May 30, 2008
Mt. Bike Oregon - How to Save $30
Here's the hot tip of the weekend: Register BEFORE June 2 and you'll save $30 on the epic Mt. Bike Oregon July getaway (you still have until BEFORE July 2 for the August weekend). And if you mt. bike, I mean, if you love it, can't get enough of it, wish you never had to leave the trail - then you need to be there. The is no other event quite like it.
But don't just take our word for it. Garth Spencer from Specialized said, "Of all the MTB festivals that I have been to in the past year, MBO is by far the best I have seen!"
Oh, and I should mention, there are beginner's clinics, easy trails, guides and TONS of support for new riders. So no worries - you don't need to be hardcore to get a lot out of it and have the time of your life.
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Voodoo Doughnuts Bike (and more) Parade
Voodoo Doughnuts, the eccentric Portland doughnut shop that is quickly taking over the world, is expanding to a second shop on NE Sandy Blvd. And to celebrate, they're gathering bikers, Rose City Rollers, music, fanfare and other antics lead a march over to the new shop on Friday starting at 6:45pm. Everyone is welcome to march or just gawk. Nothing Voodoo does is less than ridiculous, so it's sure to be a fun spectacle.
If all this talk of doughnuts and bikes is making you hungry to eat doughnuts or go for a ride, get ready for The Night Ride on June 12th. With a really cool route through North Portland and an all-you-can-eat finish line doughnut feast, this ride is an summer tradition. Registration is now open, sign up today.
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May 27, 2008
Free Family Ride
Nothin' says summer quite like a leisurely ride with your kids... or maybe a ride with your kids and 200 of other people's kids. That's what the folks at Cirque du Cycling have planned for June 14th and it looks like it's going to be a hoot. The family ride starts out from Self Enhancement, Inc. in North Portland and heads up residential streets to Peninsula Park for a Cherry Pit (rest) Stop hosted by spud! organic delivery. After that the ride returns back to SEI where kids and parents will hustle over to North Mississippi Ave. to watch the nation's largest parade of freak bikes galore.
It's all part of a day of fun that culminates in a criterium street race at night with pro racers going at top speeds in both directions right down the middle of Mississippi Ave. It's sure to be a TON of fun, so don't miss out.
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May 23, 2008
Rider Profile: Laura Herbert
Laura Herbert is a dragonboater turned quirky bicycle adventurer. Actually, she's new to both but hopes to completely conquer them this season, starting with the Urban Assault ride on May 25th. She and her handsome new husband, Ty, are so excited to be married they're calling their team "Hot Wheels". They're both big fans of Tour de Fat, an annual festival coordinated by New Belgium Brewing, which is how they heard about Urban Assault (which is sponsored by New Belgium). As for those complex, convoluted obstacles on course, Laura says they're both really excited, "We've always wanted to do something like this. We're ready, for sure, but I just hope we can make it through in one piece!"
If you're a competitor, watch out for Hot Wheels, they just might try to knock you down. "Ty and I are both very competitive..." Laura says. While dragonboat training has helped them get into shape for this event, Team Hot Wheels has another trick up their sleeve, "Ty's a homebrewer, so we're training frequently on the beer-drinking side too." Oh - WATCH OUT!
There is no registration at the event, so if you want to take down Team Hot Wheels, sign up in advance.
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May 21, 2008
Easy Bike Work Available
Good Sport Promotion is looking for people to bike around the city and help distribute materials for bike events. We call that easy bikey work - and on a nice day it can be really fun. They have distribution work available to drop off posters and flyers for two really cool benefit events: Cirque du Cycling and The Night Ride. If you're interested, get in touch via e-mail: Distro [at] GoodSportPromotion.com
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May 20, 2008
2,400+ Reached the Beach!
Reach the Beach this past weekend was an amazing success - and a great example of good event planning. The weather was hot, hot, hot, but the water on course was ample and there were support vehicles making loops to pick up riders in need. Extra ambulances ensured the safety of all riders and there was no shortage of smiling faces and happy participants at the finish line. Reach the Beach is a great way to see rural Oregon and an even better way to raise support for the American Lung Association of Oregon. In fact, riders raised over $385,000 for the cause (final numbers are still being tallied). Impressive!
The funds raised will help the ALAO fulfill their mission of preventing lung disease and promoting lung health. That will make a big difference for Oregonians living with respiratory ailments like asthma, emphysema and lung cancer.
Photo by Evan Pilchik
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May 15, 2008
Why You Can't Miss MBO
Oakridge, Oregon is home to some of the world's best trails for mt. biking. So many, in fact, that you'd have a hard time choosing which ones and planning how to get to the trailhead if it weren't for Mt. Bike Oregon, a mt. bikers dream weekend getaway. Take time off work, pack your gear and get ready for fun; they take care of the rest.
Mornings start with hearty breakfast and a chance get trail tips and advice from the expert guides, who will also accompany you on the trails. Shuttles take you up to the trailheads and you can spend the whole day riding one long trail or several shorter trails. Three meals a day are provided, trails cater to all skill levels and there is no shortage of non-biking activities for your non-riding guests, kids, friends and family who want to join you for this great weekend adventure. You can top all of that off with a free beer garden at night, making this one of the best mt. bike weekends in the country.
But don't just take our word for it. Garth Spencer from Specialized said, "Of all the MTB festivals that I have been to in the past year, MBO is by far the best I have seen!"
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May 14, 2008
Benefit for Hit and Run Victim
Jessica Osborne was struck by a hit and run driver on Rosa Parks Way where her injuries were so severe she nearly died. Jessica is recovering but now facing over 100,000 in medical fees. A benefit event is being helf for her on May 15th at Liberty Hall, 311 N. Ivy in Portland. The cost is $5 and there will music and fanfare.
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May 13, 2008
Portland on the Sundance Channel
Back in the fall, staff from The Green, a Sundance Channel, came to town to feature Portland as a bike friendly town. Mia Birk, a planner from Alta Planning + Design, played tour guide and showed them all around Portland as she spoke enthusiastically and eloquently about the benefits of cycling. You can watch a web episode short of the program featuring someone moving his household by bike. I got to make a brief guest appearance; I'm the one in the striped sweater.
Watch the episode here
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May 12, 2008
ORbike Member Profile: Heather Andrews
ORbike member Heather Watson starts her e-mail messages to people with an enthusiastic, "Aloha!" That's because Heather, who is new to Portland, moved here from Hawaii, where she loved participating in organized bike events and triathlons. "The very first time a crossed the finish line in my first triathlon, what an amazing feeling. All that hard work and determination paid off and even though I was in pain it felt sooo good, I wanted to do it all over again."
Heather's favorite bike event is one she had to leave behind in Hawaii, "I love riding the century ride on Oahu because we start at dark and when you ride over top of Diamond Head Mountain the sun is rising. It just lets you know it's gonna be a great day." We hope we can help Heather find many new favorite rides here in Oregon.
Heather was off touring the globe for three years and is excited to get back into riding. She says she is looking forward to Reach the Beach, an ORbike member event coming up on May 17th, where she hopes to meet other members out there on the ride. "I signed up with ORbike to meet some great people to ride with at local events and to find out all the different events and races going on here."
Join Heather (the taller one in the picture) and the hundreds of other ORbike members out there. Sign up today!
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May 9, 2008
Beautiful Rural Routes
My life is pretty hectic these days, being a busy event coordinator gearing up for a summer season, and one of my favorite ways to relax is to ride my bike through the countryside, taking in the sights and smells of rural lands. That's why I love Reach the Beach.
This spectacular ride is an opportunity to explore some of the most gorgeous areas of Oregon - without really lifting a finger. I mean, you do have to pedal your bike, there is no one to do that for you, but you don't have to worry about choosing a route, packing or planning food, etc. The well-planned course has rest stops every 12 miles or so, and the food on course is delish. Online registration closes on the 13th and after that date you can register at the start line on May 17th. There are five courses of varying distances.
RELAX! Enjoy the ride!
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May 8, 2008
One Milliion Bicycles
Joe Kurmaski, AKA the Metal Cowboy, is working on a new project called One Million Bicycles.
He describes it better than I do, so I thought I'd just include his video here:
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May 6, 2008
Most Gigantic ORbike Newsletter
Did you see that latest newsletter we sent out? It was huge - had to be an ORbike record. I tried, really hard, to cut it down, but man there are tons of great events happening, and it's not even summer yet. We strive to keep our newsletter timely, fun, concise and informative. But on this one, I really couldn't resist mention that Portland went Platinum, or Reach the Beach (coming right up on May 17th) or some cool perks you'll get if you're an ORbike member. I also loved getting to know Heather Watson, the latest person I've interviewed as an ORbike member.
If you didn't get our newsletter, you can sign up for it on the front page of our website. To read the May Mega issue, click here.
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May 5, 2008
Rider Profile: The Linssens
Urban Assault is a bicycle adventure scavenger hunt full of creative elements. The event has been a hit in other cities so the organizers are putting it on in Portland on May 25th. Barbara and Peter Linssen are just a few of the many people who are signing up to compete as a team. Barbara says they own tons of bikes, and they do all sorts of city fair weather riding, like going to the grocery. While they do have two young kids, Urban Adventure is all about these two adults taking a day off from the kids (Barbara considers it a date).
The adventure course is full of obstacles, which may include adult big wheels, obstacles on foot, scooters, BMX bikes, slip N slides, bouncy balls, ropes, kayaks, balance, or other zaniness. Barbara says she's definitely ready for this challenge, "That sounds like sneaking across my sons room at night. No problem." And she's working hard to get ready for the ride too. She has dusted off the bikes and she's working out, "I've been lifting several pints at the local pub."
Each team chooses a name and the Lissens have dubbed themselves the UGB Lovers - as in Urban Growth Boundary. When asked to justify such a political name, Barbara says it was an obvious choice, "The UGB is what makes the city end and gives you that amazing wildness so close to town. Without the UGB Sauvie Island would not still exist as is does. It's a truly amazing thing." So amazing to Barbara, in fact, that her license plate reads LUV UGB.
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May 1, 2008
Rider Profile: Unicycle to the Beach!
It's impressive to ride to the beach in the awesome Reach the Beach ride, but it's even more impressive to get there on a unicycle. Bah! Crazy, no one would do that, you say. Well, in fact several Portland unicyclists are taking the Uni Challenge for this year's event. I ran into Michael (aka MJ Freshy Fresh) at the Pre-ride Party at REI and he admitted he's one of the ambitious unicyclists, so I asked him to tell me more. Is it hard? Does it hurt? Are you insane?
ME: So why are you riding a unicycle to the coast?
MJ: The unicycle is has the highest fun-factor of any mode of transportation that I've found yet, so why not ride it to the coast?
ME: How does riding a uni differ from a standard bike?
MJ: It's way harder to ride but provides you more freedom, no handlebars, gears, brakes, etc. For this ride I'll be on a unicycle called a Coker, it's got a 3' wheel which helps you go faster.
ME: Are there any other unis riding, that you know of?
MJ: Yes, I think there are 2 other riders from our gang and they are braver than I! I'm doing the 50 mile but Max and Zeke are going for the 100 miler!
ME: What route are you doing and why did you choose that route?
MJ: I'm doing the Amity route. I think that's all the miles my body can take, a unicycle seat is rather invasive ya know?
ME: What kind of riding do you usually do and are you training on a uni?
MJ: I play unicycle polo weekly, I do some urban trails riding and some trail riding. Not much training, just riding for fun.
So if you see Micheal, or his other unicycle buddies, out there on the course, give them a high five!
Comments (2) | Posted by orbike at 8:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBack