Monthly Archives: April 2007

Monster Cookie Ride – 62 miles

Monster Cookie Ride ~ hosted by Salem Bicycle Club
Sunday April 29th. State Capitol to Champoeg Park, and back.

Up to this point in the year, karma has worked against us in getting involved in an organized ride. So this years Monster Cookie was our first organized ride for 2007. It has been the first for other years past as well, but we have tried to work in other early season rides into our schedule lately. So, having not preregistered for this years ride, and seeing that the weather has been improving, we got an early start in the morning, so that we could get down to the capitol and get registered. On years of nice weather, the day of ride registration lines are usually long. We got there about 745, and unlike their previous promises to not start til 800 they were open and the registration went fairly fast. I did hear later that day the the lines got pretty long later, so we were lucky. that was really nice of all those volunteers. Armed with our maps and lunch wristband we were off to Champoeg and the cookies that awaited us at the stops. Getting out of Salem is a lot of hurry up and wait, as bikers are anxious to get going and to warm up, but are hampered by the many traffic lights. After getting past Keizer station where the new shops, and the baseball field is, the roads open up to country farms, and we can then settle into the pace that suits us. It remained cloudy all the way to the lunch stop, but there was never any hint of rain, just a coolness that required our coats. At lunch we saw many of the friends we have ridden last year and it was good to chat and get reacquinted during a quickish lunch, before heading off for the second leg back to the capitol. We had none of the adverse weather from years past, and the last twenty mile section that I often find so brutal was lessened considerably by the lack of a breeze. If anything we seemed to have had a tailwind coming back in. Saw a Calfee bamboo bike, that was pretty cool.Kind of a slower Monster cookie for us as we haven’t gotten a lot of miles and I was hampered by a cold, so we got in about 2:30.

Park your bike, just don’t ride it.

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The bike rack at Honeys office is in the lower level of the parking structure. It is a bit secluded but still a good place. Undercover, and close to the elevators that will take her directly to her floor. But it was the signs posted directly above the bike rack that intrigued me.Â Â Â
So, lets see, I am not allowed to ride my bike in this area, yet, this is the area I am supposed to park my bike? Do I just carry it down into the parking structure? I’m confused.

Why commute by bike?

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Here’s my initial list of reasons. I am sure to come up with some more reasons why we like to ride to work. When other people provide me with good reasons, I will add them to the list.

Commuting by bike…

saves money, gas and auto wear & tear.
avoids time “wasted” sitting in traffic.Commuting by bike…
controls weight without dieting.
is one of our ways to contribute to the bicycle culture and our planets environment.
energizes the morning.
relaxes the evening.
makes cycling a part of my day.
can free parts of our weekend.
is easier on the environment than car commutes.
improves our self-esteem.
helps us train for our other events.
is a lot fun.

3rd edition of Portland bridge book is out

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Way back in 1989 Sharon Wood Wortman published the first edition of the Portland Bridge Book, and I got my copy right away. In the first edition Wortman offered technical information, and history for 12 bridges across the Willamette River, two across the Columbia River, and several railroad bridges. The second edition added poetry, a couple of songs, a glossary of terms, a list of owners and web sites, and an index. The books have very nice line drawings, but I thought the book lacked photographs, and could be improved with nicer photographs. It looks like Powell’s books, which is where I got my first one, has just one more copy left!
So, late last year, the 3rd edition became available, and I was able to get my copy at the Powell’s Books at the airport while waiting for my wifes flight. (While airport stores are usually more expensive, Powell’s promises that their airport store is priced identical to their original). Go here, for info on Sharon and her 3rd edition. Anyway, this edition does have 100 current, and 50 historical photographs, which provide a much better sense of the structures and their surroundings. An added chapter on Sauvie Island Bridge, and many other updates. It is a very nice addition to my bridge library.

Our bike commute is starting

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We have gotten a very late start in our bike commuting this year.
Which is to say, we have not yet started. But, tomorrows the day!
Most all the stuff we will need once we get to work has been brought in, and the equipment is arranged and ready. We really have to get started commuting. I have a list of reasons for bike commuting I will post later, but the current reasoning is that we need to start getting in bike shape for the summer, and May is bike to work day/week/month time!
The League of American Bicyclists has info on bike to work week.
Sustainable Life has a great story on bike commuting in Portland.

Oregon Safe Routes To School Program

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The Oregon Safe Routes To School Program is offering free weekday training workshops in April and May to schools, local agencies, parents and interested parties who would like to know more about the SRTS program, the required Action Plan and the soon-to-be announced funding program for funding Engineering projects and Education, Encouragement and Enforcement programs. The workshops should cover SRTS partnerships and best practices, eligible projects, and how a SRTS School Team should evaluate the barriers and hazards to children walking and biking to K-8 schools. Workshops will take place in Albany, Ashland, Bend, Eugene, John Day, LaGrande, and Portland. The working agenda is attached. Registration is required
The Oregon SRTS Action Plan Template, Student Tally and Parent Survey may be downloaded from the Transportation Safety Division website.
For a draft agenda…. Continue reading →

Crowding the Sellwood

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We have been watching the new $6 million condo being built within feet of the Sellwood bridge, and have wondered just what they are thinking. First off, it seemed that a living room that overlooks the on ramp to one of south Portlands major bridges doesn’t seem attractive. And then there is the whole bridge rebuilding thing that has been talked about for many years. Turns out the owner, who apparently lives in Arizona didn’t know that the bridge may be torn down and that a new one would be built somewhere close? Oh, and now is upset nobody mentioned it? The issues with the Sellwood have been very public for a few years, and don’t seem much like a secret. Seems a little out of touch to me.

“I question why they even permitted me to build in the first place,” says Wasson, who lives in Arizona. “Nobody mentioned it.”
Ummm. Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind.

The county owns none of the property around the bridge’s east side; the county had no money for the land when the bridge was built in the early 1920s. Over the years, the area became crowded with development, from office buildings to condominiums.
The governments does not always have the authority to control what happens the boundaries the roadway right of ways, nor would it do any good for them to advise private developers what they should do. Developers continue to encroach on public roadways as long as there is an immediate profit. We see it every day as more and more properties are being built that crowd our roadways leaving little room for bike and pedistrian travel and no room for expansion. Then the public is left with overpaying these owners for “unfairly” taking their property when increasing traffic demands require expanded space.

I did go down under the Sellwood to take a look at the office building at 380 S.E. Spokane St., nicknamed the “troll building” because it sits right under the bridge. The building, which has several concrete bridge columns running through its offices.
I’m thinking, that when the Sellwood is torn down, that space is going to have issues.

Tivo 8.3 is almost here.

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Looks like Tivo is quietly rolling 8.3 out to a few select customers.
If you want it faster, sign up for the priority list.
Series3 units will have an update soon, followed by a full rollout.

The when it happens, your Tivo will have a Build Message that should say:
We just upgraded your Tivo service with the Spring 2007 Service update. This update includes more options for programs in your Now Playing list and integrates support for TivoCast content. For more on what is in store with this update… Continue reading →

Calling all interested in Milwaukie Bicycle Access…

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Brett Kelver, Assistant Planner for the City of Milwaukie sent me this:
We have an opportunity to comment on and make corrections to a bicycle map that is being prepared as part of a larger, Metro-region SmartTrips program. The Portland Office of Transportation has sent us a draft version of the map and we have posted it on the TSP website for your review. Please take a look and send me an email with any comments or corrections by 5:00pm on Thursday, April 19th. A cursory glance shows that some of the parks are mis-identified, and you may see routes that are inaccurately labeled. Please let me know what you see that needs correcting, as this is a great chance for us to help develop a useful resource.

You can follow the link to the bicycle and pedestrian site

You can follow the link to their map.

(The map image is currently a little bit fuzzy—they will try to get a sharper image up on the web ASAP.)

Comments Update.
JC asks: Thanks for posting this. Do you happen to know if Main Street [right past ODOT] currently connects to the Springwater Trail or is that planned?

Yes, JC they do connect.Â To get on the Springwater on the east side of McLoughlin… From Milwaukie center take Main St. North, past the old Southgate Theater, (where a Park & Ride is planned), until Main St ends at SE Moores St. Turn left up to McLoughlin Blvd, and get on the sidewalk there at the vacant bright yellow car dealership buildings. Head north along McLoughlin on the sidewalk about a block, but take some care as the walkway is littered with debris. (Maybe Portland or Milwaukie can clean this sometime?) The sidewalk takes you right to the beautiful bright orange Springwater bridge, and immediately after crossing under, the asphalt trail will take you up to the Springwater path. Again, take a little care on that path since theres a sharp turn and a steep dropoff.

And, you can also catch the path at about one block west of McLoughlin,Â there is a short access path that puts you on the Corridor just west of the new Johnson Creek Springwater bridge.

Mapquest map.

TiVo Amazon Unbox service is ready.

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So, we are looking through our Tivos “Now Playing” list in search of something substantial to watch, and while mulling over the prospect of making the trek to the video store to seek out that one DVD we deem worthy of the required two trips needed to pick up and return it, Honey says……”I wish we could just download them into our Tivo”. And I smile to myself, knowing that the Unbox/TiVo service is in the works. Continue reading →

Cherry of a Ride

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Ride starts in The Dalles. A bit of a drive for a one day ride, and it is likely going to be a longer drive in the car than a ride on the bike, but it should be fun nonetheless. We have convinced our second cousins wife to join us so that should be great.
This is likely to be our first organized ride of the year.
Cherry of a Ride is put on by St Marys Academy of The Dalles.
Our mileage for this ride is going to be a day of ride decision. Probably just 46, but maybe 60. Our partner is ready of a little more, and she may do 80. We will just have to wait for her to finish.