Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Solling Pedersen, 1978, Denmark

Bikes are big in Portland. Like 300-plus miles of bike lanes big. So big that we were dubbed “America’s Best Bike City” by Bicycling Magazine in 2012 — another in a list of accolades that stretches about as far as the aforementioned bike lanes.

Since art imitates life, it makes sense that the Portland Art Museum will feature a stunning array of iconic bicycle designs with “Cyclepedia” (June 8 – Sept. 8), a special exhibition of 40 two-wheelers integral to bike design.

T & C Pocket Bici, c. 1963, Italy

Featuring touring, racing, mountain and even children’s bikes, the display is a comprehensive look at the evolution of bicycles, and is required ogling for riders and design buffs alike. Fittingly, Portland is the only U.S. stop for this European collection.

With accompanying programs like public workshops, lectures, locally made bike displays and even free bike tours in June and July, this exhibit offers an excellent way to get a peek at Portland’s pedal-powered culture.

Cyclists with a yen for fine food and drink are gearing up now for a highlight of the summer – the Chris King Gourmet Century. On July 28, Chris King Precision Components hosts this challenging ride over Portland’s West Hills; cyclists will be amply rewarded by pastoral views and tasty vittles all along the way. A team of the city’s renowned chefs, led by Jason French of Ned Ludd, will be cooking up breakfast, lunch and – at the end of the line – a full sit-down dinner with Oregon wine and beer on tap.

The ride begins and ends at Chris King headquarters, tucked into a corner of industrial Northwest Portland. Aficionados of Chris King’s high-end bicycle parts will relish the opportunity to visit the facilities where metal bar stock is transformed into hubs, headsets and bottom brackets, and the workshop where Cielo bicycles are lovingly handcrafted. Chris King, an avid foodie himself, will be on hand to join the company’s staff in serving meals and cheering on the riders.

With just 300 spots available, now is the time to race to register – and get ready to ride!

Resting in Vernonia at Hawkins Park

Until earlier this year my only contact with the small towns of Banks and Vernonia, located 30 minutes outside of Portland, was limited to seeing their sign posts as I zipped along Highway 26 on my way to the coast.

I had heard about a 21-mile-long train route that had the tracks pulled and was now open for pedestrians, bikes and horses. What really caught my interest about the Banks-Vernonia State Trail was hearing that the years-long process of paving the entire trail was finally complete. Obviously this “rails-to-trails” project deserved some two-wheeled exploration. (more…)

Spoke art by Carye Bye.

Portland celebrates the bicycle all year ‘round, but summer is when our spoke cards really fly. The season gets up to speed with Pedalpalooza – “2+ weeks of bikey fun” – with events throughout the city in June. Feeling adventurous? Strip down for Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride (ours was the largest in the Americas last year) on June 18. Check the Pedalpalooza calendar for other events, including bike-in movies, mobile dance parties and unicycle jousting. (more…)

Our pals at Travel Oregon have unveiled a cool new website dedicated to outdoor activities. The highlights include:

• information on cycling, golf and outdoor adventures in the Portland region – and around the state;
• a list of budget-friendly travel deals, including our own Portland Perks hotel package; and
• the “Win an Oregon Adventurecation Contest.” Among the prizes: a cycling tour of Portland and the Oregon wine country. Enter to win by July 18, 2010.  See website for contest details.

Need further inspiration? Check out TheIntertwine.org, an online guide to the Portland’s regional network of trails, parks and natural areas.

Travel Portland / John Hughel

The accolades for Portland’s bike scene are flattering and many.  However, flying with a bike can strain your wallet … plus, there’s the additional stress of carting a bike and tools through the airport.

Thankfully, Portland’s bike-friendliness extends to its plethora of bike-rental options.  Mountain bikes, road bikes, cruiser bikes, even cargo bikes — you can rent them here for an hour, a day, a week or even a month. Some hotels even include a free bike rental when you stay. There are so many rental options, we created a guide to them all. Here are details on some of my favorites: (more…)

Rep. Earl Blumenauer; photo courtesy of BikePortland.org via Flickr

Portland’s bike-friendliness extends beyond our borders. U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) is the state’s — if not the nation’s — most involved congressman when it comes to bike issues.

In this short video by Streetfilms, Blumenauer explores biking in the Big Apple. Here’s the introduction from the Streetsblog post:

Blumenauer’s bike commute to the Capitol has become as much a personal hallmark as his predilection for bowties. So when he came to New York City … to stump for a progressive federal transportation bill, the congressman didn’t pass up the chance to tour the city’s evolving bike infrastructure with Paul Steely White and Noah Budnick of Transportation Alternatives.

I especially like Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White’s comment that their organization started with aspirations to “be Portland.”  Awwww … we’re touched!

As a cyclist, I love all things bikey.  I have bike photographs, a bottle opener made from a bike chain, bike sculptures and even jewelry made from old bike parts.  This slight bike obsession has me anxiously awaiting October, when I’ll get to revel in bike goodness thanks to Oregon Manifest or OM.

What began last year as a three-day event featuring hand-built bikes has exploded into a showcase of bike art, cycling personalities, and, of course, bike gear. A six-week extravaganza celebrating bikes and bike culture, OM runs from Oct. 2-Nov. 8, with signature events held every weekend.  While the schedule is still a work in progress, confirmed parties include the hand-built frame competition and race, a bike fashion show as part of Portland Fashion Week, and the kickoff to Cross Crusade, the country’s largest cyclocross race series, with more than 1,000 participants each week.

In addition, Dreams on Wheels, a Danish bike exhibition, will set up shop at the Oregon Manifest Bike Union.  The bike union will be the official headquarters for OM.  Located in the Pearl District, it is easily accessed by Portland Streetcar, with free travel to and from downtown thanks to Fareless Square.

Watch the website for new events to be added each week.  If you stop by, say hello to the girl with the goofy smile on her face, drooling over the amazing designs and dreaming of a hand-built bike.

Nearly 5,000 bikers cross the Hawthorne Bridge every day

I could list a litany of reasons why I’m happy (and sad) to move out of my tiny apartment in downtown Portland and truck over to the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood this week.

I could, but I won’t. Because really, unless you’re willing to help with the move — insert dramatic pause — I’m quite certain the only person who cares that I’m getting a dishwasher and linen closet again is me.

Domestic chores and storage issues aside, I’m quite thrilled that my move marks my return to the bicycling commuting community of PDX — and none too soon, according to the scale in my current bathroom.
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While some things always seem more expensive than they did the year before – food and airline tickets, for example – a few items are actually getting cheaper in Portland.  One such ‘on sale’ service is downtown parking.  A combination of this summer’s high gas prices, Portland’s great public transportation and Portlanders’ love affair with bikes lead numerous garages around town to slash their prices by  more than 10%.  This cost savings wasn’t limited to the daytime hours, either.  A few parking structures dropped their  “after 5″ event prices as well.  The best news?  Even though gas prices have fallen and many Stumptown residents have traded in their bikes for the winter season, the under $9/day ticket prices still remain.