Pedal Portland: 25 Easy Rides for Exploring the City by Bike - Softcover

“This book manages to put everything in one place: essential bits of urban history, a how-to guide for riding like a local, and great bike routes that put Portland right at your pedalstrokes.” —Jonathan Maus, publisher of BikePortland.org

“Essential for beginning or timid riders, and useful for anybody.” —Grant Petersen, founder of Rivendell Bicycle Works, author of Just Ride

A two-wheel guide to America’s bicycle capital!

Portland’s bike-friendly streets make it a snap to explore the city from end to end. With Pedal Portland’s clear maps and turn-by-turn directions, you’ll know how to get to all the must-see sights and many hidden spots only the locals know. For young riders, scavenger hunts make it fun to search for unique sites along the way. With these 25 rides—all easy enough for riders of every level to enjoy—learn more about the area’s fascinating history and then get out there and see it for yourself.

Preface
Portland is bicycle nirvana.
    
The city itself is fascinating (rivers, bridges, lava domes, and more cool than can be counted) and the ever-expanding bike infrastructure makes for safe and pleasant riding. This book’s twenty-five rides take full advantage of the beautiful, natural, and even wild areas that are close by, or sometimes directly immersed in, the city hubbub. And the quality of biking in and around Portland is hard to dispute. Portland welcomes city planners from around the world who come to experience what has been achieved here, and in 2013, it was awarded a platinum-level rating for bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists. Bicycling magazine often ranks Portland number one in their list of most bike-friendly cities in the country. The people, too, are as friendly as the bike infrastructure, and more importantly, the drivers are courteous.

What’s not to love?
    
For me, it’s pretty simple. No matter where I go, I think about my bike. If I’m on my bike, then life is good. But more often than I’d like, when I’m going to some far corner of the Portland area on an errand, I go by car. It’s those times especially that I think about how I could get there on two wheels, and what adventures I might have had along the way.
    
When it comes to exploring a city, the automobile—while quick, warm, dry, and (I hope) in possession of a good stereo—has a lot of drawbacks. Cars move too quickly to absorb the details; the driver, especially, is likely to miss views, big and small. Roof and glass separate you from the surrounding smells, sounds, weather, and people that are so much a part of the place. Parking can be difficult and costly, and exercise is almost nonexistent. Never mind what great bakeries, parks, or art galleries you might have missed on the way to your destination. Walking is the best way to explore a place up close, but you need many tiring days to see a city of even modest size on foot.
    
The bicycle is the happy medium. By moving quickly, yet using a relatively low amount of energy, you can go far without taking the next two days off to heal blisters. At the same time, you’ll move slowly enough to take in the details, and it couldn’t be easier to pull over and look around. With no roof or glass between you and the world, you engage every sense. Sure, rain can be annoying, but not if you have the right waterproof clothes. And when you want to lock your bike and become a pedestrian, the parking is free. And everywhere.
    
With this book, I hope to wrestle the bicycle back from the pack of red-faced, smooth-legged heroes with gargantuan thighs in skin tight spandex heaving their way across the finish line. With this dominating image has come the idea that if we don’t push our limits, compete, sweat, and win, then why bother? The reality is, all you really need to do to maintain good health is just move your body. These tours aren’t about maximizing your fitness level, tackling lung-busting hills, or trying to hit all the green lights. Heck, you might not even sweat! But you’ll get exercise just by turning the pedals, and more importantly, you’ll see Portland up close. Wear your street clothes, pack a rain jacket, pop on a helmet, and go.
    
The routes are designed to be fun, easy, and safe enough for everyone. Do you have a couple of rusting mountain bikes and a kids’ trailer in the garage? That’s more than enough. Pick a ride in a part of town you’ve never been to, or choose to see your own neighborhood from a new perspective. All you need is an afternoon to experience the city like never before. If you don’t come away with memories of a brilliantly colored bird, a mini-market with a funny name, a beautiful tree, or a cute cottage with a lovely flower garden, you went too fast.