I recently participated in PSU's GPS Bike Research Project. Here's how a typical ride back home from school is like:



So it takes up to an hour to bike the 11.75 miles to school, depending on how hard I want to push myself. Driving takes about 25 minutes to cover just over 12 miles (highways are less direct) and the bus takes at least an hour.

Biking with the MAX cuts the trip time by 15 minutes tops, but I'd rather use the extra 15 minutes for more exercise.

If you haven't noticed lately, the national news media has basically gone gaga over Portland.

Today's New York Times has an article about how biking is such a big deal in Portland:

Cyclists have long revered Portland for its bicycle-friendly culture and infrastructure, including the network of bike lanes that the city began planning in the early 1970s. Now, riders are helping the city build a cycling economy

There's also a neat video too.

Thanks for the e-mail, Byron! It's now the #1 most e-mailed article on their web site.

Went on an 18ish-mile ride after work today. It was absolutely gorgeous. Went up the I-205 path to Marine Drive, where I biked against the wind to NE 33rd Ave. Biked down to the Hollywood District and over to Rose City, where I hung out with Jeremy for a little bit before heading back home. You should all check out the Marine Drive path.

I'm thinking about doing the bike portion of this. Please let me know if any of you are interested as well.

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Saturday, December 16, 2006 – 9:00 a.m.
Village at Main Street - Wilsonville, Oregon

"Each year, more than 1.2 million young boys and girls are trafficked around the world for the purposes of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation." – International Labor Organization (ILO)

Village Focus International (VFI), a Portland-based non-government 501(c)(3) organization, will be hosting a fitness event on December 16, 2006, to raise awareness and provide funding for programs in Cambodia that protect children from pedophiles, prostitution, and drugs.

Please join us at Village at Main Street in Wilsonville on Saturday, December 16 for a great morning of fun and fitness as we Run, Cycle, Stroll to benefit Village Focus International. This event will be held in conjunction with the Angkor International Bike Race and Half-Marathon taking place on the same date in Cambodia. After the event enjoy holiday shopping at the nearby Woodburn Outlets, Bridgeport Village or take a scenic drive to a u-cut Christmas tree farm.

EVENT DETAILS - GET INVOLVED and MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Join Village Focus International at Village at Main Street in Wilsonville for your choice of a 5K walk/run or twenty-five mile bike ride. Anyone at any skill level can get involved to support this cause.

Events: 25-mile Bike Ride, 5K Run, 5K Speed Walk, or 5K Stroll with or without a stroller. Workout for the cause indoor option – enjoy a free day pass to Bally Total Fitness

Date: Saturday, December 16, 2006
Time: All events start at 9:00 a.m.
Location: Village at Main Street - 30050 SW Town Center Loop West Wilsonville, OR 97070
Directions: Off I-5, exit #283, head East, right at first light to Town Center

Suggested Adult Donation: $25 (Events open to children and teens, no donation required)

Donate online. Additional donations and sponsorships gladly accepted.
To register: send an e-mail to denise@eventsbyviva.com or call (503) 806-1707

More details : http://stopchildtrafficking.blogspot.com
Angkor Wat Bike Race in Cambodia - www.villagefocus.org/angkor_marathon/index.htm

Donations will support the following two programs:
PROTECT - http://www.villagefocus.org/countries/cambodia_partners/protect.html

SMILE - http://www.villagefocus.org/countries/cambodia_partners/smile.htm

Tax deductible donation receipt will be given – Village Focus is a 501 (c)(3) organization

Nearly a quarter of the videos from the New York City Streets Renaissance project is devoted to what Portland is doing right in creating more livable pedestrian and bike-friendly streets.

If you see only one of the videos, check out the one about Bike Boulevards. This is a significant reason why Portland is easily one of the best cities (we're talking top 5 in the nation) to bike in.

Apparently, we're spoiled. The East Coast has only been privy to artisan coffees for the last 6 years. While I guess that time doesn't matter much to me since I started drinking the stuff for around the same time, knowing that the best baristas come from the Pacific NW adds to our smug factor.

This is my dream for Portland. And there's shameless consumerism there as well. Two bikes per person. $3,000 bike equivalents of SUVs that can haul kids, groceries too. Average price the Dutch pay for a bike: $960.

A primer in New Urbanism. I know a few of you have taken a mutual interest in planning communities to be more livable. Here's one solution. There's also standardization too. This helps create incentives for developers and allows for local governments to implement them more easily.

Join the Community Cycling Center's Worst Day of the Year Ride. If you're doing the 40-Mile Challenge, well, uh, have a nice ride.

NEXT RIDE:
February 12, 2006
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, SE 9th and Hawthorne in Portland
Registration opens: 9:00 am
Ride Begins: 10:00 am

DETAILS:
4 yummy rest stops
18 mile urban ride
40 mile optional challenge loop
Free chili, cornbread and chicken noodle soup at finish line
Starts and ends at the Lucky Lab Brew Pub
Secure bike parking provided

COST:
$20 in-store [see locations] (closes Feb 10th at 7:00 pm)
$25 advance registration (closes Feb 11th at 11 pm)
$30 day-of registration

STATS FROM 2005:
750 Riders
60 Challenge Loop (40-mile) riders
70 volunteers
1,000 bowls of soup and chili enjoyed
1,000 wooden bowls washed and reused!
28,200 drum beats
1 couch bike (see photo)

MAPS
In-Town Route (this route subject to change)
40-Mile Challenge Loop (finalized)