August 31, 2008

Tour de Lab

Tour de Lab is coming up on September 7th, and it proves to be a very hilly way to wind down the event season! There are two routes on this ride, a benefit for Dove Lewis, the non-profit animal emergency hospital. The two routes wind their way from Lucky Lab to Lucky Lab, while riders earn their doggie gear along the way: ears, tail and nose. At the finish line there's a big hot dog-making bar and participants all get a commemorative pint glass.

Both routes have climbing up to Multnomah Village in SW Portland. For the Puppy Dog route, it's a steady incline up Terwilliger. For the Big Dog (30-mile challenge) route, the course is a steep, steep climb through the gorgeous Riverview Cemetery. After that, for the Puppy Dogs it's pretty smooth sailing, but for the Big Dogs they'll climb Council Crest on their way to Lucky Lab NW! The route is along very quaint, tiny residential roads for most of the way - lovely and challenging all wrapped into one.

You can switch your route at the start line or any of the rest stops without penalty or shame - all for the love of Dove.

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August 22, 2008

Portland Century - Riders Flock to Portland

Riders from all over the country are flocking to Portland this weekend for the annual Portland Century, Portland's premier century ride. Riders are coming from 14 states and Canada to get a taste of some of the best cycling in the nation.

Emily Heinz and her husband are from Meridian, Idaho, and they're just a few of the many people from outside Oregon who are excited to ride this weekend. After reading about the ride in Bicycling magazine, Emily knew it was the ride for her. "It was listed as one of the top things to do in August. My Husband and I thought it would be fun and the ride fit perfectly in our vacation time. " But, truth be told, Emily is not really an outsider. Emily was born in Portland and raised in Ontario, in Eastern Oregon. So she's really excited to come back to see family and the greenery of Portland. "Meridian is high desert and very dry," she says. "I love that things are always green in Portland!"

Emily says she usually rides 25-30 miles and four times a week, so she has chosen the half century route. "I haven't experienced a full century yet so I'm not sure what the physical expectations are. I don't want to find out those expectations during vacation." She'll be out there riding with her husband and her dad.

Though Emily knows Portland is a really great place to ride, she says that the Meridian/Boise area is also a fabulous place to be on a bike. "There are endless route possibilities and drivers are usually quite courteous."

So if you're not yet signed up for this great ride, there is still time to register. You can go to the pre-ride party tomorrow or register at the event on Sunday. See the website for details.

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August 20, 2008

Favorite Rain Jacket?

I know, I really shouldn't be posing this question in August, at least here in the Northwest where our summers are supposed to be our secret Hawaiian summers filled with sunshine (if only for a few short months) but today it was raining like crazy and my rain jacket didn't didn't hold up. After six solid years of keeping me dry, my Burley rain jacket is no longer in service. I've tried Nikwax and all the other coatings and wash-ins, but finally the jacket is giving way.

I want to be set up in time for the real rainy season with fresh gear that's going to last. After all, solid rain gear is the most important part of staying happy through the rainy season.

So what do you wear? Is it breathable? Light weight? Stylish? Tell us all about it.

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August 18, 2008

Rider Profile: Lydia Cox

Lydia Cox is the School, Youth & Family Program Coordinator for Hands on Greater Portland, the beneficiary of the Portland Century, so naturally she's quite excited to be participating in the ride. Hands on Greater Portland is an organization that promotes volunteerism in Portland. They help people volunteer so that volunteers can keep Portland great.

So what does Lydia like about Portland? "I think my favorite aspect of Portland is being so close to so many different landscapes: Forest and Washington parks, the Columbia Gorge, the Pacific coast, Mt. St. Helens, etc. Portland is an amazing city to live in if you want to be part of a progressive, urban community, while maintaining a close connection with the natural environment. Even within the city, which is extremely accessible in size, it is brilliant to be able to ride up to Mt. Tabor for a picnic, then head downtown or to a busier neighborhood to meet up with friends; this city is massively versatile."

And Lydia knows those landscapes well. She has lived in Oregon all her life and has been in Portland for much of her adult life. "I look forward to experiencing other parts of the country, but have the feeling that Portland will always be my home."

Lydia commutes 7 miles a day to her job in northwest Portland. She's also a recreational rider and runs errands on her bike, but she has never ridden more than 35 miles at once. She is looking forward to challenging herself more by riding the Half Century course. She'll be riding with her crew of Hands on AmeriCorps team members (pictured here). She says she can't wait to get out there on the open road and take in the scenic views of Portland's outlying areas.

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August 14, 2008

Bicycle Champions at the Brown Bag

Portland Department of Transportation has been running a lunchtime discussion series called the Bicycle Brown Bag. These lectures are a great opportunity to learn about bicycling topics while you have lunch. The lectures take place at the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, 2nd floor. This month the series will discuss "Bike Champions: Turning the Bike-Curious to Bike Commuters" in celebration of the Bike Commute Challenge in September.

So bring your lunch and join in on the conversation on Thursday, August 21st from 12:00 - 1:00 pm. For more info on the Bicycle Brown Bag series, see the PDOT website.

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August 12, 2008

Rider Profile: Kary Kanalz

Kary Kanalz is one of the many people who is riding in this year's Portland Century, Portland's premier century ride with unrivaled support. The ride is a chance to celebrate Portland in all it's beauty and to experience it from atop the saddle.

As a Portland native, Kary says her favorite aspect of the region is the beautiful scenery and the landscape of downtown. "I have always appreciated the fact that we can get to the beach and the mountains in a short while," she says. "I appreciate the beauty of our state,so just being part of 'the ride' will be a joy." Kary signed up to participate in the Full Century, so she'll be riding 100 miles with some pretty steep climbing out near Sandy. And is she ready? Oh yeah. "This will be my second century this year, so definitely yes I am up for the hills! That is always my challenge. I am riding with a few friends that are avid riders."

So look for Kary out there on the ride!

This is an ORbike member event! If you're an ORbike member and you register in advance online, you will save $30!

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Mt. Biking 101

With all this mt. biking activity happening, I thought now might be a good time to go over some mt. biking 101 for those of you who are looking to get started. Mt. Bike Oregon is this weekend, the Oregonian just did a travel section article about MBO, the Forest Park trail work parties led by PUMP have had great attendance and all around there is tons of enthusiasm for mt. biking.

First off, MBO really is a great event to attend even if you're new to mt. biking. There are clinics, demo bikes you can test ride on the trails, flat easy trails, guides to show you the way, non-biking activities for when you need a break and tons of cool people all around you with friendly, free advice.

Another good resource is MTBR.com, an online mt. biking site that has an extremely active forums feature where the Beginner's Corner is particularly great. The forums have 29,668 active members, they're run really well, and it's a great place to get mt. bike info. If you're headed to ride in a new place, check out the forum for that region and ask the locals. These people are really tapped in to the local trails and have the best info. There are also forums for deals, family riding, tandem mt. biking, gear, and much more. Overall, it's a great resource where people who really ride will have advice to offer.

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August 11, 2008

Cool Article on Mt. Bike Oregon

We've been shouting it from the mountain peaks for a long time now: Mt. Bike Oregon is awesome! But don't just take our word for it. Check out this cool article that came out in the Sunday Oregonian travel section.

If you dig what you read there, you can still register for MBO in advance and save $30 or register at the event for $309. If you're an ORbike member, you'll save an additional $20 and get a free sports massage in camp.

[ read the full article ]

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August 8, 2008

Health Net Portland Twilight Criterium

Tonight is the Health Net Portland Twilight Criterium! If you're an ORbike member you'll be enjoying sweet viewing, food a beer in the VIP lounge. There's no better spot on course to catch all the hot racing action.

The event starts at 5:30 pm in the North Park Blocks. There are food vendors, a free helmet giveaway for kids from Health Net, music and more as you watch pro racers circle the park blocks at top speeds. It's totally exciting and not to be missed!

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August 7, 2008

Women's Intro to Bicycle Racing Clinic

The last clinic of the season is Monday August 11th If you haven't made it out this season than you have one more chance. The organizer, Jim Anderson, says they have had huge success with this series of clinics. Never tried bicycle racing and always wanted to see what it was all about?
Want to meet other women racers to ride and race with? Then this clinic is perfect for you. You don't need to have attended the other clinics.

The clinic includes the basics of what bike racing is about led by Kendra Wenzel of Wenzel Coaching and other top racers, along with Q and A. The event will be held prior to the Women's Novice race starting at 5:45 pm - then race at 6:20 pm, and then a re-group when finished for a debriefing. There are giveaways and raffles for participants, too.

Race Details - Races run May 5th to August 25th at Portland International Raceway (PIR). The course is a flat and wide 1.9-mile loop with excellent quality pavement. Race is $13.00, $5.00 jr. women, Clinic is free! Helmets required!

[ MORE INFO ]

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