Best Portland rides for visitors

[bikieboy]

Hi, all --- I'm starting to put together a handful of recommended bike rides (highlights, cues, maps) for Portland visitors, and while i have my own ideas about where to tell a visitor to go ride, I thought I'd try to tap BikePortland's collective brain to see what ideas are out there.

Where would you recommend someone who was unfamiliar with Portland go for a ride?

The ride information will be web-based (on the PDOT & POVA sites), and offer a selection of day rides ranging from the short & easy (flat, under 20 miles) to the longer/harder (60+ miles). The presumption is that the rides will begin/end in downtown (where many visitors stay), or from a MAX station/transit center. I'd rather not presume any driving to starting points...

If you want to get really wonky-detailed about the ride route
http://www.bikely.com
is pretty useful & fun for mapping out a ride. You get bonus points for including notes on scenic highlights, historical info., noteable traffic conditions, and such.

thanx in advance..!

[mike_khad1]

The ride from Troutdale to The Dalles (on the Historic Columbia River Highway) is absolutely breathtaking. It is a two day ride (one way) and there are 14 miles from Cascade Locks to Hood River where you are on I-84. But... if you can swing it, it will be memorable.

[Simple Nature]

Seems we could put together a a couple of nice routes around Henry Hagg Lake. They could include an "over the hill" route (ride from downtown) or a casual route (Max to the end of the line in Hillsboro).

The lake itself is 11 miles and rolling hills; from Hillsboro, there are many country routes to scoggen's valley; over the hill should probably be through Washington Park although Terwilliger is a nice climb out of the city as well.

[K'Tesh]

Two words...

Zoo Bomb :D