(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.
If you’ve got energy saved up from all the rain we’ve had, this weekend is the time to use it! The forecast looks very promising, and there just happens to be a ton of cool bikey things to do.
Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of love among this week’s events. The BTA will share stories of bike love, the Portland Wheelmen (and Women) will ride to the roses, and even the folks at Puddlecycle have a heart-themed ride. Make sure your outfit has some red in it and enjoy the ride(s)!
Friday, February 13th
Seminar on Bicyclists’ Air Pollution Risks – 12:00 to 1:00pm in Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at Portland State University
Join PSU researcher Alex Bigazzi, Ph. D. to learn more about how you are impacted by traffic-related air pollution when you ride around town. More info here.
BikePortland’s SW Get Together – 4:00 to 6:30 pm at Lucky Lab Brewpub in Multnomah Village
Join Michael Andersen and I for a social hour at Lucky Lab to put a bookend on our SW Portland Week coverage. We’ll talk all things southwest biking. Find us upstairs!
Clinton Street Social Ride – 5:30 pm at Night Light Lounge (2100 SE Clinton)
Join others who are concerned about the safety of Clinton Street for a ride aimed at making people realize that Clinton, “Is not a shortcut or a highway.” More info here (FB).
Mini Bike Winter Opening Scaremonies and Torch Ride – 8:00 pm at The Pyle (SW 13th and Burnside)
This is the official start of the annual Mini Bike Winter, Zoobomb’s big winter mini-bike funathon. Show up with your latest bike creation, or just come and join in the fun. More info here (FB).
Live the Revolution – 8:00 pm at Alberta Abbey (126 NE Alberta Street)
Grab a ticket or two and join the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and friends for their fifth annual bicycle-themed storytelling night. Entry includes pizza, wine, beer, treats, live music, and more. More info here.
Midnight Mystery Ride – Mini Bike Winter Edition – 11:59 pm at Scooter McQuade’s (1321 SW Washington St)
Join Team Midnight and the kind folks of Zoobomb for a special MMR. Come and get the skinny on this weekend’s Mini Bike Winter competitions and festivities. Freak and mini bikes strongly encouraged. More info here.
Saturday, February 14th
Valentine Rose Ride – 10:00 am at Woodstock Park (SE 47th and Steele)
The Portland Wheelmen (and Women) Touring Club is leading this lovely ride. They’ll head up to the Rose Garden in Washington Park via a climb up SW Montgomery and the Zoo, then cruise back down and end with a nice spin through southeast Portland. Make sure there’s some red in your kit! More info here.
The Portland Loves You Ride – 11:30 am at Palio Espresso and Dessert House, in Ladd’s Addition
The monthly Puddlecycle ride will be short but very sweet: They’re planning a 4+ mile, heart-shaped route through southeast Portland. Along the way they plan to hand out little gifts and shout “Portland Loves You!” as passersby. Dress up accordingly and don’t forget to bring some gifts. More info here.
Mini Bike Winter Brunch – 1:00 pm at Wallace Park
Bring food to share and meet up with friends old and new as you fuel up for the Big Event: Zoobomb’s Chariot Wars. A Sprockettes performance is also planned! More info here (FB).
Mini Bike Winter Party and Fashion Show – 8:00 pm at Pirate Island (on east side of Willamette River near Morrison Bridge)
Get cleaned up after Chariot Wars and meet to ride the to the after-party. More info here (FB).
Sunday, February 15th
Monroe Neighborhood Greenway Ride – 9:30 am at Milwaukie History Museum (3737 SE Adams Street in Milwaukie)
Join the fine folks at Bike Milwaukie for a ride that will take a closer look at an alternate route for the Monroe Neighborhood Greenway. The ride will assess the viability of the route and there will be a discussion about locations and types of diverters. More info here (FB).
Paceline and Race Riding Skills Clinic – 9:00 am at Portland Design Works (15 NE Hancock)
Join Let’s Race Bikes, a non-profit working to get more women into road racing, for this free clinic. They’ll practice riding in a paceline and getting comfortable in a group. Expect a flat, 2-3 hour ride. More info here (FB).
Salem Gravel Grinder – 10:00 am from Oak Knoll Golf Course (Independence, OR)
Some of the best gravel roads in western Oregon beckon you down to Salem. I did this ride last year and it was fantastic. The weather will be even better this year and you won’t want to miss this chance to get “out there.” Expect a 50-mile loop with moderate climbing among old (mostly gravel) farm roads and you’ll even ride past the Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge. More info here.
— Did we miss anything? Let us know via the comments and make sure to drop us a line if you have an upcoming event you’d like us to feature next week.
Correction 4:15 pm: An earlier version of this post had the wrong day for the Salem gravel ride.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
You forgot your own event! Meet up with Michael and Jonathon on Friday 4-6:30 at Lucky Lab in Multnomah Village.
The Salem ride is Sunday the 15th.
Salem Gravel Grinder is on Sunday the 15th. Or I will be a day late, as usual.
Thanks, folks!
Thanks for the shout-out about our ride Sunday!
FYI – ride to chariot wars secret location leaves from MBW brunch ~3 pm.
portland wheelmen have a valentines ride on satuday which is sure to get your heart rate up! climb montgomery, ride pass the zoo! saturday/10am woodstock park/47th & steele
I attended the lecture on air pollution and cyclists at PSU.
Take home points for me:
1. Riding just one block off parallel to major arterial ( eg: Ankeny instead of Burnside) significantly reduces lung absorption of CO (carbon monoxide) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
2. Stop and go riding (eg: red lights, stop signs) significantly increase CO and VOC absorption for the same distance travelled.
3. Riding through the SE industrial corridor typically produces very high absorption rates of VOCs due to the known polluters in that area
4. Best speed to ride (to minimize absorption over the length of the ride) is 11 mph.
5. Each stop along a route is equivalent to adding one extra block of pollution exposure. Thus best to avoid stopping or to avoid busy intersections and stop signs.
6. Overall, car occupants absorb less pollution than cyclists due to protective effect of vehicle “shell.”
It was an enlightening hour.
Man….its almost TOO HOT outside to do Mini Bike Winter. Time to break out the summer bike armour! 😉