the Springwater Trail in 2009.
(Photo © J. Maus)
In all the time I’ve been doing this site, I can’t remember when we’ve had four New Year’s rides to choose from. I’ll go ahead and take that as an omen that 2011 will be a great year for bicycling in Portland (and beyond). Check out details on the rides below… And if you know of others, feel free to share them in the comments:
New Year’s 200K Brevet
Get your annual mileage count off to a solid start with a bit of randonneuring. The Hillsboro-Dallas-Hillsboro 200K Brevet departs from Hillsboro at 7:30 am on New Year’s Day (Saturday).
North Freak’s Festivus New Year’s Ride
North Freak is a local bike club that knows how to have a good time. Join them on Friday night at 9:00pm for their Festivus New Year’s Ride for all the “classic festivus activities” including: Feats of Strength, Airing of the Grievances, and The Festivus Pole. This ride will roll out to a friendly and fun New Year’s Eve house party. Join North Freak for all the riding, partying, dancing, and fun you can handle.
54th Annual New Year’s Day Ride (led by the BTA)
You can’t go wrong with this one. Portland’s New Year’s Day Ride has quite a storied history and these days it’s led by the BTA. It’s always well attended and lively. The ride will start under the west end of the Burnside Bridge and roll out to the Bike Tires Direct retail store (5741 NE 87th Ave). Bike Tires Direct will host with warm drinks and treats at the end of the ride (and they’ll offer 15% off items in the store!).
Group Ride with Upper Echelon Fitness
If you feel like something with a bit more of a faster pace, Russell Cree and the nice folks at Upper Echelon Fitness are hosting a group ride. The ride leaves at 10:00 am on New Year’s Day and leaves from their Northwest location (which they share with Portland Bicycle Studio at 1420 NW 17th, Suite 388).
3rd Annual New Year’s Revolution Cabin Camping by Bike
This ride is led by Cycle Wild, a local non-profit that has a proven track record of leading awesome bike-camping trips from Portland. They’ll leave at 10:00 am on New Year’s Eve from the MAX stop in Hillsboro and ride 23 miles on low-traffic and carfree roads on the Banks-Vernonia Trail. Check more event details on their Google Calendar listing.
As you can see, there’s something for everyone! Hopefully the weather isn’t too horrible and you are all able to bring in the new year on two wheels.