overall it is a rewarding acheivement for decades of hard work.

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June 11, 2007

MBO Profile: Juntu Capistrano

Mt. Bike Oregon is filling up fast with riders from all parts of the US and from Canada. Not only is this a chance to tear it up on some of the world's best trails, you can meet some awesome people also. Like Juntu Capistrano. Juntu, a 34-year-old from Portland, says she's riding Mt. Bike Oregon as a way to get in some good mt biking while she's on her mini-vacation. She's more of a cross-country biker who trys to find the time to mtb as much as she can. So what is Juntu most looking forward to?

"Riding, eating, drinking and sleeping," she says. "Then doing it all over again the next day!"

Juntu has never been to Mt. Bike Oregon, but says, "it was highly recommended from one of my friends/riding buddies." Juntu, you're in for a great time! You won't be disappointed.

Look for Juntu out there on the trails... or in the beer garden.

Coming soon: profiles from Canada and Idaho

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June 9, 2007

Love Invades Portland

Pink: a (love) courier service is both a real life courier service and a site-specific art installation. Pink got started in Austin, Texas when a team of volunteer artists and cyclists, under the creative vision of conceptual artist Jaclyn Pryor and with funding from a private foundation, converted an empty downtown storefront into a small and temporary factory to create love notes. In the course of two short weeks, 2007 people visited pink, wrote love notes roled tightly and stuffed into bottles, and watched as pink-clad love couriers delivered them, by bicycle, throughout the city.

Pink is now on tour! They'll be in Portland June 9th-June 23rd, as part of Pedalpalooza festival. Their shop, where you can go to write a love note, is called the Love Factory it is located downtown at 318 SW Taylor.

Best of all...

...It's free!

Each bottle is decorated with a hand stitched letter of the person's first name. Notes can be romantic or friendly. Jaclyn says that in Austin a lot of the notes were sent from one coworker to another, just a gesture of encouragement or thanks.

In order to make this ambitious project happen, the Love Factory needs volunteers. I can think of almost no better way to spend a day than to deliver love notes and make people's days! For more info on volunteering, see the Pink website.

A tech volunteer will be mapping the notes, where they go and if recipients send a note after receiving one. As an artist, Jaclyn likes to work big. She is attracted to the idea of artwork that spreads through the community and takes on a life of its own.

Look out Portland, the love is about to spread!

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June 8, 2007

Join the ORbike Team! Promote Cycling in Oregon

What is more fun than talking about bikes all day? Not much! If you like meeting new people and sharing your enthusiasm for cycling, you should join our team for a summer of fun promoting bicycle events!

ORbike is dedicated to promoting cycling in Oregon. We provide online event registration, the state's most comprehensive calendar of all bike events and discounted events and freebies to ORbike members. We have a job opening for an outreach team to work outdoors at large events to get the word out about our great services.

For more information, see our posting about the position.

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June 7, 2007

Family Parade Tonight

Tonight is the kick-off for Pedalpalooza, the Portland/Vancouver 17-day festival of bike events. Since Pedalpalooza's incarnation in 2002 (then called BikeSummer), the festival has always started off with a street parade. The parade stars from Jamison Square, NW 10th and Johnson. At 6:15 people will gather, meet other riders and deocrate bikes. The parade leaves at 7:00.

The short route will wind around downtown with a police escort guiding riders safely through intersections. This is a very family friendly ride open to riders of all ages.
[ more info ]

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June 6, 2007

KBOO Celebrates Pedalpalooza with Special Bike Programming

In celebration of Pedalpalooza, Portland/Vancouver's 17-day festival of bike events, KBOO FM is airing weekly programs about cycling. Programs are aired on 90.7/Portland, 91.9/Hood River, 100.7/Willamette Valley, online and podcast.

SCHEDULE

Wed, June 6 | 9-10 am
Cramming into the studio as many event organizers as possible to give you a taste of the festival that's about to explode onto the streets of Portland and Vancouver.

Thurs, June 7 | 9:30-10 am
Live on the air the organizers of Pink, a love note courier service and Kelly Peach, the mastermind behind many of Portland recent and future creative bike events.

Tues, June 12 | 10-10:30 am
A live interview with Clever Cycles, a new bike shop that is importing Bakfiets and other Euro bikes.

Wed, June 20 | 10:30-11 am
Keeping Portland Weird - by bike. Interviews with tall bike builders, entertainers and more.

Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 7:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBack

June 5, 2007

Cycle the Well Field

Join the Portland Water Bureau and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council for a free bicycle tour through Portland's Groundwater Protection Area. Groundwater Specialist Randy Albright will reveal the mysteries of groundwater and explain how we can all protect this important groundwater resource. Only a few spaces are still available - call (503) 281-1132 to reserve your space! Refreshments and give-aways will be provided.

This ride is approximately 16 miles over relatively flat terrain at a slow to moderate pace. The organizers say it is suitable for advanced beginner and intermediate riders.

Saturday, June 9th, time: 9:00am-1:30pm, starts from Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center, NE Sandy Blvd. and 95th

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June 4, 2007

Breaking News! MBO Discounted Price Extended

In response to overwhelming demand, the organizers of mbo have agreed to extend the standard registration period for Mt. Bike Oregon. "We were hearing from lots of groups that they were having trouble with the deadlines. Instead of coming together for a great event, the deadlines were splitting groups up." With riders coming from 10 states and Canada, the organizers' planning for this weekend getaway event takes a little longer than a typical group ride. The weekend is packed with shuttles to the trails - at least six different ride options every day. Even if you had the energy, there's no way you'd have enough time to ride them all. Good thing you'll have three days.

The extension will last until July 1 for the July 27-29 MBO and until August 1 for the August 17-19 MBO.

COMING SOON: Participants come from all over the country for this ride. Why come all the way to Oregon for a mt. bike weekend? We're interviewing the participants and they'll tell you why they're heading to Oakridge to hit the trails. Stay tuned!

Comments (1) | Posted by orbike at 9:57 AM | Permalink | TrackBack

June 1, 2007

Bike Community Supports Injured Racer

Ryan McKnab, 31, a bike mechanic at Corvallis Cyclery, suffered severe head injuries when he crashed during the Silverton Road Race. The cause of the accident was unclear, but around 20 cyclists might have been involved in the resulting crash after they collided with each other.

Ryan was transported by ambulance to Silverton, and then by helicopter to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where he remains in the intensive care unit. He has been listed in stable condition with head injuries, abrasions and a cracked molar. But he's not going through this alone.

Ryan's wife, Jessi Brunson, said the bike community has rallied around McKnab’s family.

“It’s beyond words,” she said. “It’s been incredible.”

The race organizers, GSC United, donated $2,000 in collected race registration fees to put toward McKnab’s hospital bills.

There are ways you can help as well:

• Donate to the OHSU food card so Ryan McKnab’s wife, Jessi Brunson, and her family can get food at the hospital: Call 503-494-3768. Talk to George and give to account No. 94047 under Jessi Brunson’s name.

• Provide dinner for Jessi and Ryan in Corvallis when they get home. Contact Liz Martin in Corvallis: martieli [at] science.oregonstate.edu

• Donate online to help cover hotel, hospital and other expenses.

• Send cards to OHSU Hospital, adult ICU, attention: Ryan McKnab, patient, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239.

You can stay abreast of Ryan's progress through his blog.

This information was adapted from an article published by the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
[ full article ]

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