Cycling in Eugene, Salem and Portland this weekend

Eugene

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26

From Eugene Weekly:
Bicycle Poker Cruise, a benefit for the LiveStrong Foundation, group ride & poker contest, 3pm, Diablo's Downtown Lounge. 343-2346. $15.

We wonder if the Bicycle Poker Cruise was hatched after a bored poker-playing cyclist contemplated the back of his Bicycle brand playing cards and then considered combining the two in a benefit event for Lance "cyclist-cum-erstwhile-marathoner" Armstrong's LiveStrong Foundation. We'll never really know how it got started (that would require a Congressional subpoena, and even those don't work anymore), but here's how it works: Donate $15 to participate, join the group ride around town to various checkpoints, collect a card at each stop and return to Diablo's Downtown Lounge to play your hand. The grand prize is a "Fat Tire" Cruiser Bike, as if you needed another bike in your six-bike garage.

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Salem

Bring the whole family and join us at the State Fair for leisurely 10 mile bike ride through Historic Salem. The ride will start at the State Fairgrounds in front of the new pavilion off of Sunnyview, ample parking available.

Date: Saturday, August 25th Registration Starts: 7:30 Riders Leave: 8:30
Cost: $10 - Day of Event

Features: Oregon State Hospital Grounds, Mission Mill Museum Tour for $4, Willamette University, Bush Park, and the Oregon State Capital

Goodies included: Admission to the Fair, T-shirt, Water Bottle, Snacks, and Showers (bring your towel)

Iris Riggs
Bicycle Recreation Coordinator
Oregon Parks and Recreation
Phone: 503-986-0631

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Portland

CYCLISTS CELEBRATE PORTLAND

Portland has been named the Best Bicycling City many times over by Bicycling Magazine and other sources, and now the city is proving its status with a namesake bicycle ride. The second annual Portland Century is Sunday, August 26th at Portland State University. Registration is $40 online until midnight on Friday or $50 on the day of the ride and a portion of the proceeds benefits Hands on Greater Portland.

The Portland Century is all about Portland: local foods at the finish line dinner, Portland features along the way and a take home goodie bag of local treats such as smoked salmon, beer and coffee.

Riders can choose from 25, 50 or 100 mile options, and each affords spectacular views of Portland along the way, rider support and rest stops.

GEARs, cycling and the Eugene Celebration!

Eugene Celebration Parade Saturday, September 8
Please join GEARs as we enjoy cycling in the Eugene Celebration Parade. Dress up yourself and your bike and come on down for the fun. The parade starts at 9:30 and we will begin assembling at 8:30 to 9am. Please watch this space for our parade number. And since you will be so energized from all of this fun, please join in the:

Bike Lights Parade Saturday, September 8 8:30pm
The "Lighten Up" bike lights parade will take place about 8:30 PM on Saturday Sept. 8th. Come celebrate bicycling with a night time ride through downtown Eugene. At least the first 50 people who show up to be in the parade will get free passes for the rest of Saturday and Sunday to the Eugene Celebration. There will also be a raffle prize drawing for participants and a prize for best decorated bike. Parking will be at one of the valet bike parking sites (exact location TBD) and there will be some materials for last minute decorating of bikes at a location TBD.

Bicycle Tour Brings Awareness on Global Warming

The City of Eugene and the Eugene Bicycle Coalition will sponsor a presentation from David Kroodsma, a Stanford trained global warming scientist, who has spent the past two years traveling by bicycle and teaching people about global warming. The presentation will begin at 5:30 PM on Thursday, August 30th in the Bascom/Tykeson Room at the Eugene Public Library located at 100 W 10th Ave and will include photos of his travels across the US.

In an effort to increase awareness on global warming, David Kroodsma has biked from California to the southern tip of South America and has recently biked from Boston to Seattle. He is now biking south and will finish this journey in the San Francisco Bay Area in September.

The project, Ride for Climate has reached hundreds of thousands of people across 16 countries and appeared on international television and in newspapers across the U.S.

Mr. Kroodsma has a slideshow of these experiences and he will be showing pictures and videos from travel across the western hemisphere. He will also talk about how global warming will affect both - the far ends of the earth and our own backyards while providing examples from his travels. The slideshow concludes with a discussion of what we can do and about our special opportunity to make a difference as United States citizens.

For more information about the presentation, please contact Cindy Clarke, Transportation Options Coordinator at 541-682-5285 or cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us

GEARs will then be cycling with the group as they head towards the Oregon Coast on Saturday, September 1st at 8:30am. We will meet at Alton Baker Park at the Duck Pond and escort them as far as Siuslaw River Road and Wolf Creek. GEARs will then head back towards Eugene as The Ride for Climate continues on to Dunes City. Please join us!