Weekend Guide and Open Thread

It’s the weekend!

I’ve been largely without a working computer this week — my laptop will be out of the shop on Monday afternoon — and I’m looking forward to having a couple of days off from shuffling between borrowed computers, re-learning old operating systems, getting used to unfamiliar keyboards, and trying to remember passwords.

So let’s keep this short. There are a couple of interesting rides this weekend, including:

– A five mile, decorated ride on Saturday morning to celebrate International SWAN Day (SWAN stands for Support Women Artists Now).

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– Another Easy Riders outing on Sunday — this one involves a bike ride out to Tryon Creek State Park where participants will lock up their steeds and go for a hike.

– If you’re one of those many Portlanders who is considering buying a car “to get out of town,” you may want to think again — check out Sunday’s Bike Camping 101 class hosted by Cycle Wild.

– Or there’s always Florida.

Have fun out there, whatever the weather. And let us know what you do and where you ride.

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Elly Blue (Columnist)

Elly Blue has been writing about bicycling and carfree issues for BikePortland.org since 2006. Find her at http://takingthelane.com

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Cecil
15 years ago

I’ll be putting on layers and layers of rain gear for the Oregon Randonneurs’ Birkie Brevet:

http://www.orrandonneurs.org/rba/2009/BirkieBrevet/BirkieBrevet_Info.html

John Russell
15 years ago

Well, my school’s spring break just started, so I’m off to celebrate in a very northwest way—a week of bike camping. Wish me luck, and I’ll see you all at the CRC rally on Sunday after I return.

Mark
Mark
15 years ago

Post a well-considered, positive caption to counter the latest irresponsible attempt by the Oregonian to fan anti-cyclist flames.

revphil
15 years ago

The Community Alliance of Tenants is throwing an info-rager.

Party For Your Rights! Come have fun with great music, good friend,
drinks and food, all to help CAT! Live music from the Golden Greats,
The Taxpayers, and Drats!!!
March 28th
6pm to 11pm,
Liberty Hall,
311 N Ivy.

http://oregoncat.org/

Anonymous
Anonymous
15 years ago

Up and over Bald Peak. This is fun?

Mike
Mike
15 years ago

Tryon Creek is a beautiful park!

I’m heading over with the Easy Riders on Sunday!

buglas
buglas
14 years ago

Mark #3, got you covered. Thanks for the heads up. It’s an uphill battle, but you do what you can.

Kevin
14 years ago

Rode 44 miles with Portland Velo today. Some decent climbing in the Tualatin Mtns and the rain wasn’t as bad as expected. Tomorrow a group of us are re-riding the Oregon Randonneur’s Snoozeville Populaire route. Keeping our fingers crossed for a bit drier weather!

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
14 years ago

Cheers again from Florida,

The family and i are visiting some old friends in St Petersburg, FL. This is a great little city. They’ve got separated bikeways on some of their downtown streets, lots of on-street bike parking, great walkways, and a traffic-calmed, human-scaled, and vibrant old downtown core.

Did I mention it’s in the low ’80s?! Oh, and I love palm trees. 😉

Cecil
14 years ago

I am jealous, Jonathan – I’ve spent many vacations just down the way from St. Pete Beach in Pass-a-Grille (insert lame BBQ joke here) and sure wish I were there right now – especially after yesterday’s astonishingly wet 200K – I don’t know what kind of rain Kevin (#8) was expecting, but what we got between Timber and Birkenfeld was much worse than I had expected! Of course, if I had only done 44 miles in it, instead of 126, perhaps I would not have been so soggy at the end! I just hope the many riders who told me that this was their first ever brevet were not dissuaded from trying it again!

are
14 years ago

mark 3, wow you’re right. it’s fun and easy. now I got started I can’t stop.

are
14 years ago

uh oh, looks like I wore out my welcome

are
14 years ago

wasn’t able to quite get this in under the 150-word limit:

To the editor:

The drawing posted for the current caption contest misrepresents the proposed “Idaho stop” law and feeds animosity towards cyclists among your readers.

The cartoon depicts a cyclist blowing through a stop sign at speed while there are others at the intersection with the right of way. This is not what the proposed law would permit.

The proposal would require a cyclist to slow down to look for approaching traffic, yielding to any traffic that has the right of way. Blowing through would remain illegal, just as it is illegal for a motorist to drive ten miles over the limit, or not signal a turn or a lane change, or not yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Caricature that.

The Oregonian has failed to cover this issue objectively. All we have is Harry Esteve’s snarky piece from March 18 and this cartoon. Your readers likely do not know what the “Idaho stop” proposal actually says, and the caption contest is merely an opportunity to reinforce prejudices.

Sincerely,

RyNO Dan
RyNO Dan
14 years ago

Govt Auto Bailout gives tax incentives to BUY CARS !!

are
14 years ago

footnote: it is actually true that the list moderator over there at the Oregonian cut me off from further posting to the comment list — or excuse me, the caption contest list.

a.O
a.O
14 years ago

Jonathan-

Cheers from Portland, where I got pelted in the face with pea-sized hail yesterday while riding around town. Still, the view from the top of Tabor was nice after it stopped. I was able to stay for nearly 30 seconds before the frostbite started to set in.

But the best part was the lady in her Volvo stationwagon who pulled out onto SE Lincoln right in front of me while I was headed downhill. If I hadn’t been paying close attention — through the hail — she would have killed me. And then maybe paid a small fine if Joe Kurmanskie had thought it worth the effort to do a citizen citation.

Do you have room for one more in Florida?

Thanks,

Chris

brian
brian
14 years ago

Jonathan Maus,

Did you have a chance to jump on the Pinellas Trail? Best pavement biking there is, and bridges over busy intersections, too.