So, we were giving the family a tour of the city, which included a tram ride up to OHSU and while we are admiring the view, I spot the bike gutters.
Quizzing the family on the use of this feature solicits vague answers about water management.
Well, at least they are Oregonians and know the need for handling rain.
But, they are definitely not bike riders and they are not from Portland.
Most any rider of the city who has had to navigate stairs, or find a ridable path up and around them should instantly recognize them, and give silent thanks to the designers who had the foresight to plan for them, and the bill paying body that agreed to pay for them.
The bike gutters are great for pushing your bikes up the stairs, or letting them glide silently down without having to bang them on each stop. Not having to carry the bike up the stairs is particularly helpful when you have a load of some kind on the bike. Ok, carbon bike owners scoff and smugly carry their 18 pound bikes one handed down the steps. Let them be smug, this is still one more kind of thing that makes Portland a (relatively) bike friendly city.

Honey used to work in the Lloyd Center area and she still gets mail regarding Lloyd Center related bicycle issues. Here is one about locking your bikes.
“Hi, Everyone. In the last three months, I’ve received five bike theft reports so I want to take this opportunity to remind bicyclists of recommendations that were made at our last safety and security bike forum. We were told that one of the best security systems is alloy riggers chain and the American lock 700 series. That being said, it must be acknowledged that riggers chain is not lightweight. For other options and excellent info on protecting your bike, log on to BikePortland.org at:
http://bikeportland.org/biketheft“

The Tour is underway and there is a lot of action already.
I know, I know, Lance is gone, and Floyd is kinda history.
But there is much more to this sport than those two guys.
I am going to track the Americans of the 2007 Tour de France.
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Continue reading →

Very cool bicycle designs using molded wood.

For more: Bicycle Design: The JANO dual bike

The Computer Sciences Company (CSC), head sponsor of Bjarne Riis successful ProTour cycling squad, have announced that they will be standing by the Danish ex-pro, despite his confessions that he used performance enhancing drugs during is own cycling career. The same revelations caused MAN to withdraw their money from the squad, but CSC have decided that there is still sufficient positive (no pun intended) value in the cycling team as a form of advertising. Continue reading →

The Tour de France started Saturday, July 7th, with the Prologue in London.

The betting lines were set at the start of the race for those of you interested in such things.
But of course, lots of things change during a difficult and long race such as the Tour de France. We are not involved in betting of course, we just love to watch the race. Here is a list of riders, in favored order according to a betting service.  I am not including odds since this list for general interest, not for betting. The list has been updated July 19 to reflect more current status of riders and their times.

1. Andreas Klöden
2. Allesandro Valverde, A
3. Cadel Evans
4. Alberto Contador
5. Michael Rasmussen
6. Christophe Moreau
7. Alexandre Vinokourov
8. Levi Leipheimer
9. Iban Mayo
10. Carlos Sastre
11. Frank Schleck
12. Andrey Kashechkin
13. Kim Kirchen
14. Maricio Soler
15. Mikel Astarloza
16. Dennis Menchov
17. Vladimir Karpets
18. Oscar Pereiro
19. Yaroslov Popovych
20. Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre

For the starting day odds: Continue reading →

We rode in our second Cycle Oregon Weekend ride this past weekend. Honey and I have done 7 different Cycle Oregon Week long rides, and 2 different Cycle Oregon Weekend rides. There are some definite differences and similarities between the two distinct events. It is helpful to have an understanding of just what you are going to get out of a cycling event. It allows you to adjust your approach to the effort, and to better match your expectations to the realities.
Some pictures during our Vernonia ride
Our list of thoughts about this ride and the differences between the two events. In no particular order. Continue reading →

Metro’s Bike There! map has guided cyclists through the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area for 25 years. We are long time residents of the Portland area, and as such can usually find our way to most spots without the need for a map. That said, we still have used these maps for many years and find them quite handy for mapping out the details for our routes throughout the city. The maps are indispensable for determining the safest routes. For years, we have had one of the laminated wall maps posted at the back door of our house where we can refer to it easily as we leave home. Plus, Honey is much more comfortable setting out for a ride when she has a clear sense of how she is going to get there. A new 2007 edition of the award-winning map is now available. The map is a region-wide guide to designated bike lanes and multi-use paths that link people and places across city and county boundaries. Selected through streets where bicyclists share the road with motorists are rated for cycling suitability. Bike There! will help you plan bike-friendly routes to work, school, shopping and your favorite parks. Biking is economical and healthy for you and the planet. So pump up your tires and get out on your bike to enjoy nature in your neighborhood. Here more information on the maps, and how to get one.

So, we were looking for a bike ride route for our weekend ride that would allow us to ride our bike and do our errands, and Honey says, why don’t we do a loop that includes inner SE Portland so we can stop by the Portland Nursery which is on SE Stark. “I would just like to look around and get some ideas” she says. And I hear, “I would like to pick up some plants, because I have some ideas”.  Which means, I had better be prepared, and I hook up our two expandable grocery panniers to the back rack. As we approach the nursery, the rain clouds open up and forcing a mad dash to the espresso stand just outside the nursery. We drink our hot coffee under the covered areas of the tropical plant section and as we wait for the weather to clear. This gives Honey ample time to find plants that she would love to see in her garden. She is reluctant to ask about carrying some home, so I assure her that those two plants she likes will be easy to take home. This opens starts her on a roll, and I am powerless to stop her til she has collected 8 plants she needs to have. In the meantime, I have found a half dozen 5 foot bamboo poles that would be perfect for a blueberry netting cage. The bamboo poses a little challenge since I hadn’t prepared for possibility of strapping poles to my bike. But with the nursery’s generous donation of some pretty cool little adjustable tie down straps, I was able to easily strap the poles to the top bar of my bike, with the poles sticking out under my seat and straight out the back. This is one more reason I personally like the straight top bar design as opposed the the sloping top bar design. With the plants snugly packed into the open top panniers, we were off. This adventure, coupled with our walk out to the retrieve our take/bake pizza, we enjoyed a productive, car-free day.

We have done the MS ride in Oregon several times. I have a couple of friends how do this ride every year as part of teams. They raise an incredible amount of money for the MS society. I have to admit I am not a very successful fund raiser for these events. You can only hit up your friends and co-workers so many times before they tire of your solicitations, and possibly start to avoid you. But, having said that, it is still a great cause and it is an easily attainable goal to generate the funds needed to participate in the rides. It is a ride we recommend you participate in at least once. It is a well run event, the organizers treat you well and they truly appreciate your efforts. Plus the last time we did the MS ride, George Hincapie was there to ride with us and that was really cool. We actually passed him on the road. OK, he was coming back from a loop and we were going out on the loop, but technically we passed him.

The Oregon ride is August 4-5, 2007. The ride starts and ends at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon

Here is the link for the Oregon MS ride that we have done.

The PR folks for the Washington MS ride sent me this information on the Washington ride.
We have not done the one in Washington, but would love to give it a try soon.

As many as 2,000 cyclists, including some living with the challenges and uncertainties of multiple sclerosis, are expected to pedal for the cause during The Group Health MS Bike Tour Sept. 8 and 9 in La Conner. The National MS Society, Greater Washington Chapter, hopes to collect $1.25 million from the fund raiser, one of about 100 rides in 48 states to support MS programs and research. With approximately 100,000 participants raising $67 million nationally, the ride has become the largest organized cycling event in the country.
The local tour – sponsored by Group Health Cooperative and Point B Solutions Group – starts and ends in La Conner and offers riders a choice of routes through scenic Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties. The money raised goes to programs and services for the 50,000 people living with or affected by MS in Western and, as well as research into treatments, a cause and a cure.
There is no cure for MS, but advances in drugs and treatments have helped people live with and manage the disease.