Add a new bicycle ride to your cycling calendar for this spring. The Petal Pedal is a bicycle journey from The Oregon Garden through the Willamette Valley roads less-traveled. This area features some excellent routes for cycling and the folks behind this, Good Sport Promotion, are well-versed in putting together high-quality bicycle rides.

How Far Do You Want To Ride?

There are three routes to choose from on Petal Pedal.  If it’s a family outing, your just dusting off the cobwebs on your bike, or you want plenty of time to roam the grounds of The Oregon Garden, the 30 or 60 mile route may fit the bill. For those wanting to test their early season fitness, the 100 mile route is well-supported and worth the extra time for the great riding this area has to offer.

A Gorgeous Setting, Gourmet Food

The Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical showplace, Oregon’s premier public garden with thousands of plants set in 20 specialty gardens. The ride starts and finishes on the Garden grounds for a delightful breakfast start and a gourmet dinner at the finish line featuring Hopworks beer and live music.

The routes take you along Oregon’s quiet rural roads, past Willamette Valley wineries, to Silver Falls, through vibrant blooming fields of flowers and on a journey that will make you fall in love with Oregon.

Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Oregon Garden
Silverton, OR
www.petalpedal.com

Ride Features and Garden Admission

• Generous support along every mile
• Rest stops every 15 miles
• On-site accommodations in the Moonstar Hotel
• Free admission to the gardens all weekend long
• Gourmet meals prepared on site
• Well marked courses
• Great food on course at every stop
• Mechanical and medical support
• Very well chosen routes
• Extensive course maps
• Support vans (just in case)
• Another great event by Good Sport Promotion

The Tour of the Unknown Coast is a fantastic early season century bike ride.  The event starts in Ferndale and delivers one of the most scenic and difficult rides you’ll find anywhere. Highlights include the Avenue of the Giants, Panther Gap, the Mattole Valley, and the infamous ”Wall”.  If that’s not enough, you then meet the “Endless Hills” before descending back into Ferndale.

California’s Toughest Century Bike Ride

You will have ridden one of the world’s toughest 100 mile courses when you complete this great ride.  It packs 9,400 feet of climbing in, much of it over the final 20 miles.  Your day starts out with mostly gentle rollers and a beautiful stretch through the Avenue of the Giants. There are plenty of fully-stocked rest stops for refueling and support. The first big climb comes 40 miles into the ride with a 6.8 mile ascent of Panther Gap Ridge.

After a lunch stop at 63 miles, you head toward the coast on rural roads.  Turning north at the coast, you are often greeted with a hefty head wind for the next nine miles.  Finding friends to draft with is a incredibly smart move at this point.

The Wall – 1 mile Climb of 18-22% Grade

Here you are at mile 81. Take a deep breath, gear down and settle in for The Wall.  You can do it.  My memory is a bit vague here but I do remember thinking that the Endless Hills which follow The Wall were more difficult.  Regardless, it’s one heck of a way to top off an amazing bike ride.

Here are a few highlights

• Outstanding support
• Beautiful scenery
• Great food – including an actual lunch
• Low traffic roads
• Amazing climbs
• Huge post-ride endorphins
• And to top it off, the ride fee includes a great post-ride meal. 

Official Web site: tuccycle.org

Got some great bike stuff to sell? Or are you looking to find the best deals on bike related merchandise? From the smallest parts to some cool vintage bikes, check out the largest Bike Swap Meet in the Portland area. Do you have only a couple items to sell? Or you like to combine the easy with the good? Just donate your stuff to us and we will sell it at the bike swap meet. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Northwest Trail Alliance, and you’ll have more room in your garage!

Bike Swap Meet Goodies

• All types of bikes: road, mountain, cross, commuter, BMX, kids bikes,… heck, even unicycles!
• Find bike parts, bike components, full bikes, bike crafts, and more!
• Enter our raffle and win an admission to Mountain Bike Oregon, a Yakima Roof Rack from Rack Attack , or something cool from Cyclepath!
• Chill with a coffee while striking up a conversation with fellow riders.
• Freshly brewed coffee by Nossa Familia Coffee.
• Convenient bike parking generously provided by BikeRacker.
• Free bike clinics by Tori of Gracie’s Wrench: 11 AM Basic Maintenance – 1 PM Flat Repair.

All proceeds benefit Northwest Trail Alliance’s efforts to maintain and build sustainable bike trails, advocate for offroad cycling opportunities, and promote responsible mountain biking.

Admission:
10 AM – 11 AM: $5.00
11 AM – 2 PM: $2.00
2 PM – 3 PM: FREE
Children under 16 years old: FREE

Awesome Land: Women Of Dirt is a unique look into the world of Downhill Racing, Dirt Jumping and Freeriding. This film looks through the eyes of the wondrous women that have helped grow the sport of Gravity Mountain Biking with their strength and courage. Other mountain bike films have overlooked these vibrant and dedicated women, but no longer!

Pedal Nation presents A film by Bones over Metal

On Feb 25th, 7pm at Clinton Street Theater -  Get Tickets here

Awesome Land: Women Of Dirt celebrates the mountain bike while celebrating the women who love them. A beautiful and energetic film that opens a window into an awesome world.

In an effort to reach a wider audience, the filmmakers from Bonesovermetal.com decided to create a full-length film that features some of the sport’s top up-and-coming female riders, documenting their lives on and off the saddle.

“The inspiration for Women Of Dirt starts first with the women who make up an important part of our sport and yet get overlooked,” said film producer Mark Brent. “We felt that our lifestyle gets overlooked, and that the women in our sport get overlooked. By focusing on two elements that we don’t see in DVDs, we are telling a story that hasn’t been told.”

Awesome Land: Women of Dirt, a documentary with Tammy Donahugh, Stephanie Nychka, Cierra Smith. Written and directed by Mark Brent. 62 minutes. Not rated, suitable for general audiences.  In the final moments of Awesome Land: Women of Dirt, two of the professional female cyclists championed by this unabashedly enthusiastic sports documentary go tearing down a winding, bumpy trail in a forest for the sheer pleasure of it.

All Ages show – Doors open at 7:00pm.  Movie starts at 7:30pm.  Come early to pick up stickers and other door prizes.

Door prizes and schwag will be given away the night of the show with a purchase of movie ticket.

A portion of ticket proceeds will be Donated directly to Medial Teams International to support the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

If the weather today holds through Sunday, the Worst Day of the Year Ride will actually be a rainy day.  The past several years, the event has been held under sunny skies.  Don’t let a little bit of rain sway you from taking part in this annual event.

The 40 mile route puts a good dent in your legs – especially for a winter ride.   If you’re looking to test your winter fitness, give it a go.  If you’re looking for a more tempered ride, the 18 mile route wanders around Portland and provides plenty of opportunities for refueling and socializing. Find the details at www.worstdayride.com

I set out on my bicycle this morning in a light drizzle. Less than a mile up the road, the drizzle picked up to a steady rain. I actually turned around twice to retreat home and then changed my mind. I was already soaked and the logistics get so complicated when I don’t bike to work. By the time I coasted into the parking lot at work, I was drenched head to toe. Yuck.

Get Yourself a Rain Bike

If you plan on riding year round, and you live in an area that gets decent rain, you’ll want to invest in a comfortable, sturdy rain bike and get it set up for winter riding conditions.

The Ups and Downs of Wet Weather Riding

The climbing portion of cycling in the rain is harmless. But descending can be miserable. One of the worst rain riding experiences I’ve had was in France. It was a 70 mile day and it literally poured on us for five hours. I actually started worrying about my survival on one of the long descents. I was shivering uncontrollably and struggling to keep my bike upright. Not fun.

Nothing Beats a Plastic Jacket

I’ve preached the virtues of the cheap clear plastic cycling jackets before but it bears repeating. It really seals in the heat and when it’s pouring, no amount of “high performance” fabric is going to keep you dry. It’s better to bag the “breathability” concept and go with keeping every bit of heat sealed in.

And, of course, Fenders!

If you live in an area where you’re faced with a rainy season, get yourself a rain bike with fenders. Fenders make a huge difference. I always put a fender extension on the front fender to keep the road spray off of my legs. Otherwise, the front wheel sends a steady stream of cold water directly onto your feet and shins.

If you ride with friends and want them to continue to like you, put a fender extension (courtesy flap) on the back too.

Jeremy, who joined me on a recent Sunday ride, was sporting a beautiful set of courtesy flaps made by Buddy Flaps. Fancy and functional, what more could you ask for in flaps?

As their Web site states:

“Your friends will thank you…and your mind will be clear to enjoy the ride.”

I like it! Get some:-)

It’s not fancy or pretty, but this simple plastic cycling rain jacket will be the most precious piece of gear you ever purchased. Trust me on this.

If you’re out riding in the pouring down rain, this cheap (and I use that word with affection)  rain jacket will keep you warmer than any high-priced “high-performance” cycling jacket.

No, it doesn’t “breathe”. It seals in your body heat and creates your own little greenhouse. Yes, you will be soaked, but if it’s really raining, no rain jacket will keep you warmer than this little puppy.

I carry this cycling rain jacket with me throughout the winter and can ride with the peace of mind that no matter what the weather has in store, I will at least be warm, if not dry. I usually roll it up and stick it in a cut off water bottle and carry it with me in the bottle cage. 

Price:
There are many different brands but you shouldn’t have to pay more than $30 for one. As an added bonus, you can frequently find them on sale for $20 at places like BikeTiresDirect.com. 

Features:

• Waterproof PVC plastic front and back, mesh side panels for a little bit of ventilation.
• Velcro front “zipper” makes it super easy to put on and take off – especially when you’re hands are frozen numb
• Long tail keeps your backside dry if you were foolish enough to set out on the rainy day without bike fenders (more on this in a future blog entry)
• Reflective piping on back in case the day gets really dark and dreary.

Here’s one from Bike Tires Direct with the following: Completely wind and waterproof translucent rain jacket. Mesh panel underarms enhance breathability. Zippered front closure, reflective piping, elastic waist and cuffs.

A couple of summers ago I went on a cycling vacation in France and it ended up raining for the first week . Most of the photos from the at trip showcase me modeling my beautiful plastic cycling rain jacket.  Thank God I packed the thing.

I’ve been riding my bike to work for a couple of decades now.  It’s often the highlight of my day.  Not to say work and other stuff is horrid, but cycling is such fun.  Here are a few essentials for having the best bike to work experience:

1. Light yourself up like a Christmas Tree  – even in the broad daylight.  I’ve got a heavy duty bike light that made my wallet ache when I purchased the thing.  That was more than five years ago and it’s still clamped to my handlebars, glowing brightly with every pedal stroke.  Having a kick-ass front and back light will make you so much more visible and safe in traffic.   I turn them on even on the nicest of days.  I figure if it’s good for motorcyles, it’s good for bikes.
2. Fenders for Winter Riding.  You will thank your lucky stars you’ve got fenders
   when the rainy season arrives.  All it takes is one grimy, wet ride on a fenderless bike to convince most people that fenders are a thing of beauty when biking on wets roads.
3. Heavy Duty Tires. I’ve got some great commuting tires with a reflective strip and lots of tread.  I haven’t had a flat on them in more than two years of commuting.  And the fact that they still have tread on them is a thing of wonder.
4. Clear Plastic Jacket. It’s cheap, waterproof, and easy to stuff into your backpack just incase you get caught in a downpour.  Here’s what I’m talking about.

Bike Commute Challenge

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance sponsors the annual Bike Commute Challenge.  It’s a great way to give bicycling to work a try and they have plenty of commuting resources for you.

Here are some tips for dressing for winter cycling
.

Looking for a super challenging bike ride?  The Mount Shasta Super Summit Century ride is billed as being, “Tougher than the famed Markleeville Death Ride”

Are you ready for this tough ride?

The Mount Shasta Super Summit Century ride is so, so hard. This extreme cycling event is not for the faint of heart; the route climbs 16,000 feet over 130 miles. With spectacular scenery of the Mt. Shasta area, it still retains the feel of a casual group ride with great food and support.

The first time I tried to complete this, it brought me to my knees. I consider myself someone who can conquer almost any cycling event. I’ve got three Death Rides the Terrible Two Double Century, and number of challenging cycling events under my belt. But, Lord, this is a tough one. Especially if it’s hot.

I spent the first hour shivering uncontrollably in the crisp mountain air, only to completely melt down in a little pile of salt the last five miles. I made a huge error by getting caught up in a competitive hammer session ascending the second climb, Mumbo Pass. Felt great then; later on…not so much.

After decending Mumbo Pass, the bomb dropped.  I began the climb up to Castle Lake knowing trouble was trembling in my legs.  I simply ran out of gas, or rather, electrolytes.  I sat at the top of Castle Lake hoping to quell the queasiness.  My cycling buddies convinced me to decend down to the lunch stop and re-evaluate after a sandwich.  After a half hour break at lunch, I tried to finish the ride.

On the final climb I couldn’t go much faster than a snail without my stomach turning completely upside down. It was not fun. I would have been fine had I paced myself early on and done a better job of hydrating. Live and learn.

Anyway, it honestly is a great ride. I still want to return and attempt it again but can’t fit it into my schedule this summer. Maybe next year.

Note: they have added a jersey option.