August, 2008 - Portland Bridge Pedal
There are a lot of great rides but the one I like the best is the Providence Bridge Pedal in Portland, OR. It was a ride this year, 2008, of 17,000 of your closest friends. It is the second largest ride in the USA.
This is how this works for me. I live in Milwaukie, OR and I ride ten miles to Portland to the ride. They changed the start place. I had Ilene (wife) sign me up. She said that she told me but as we all know men can’t hear women when they talk. The people at the old start didn’t know where the new start was. They did know it was over in N W Portland so off I went and just followed the riders to the start.
There was a lot to see. Some of the riders were in costumes. There were old bikes, new bikes, cheap bikes, and very high end bikes. The riders wore everything and none matched. They looked like they belonged to a biking team. They were really fun to look at and watch how they rode. Some didn’t even know how to shift their bike but they made it. I saw kids about five on the solid 10 inch wheel bike with training wheels and they were doing just fine on the short course.
As you lined up for the long ride, it was blocks long and you just stood there until it was time to leave. I was about half an hour early getting to the start. I was up at 4:30 a.m. and the ride didn’t start until 6:45 a.m. There was a bike trail from my house so I could make good time.
I was a half hour early and it seemed like forever. Some years they let about 100 go then wait for a minute and let another 100 go. This doesn’t work very well because the second bunch catches up to the first too quick and there is still a mess. This year they just let everyone go. It was two lanes to a six lane freeway and over the Fremont Bridge. I always stop to look at the view and then down the other side onto a four lane freeway that took you over to the Marquam Bridge and back up to six lanes. The riders were starting to thin out and there was more room to ride. We went back into town and over some bridges that were built around 1909. I can’t remember the last time they put up a bridge that was not a freeway bridge over the Willamette River. That is probably because I was not born until 1942.
One of the bridges has steel grates and they put plywood down on it. It sounded like you were on a train. Clickity clack, Clickity clack.
Out to the St John’s Bridge - the climb up to it took it’s tole on the ones who don’t ride much - two blocks long. There were a lot of walkers and I cheered them on. It was the prettiest bridge on the ride. There were rest spots, drinks, and food - Bananas, apples, and doughnuts. There were two rest spots on the ride.
The rest of the bridges are just some you have to do. They are fun but those three are the best ones.
I went over the finish line and got my ice-cream and chocolate milk to go with my doughnut, and then through Saturday Market to talk to some venders and friends there. Yes, it was back over the bridge and home by way of the Oaks Bottom, a mile of back roads and onto the Spring Water Corridor that is 28 miles long. It is an old street car track turned to trail. It goes all the way to Boring. It was a real fun 60 mile ride.
This all happened before lunch. Now what to do? Why nap and watch sports on TV.
My kids and their friends left later and had just as much fun.
Just a fun day
There are a lot of great rides but the one I like the best is the Providence Bridge Pedal in Portland, OR. It was a ride this year, 2008, of 17,000 of your closest friends. It is the second largest ride in the USA.
This is how this works for me. I live in Milwaukie, OR and I ride ten miles to Portland to the ride. They changed the start place. I had Ilene (wife) sign me up. She said that she told me but as we all know men can’t hear women when they talk. The people at the old start didn’t know where the new start was. They did know it was over in N W Portland so off I went and just followed the riders to the start.
There was a lot to see. Some of the riders were in costumes. There were old bikes, new bikes, cheap bikes, and very high end bikes. The riders wore everything and none matched. They looked like they belonged to a biking team. They were really fun to look at and watch how they rode. Some didn’t even know how to shift their bike but they made it. I saw kids about five on the solid 10 inch wheel bike with training wheels and they were doing just fine on the short course.
As you lined up for the long ride, it was blocks long and you just stood there until it was time to leave. I was about half an hour early getting to the start. I was up at 4:30 a.m. and the ride didn’t start until 6:45 a.m. There was a bike trail from my house so I could make good time.
I was a half hour early and it seemed like forever. Some years they let about 100 go then wait for a minute and let another 100 go. This doesn’t work very well because the second bunch catches up to the first too quick and there is still a mess. This year they just let everyone go. It was two lanes to a six lane freeway and over the Fremont Bridge. I always stop to look at the view and then down the other side onto a four lane freeway that took you over to the Marquam Bridge and back up to six lanes. The riders were starting to thin out and there was more room to ride. We went back into town and over some bridges that were built around 1909. I can’t remember the last time they put up a bridge that was not a freeway bridge over the Willamette River. That is probably because I was not born until 1942.
One of the bridges has steel grates and they put plywood down on it. It sounded like you were on a train. Clickity clack, Clickity clack.
Out to the St John’s Bridge - the climb up to it took it’s tole on the ones who don’t ride much - two blocks long. There were a lot of walkers and I cheered them on. It was the prettiest bridge on the ride. There were rest spots, drinks, and food - Bananas, apples, and doughnuts. There were two rest spots on the ride.
The rest of the bridges are just some you have to do. They are fun but those three are the best ones.
I went over the finish line and got my ice-cream and chocolate milk to go with my doughnut, and then through Saturday Market to talk to some venders and friends there. Yes, it was back over the bridge and home by way of the Oaks Bottom, a mile of back roads and onto the Spring Water Corridor that is 28 miles long. It is an old street car track turned to trail. It goes all the way to Boring. It was a real fun 60 mile ride.
This all happened before lunch. Now what to do? Why nap and watch sports on TV.
My kids and their friends left later and had just as much fun.
Just a fun day
posted by Byran on the side at 9:26 PM
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