roll in Sunday Parkways.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
We’ve got another weekend full of great bike events here in the Portland area. As you plan things out, peruse some of my selections below…
Sharrows to Sparrows Southeast – 9:00 am
This ride is all about accessing natural areas via Portland’s vaunted neighborhood greenway system. You’ll be led by the two people who made both of those things happen: Greg Raisman of PBOT and Mike Houck of the Urban Greenspaces Institute. The route will cover Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge (which Houck was the lead advocate for), Johnson Creek, and the Sellwood neighborhood. There will also be guest speakers. Bring binoculars! Meet at the Vera Katz Statue on the Eastbank Esplanade. (I did the North Portland version of this ride, see my photo gallery here.)
(More info)
National Train Day Bike Ride – 11:30 am
If you like trains, bikes, and Portland history, you’ll love this 15 mile ride. Join urban historian and seasoned bike ride leader Shawn Granton and Dan Haneckow of Cafe Unknown at Union Station in Portland and head north into Vancouver, with stops along the way.
(More info)
Oregon Cycling Challenge
Put on by the folks behind the legendary Race Across America, this event has something for all types of riders. There are three non-competitive rides of 30, 60, and 120 miles; two endurance races of 200 and 400 miles; and a 120 “gran fondo” group ride. There will also be a big expo and party at the starting area in Hillsboro.
(More info)
Sandy Ridge Trail Maintenance Day with Portland Design Works – 10:00 am
This is going to be epic. The great folks at Portland Design Works are hosting a season finale trail maintenance day out at Sandy Ridge. After free coffee and donuts, work parties will split up to buff out the awesome trails, and then everyone will return to the trailhead for beer and brats in the afternoon. Bring work gloves and wear boots!
(More info)
Cyclofemme – 9:00 am and 10: am (two start points)
This is a global ride — intentionally scheduled on Mother’s Day — that’s intended to help “create a unified voice for women in cycling” by encouraging and empowering more of them to ride. The co-founder of Cyclofemme, Sarai Snyder, will be in Portland for the ride. You can meet her and talk over coffee and donuts while getting a temporary tattoo of the awesome Cyclofemme logo starting at 9:00 am from the Rapha headquarters at 1915 NW Kearney Street. They’ll roll out at 9:30 and pick up another group from Clever Cycles (SE Hawthorne and 9th) at 10:00 am. The ride will head out to the Sunday Parkways loop in southeast Portland.
(More info)
Sunday Parkways East Portland – 11:00 am~4:00 pm
The first Sunday Parkways of the year! Enjoy six hours of riding and community bliss thanks to a carfree, seven-mile loop in east Portland that includes two miles on the Springwater Corridor and tons of great activities, food, music and more at Glenwood, Bloomington, Lents, and Ed Benedict Parks.
(More info here)
Banana Belt Race Race #2
It’s the second of three races in the Banana Belt series. Join fellow racers for a scenic, 11-mile loop around Hagg Lake.
(More info)
What are your weekend plans? Share more events and ride suggestions in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
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After the Sharrows to Sparrows ride, be sure and check out the annual Festival of the Birds at Sellwood Park, from 9-3. I think Mike Houck is also giving the last bird tour, at 2 pm.
http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandmigratorybirds/index.cfm?c=32956&a=53563
The Oregon Randonneurs are doing two longer rides this weekend, a 200k and a 400k; these are noncompetitive, self-supported rides and there’s no need to join any orgs to ride with this friendly group. Check out their website to see how it works: http://www.orrandonneurs.org/
I’ll be out there with the Oregon Randos tomorrow. It will be a great day for a longer ride!
After you help maintain the trails at Sandy Ridge you can test them out on a brand-new ride thanks to the Bike Gallery.
This is from their website–“Join us Saturday, May 11th at Sandy Ridge , from 10 AM to 4 PM, and ride the latest mountain bikes from Trek. We will have a trailer full of full suspension bikes for you to ride on one of the greatest trail systems in our area. Hope to see you there!”
No “designated crossing” where the Sunday Parkway ride crosses the I205 Path? Springwater seems awfully narrow for this type of thing.
I’ve always wondered how many people we can cram onto the springwater at once. If it were a one way loop I bet it could handle a ton of riders, but with people going in both directions I worry it’s going to be a traffic jam. I guess people could always take Foster Rd.
The truly sad part is that they did not route through the foster flood plain path to 112th. It is such a beautiful addition for bikes, especially if using 112th to reconnect to Spring water, for a small loop with the mutt.
Eugene has a CycloFemme ride too!
http://www.webikeeugene.org/2013/05/02/cyclofemme-to-roll-in-eugene-on-mothers-day/
I will be shaping berms, then spending an evening with friends and family on the “Easy CLIMB” Trail at Cascade Locks as we ride, BBQ and have a nice bonfire. This is a great place for kids, beginners and skilled riders alike! Come when you want, event starts at 5pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/300812063384691/