Going the Distance

Today the Meetup group "Go the Distance" was organizing a 24 mile ride that began in North Portland at 6:30 PM.  With a late day start this was going to work perfectly to ride to the ride from SE Portland.  I again started at Sellwood Riverside Park.  It was an 8 mile ride if I went directly there.
I started out in mid afternoon, because the weather was nice, and I wanted to avoid rush hour traffic.
I had 4 hours to travel 8 miles, I was going to take my time.

It was a nice afternoon.  With November just two weeks away, the sunshine can't last.

The only double deck independent lift bridge in the world, the Steel Bridge

When I got to the Moda Center I left the trails and pedaled on roads.  Portland has a nice network of Greenways and I was on them most of the way.  Navigation was easy, just follow the sharrows!

I am a big proponent of the Greenways.  They work.  Motor vehicles shun them because speeds are reduced, there are speed humps, islands make using them as through streets for cars impossible. For bikes they couldn't be better.  Few stop signs, little motor vehicle traffic, and good signage make them a joy to ride on. The road surface is even nice to ride on, unlike Seattle that seems to love pock marked concrete with longitudinal expansion joints that grab bike wheels.

Okay, enough proselytizing.

I continued northward and enjoyed the display of Fall color.

I arrived at the meeting point very early. I parked my bike next to the big bike and sat at an outdoor picnic table.

I got caught up on email and Facebook  ;-) then went for a ride around the neighborhood.  I found an alley that needed exploring.

It traveled mid-block for quite a distance. I followed it until I smelled chicken dinner!  I stopped and had mashed potatoes, green beans, and a crispy chicken breast.  Now I was ready to ride for awhile!

I returned to the meeting point with 15 miles total. Before long the ride leader arrived.  It would be just Neal and I tonight.

The sun set, and we were off!

The ride had been posted at 11-14 mph, but with just the two of us, the pace picked up.  I saw 20 mph several times, and never saw 11.  It was all good. I was just glad I had the carbon bike instead of the fixed gear!

After about 10 miles we arrived at the Willamette River.  It was a beautiful night to be pedaling.

Would have been prettier if I didn't try to handhold the camera!

The last steam powered sternwheel tugboat in the USA

The Battleship "Oregon" memorial

We rode to the banks of the Columbia River but soon turned south and made our way along the backside of Portland Meadows.

Soon our 24 mile loop was complete.  Neal had dinner waiting for him at home, and I had eaten just before we started, so we each went our separate ways rather than take the time to "debrief" at the Oregon Public House, our start/end location. It seems that it is the worlds first Non Profit Bar.  At least intentionally!

I rode back through town toward Sellwood.  It was an easy ride, down Vancouver Ave to Moda Center, then jump on the Eastbank Esplanade to Springwater Corridor, then to Sellwood Riverside Park.  Along the way there were more photo ops on this wonderful night.

Burnside Bridge,

         In 1995 a motor vehicle lane was replaced by two bike lanes

Morrison Bridge

         Now the third Morrison Bridge sits on the site of Portland's first Willamette River bridge.

Oregon's busiest bicycle bridge, the Hawthorne Bridge

The Portland Spirit passing the Tilikum Crossing

Oregon's newest bridge, Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People

.......Road bike........Rollers.......MTB.......Lifecycle....Total
Today.......48...............0..............0..............0.............48
Jan..........765.............0..............0..............0.............765
Feb..........248............0..............0..............0..............248
March......183...........0...............0.............0...............183
April........228...........0...............0.............0...............228
May.........200............0..............0.............0...............200
June.........199...........0...............26...........0...............225
July..........246...........0...............0.............0...............246
August.....502...........0...............0.............0...............502
Sept..........974...........0..............44............0..............1018
Oct...........552............0...............0.............0...............552
Total........3949.........0...............70............0..............4019