The Bike Project Day 20

The Bike Project:
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In which I attempt to ride all the yellow, green, blue & purple streets on the Bike There Bike Map while increasing strength, stamina, aerobic capacity and exploring Portland’s Nooks and Crannies.
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Day 20
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Weather: A bit windy and threatening to rain. Very grey
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Ride Average Speed: 11.2 mph
Time: 1h 14m
Distance: 13.90 miles
Best Pace: 2:21
Best Speed: 25.4
Calories: 563
Rest Time: 1.35
Rest Distance: 0
Total: 1h 16m
Average Heart Rate: NA
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The Ride:
Lombard & Denver
N on Denver
R Jantzen Beach
Over the bridge to Washington
Turn around and come back
R on Marine Drive
L on Portland Road
L on unnamed bike path by Triangle Lake
R on Denver to start
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I wanted to test ride over the bridge to Washington, something I knew could be done, but I had never done before. Then I wanted to make a big old square and take out a long purple bike path that I had never done before. The directions to are somewhat vague because the map didn’t really have names for a lot of these streets/paths/interchanges.
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How did I do?
· Bike Riding in North Portland is a study in contrasts. I rode on a lovely neighborhood street to an industrial slew to a huge shopping megalopolis to a sidewalk on an Interstate bridge to a beautiful bike path on the Columbia River to a beautiful bike path surrounded by railroads and auto wrecking yards to another bike path that took me past the waste water treatment plant then a golf course.

· The ride up Denver to Marine Drive is a bit marshy. This makes for very pretty viewing of grasses and birds etc., juxtaposed with highway noise.

· The route over the bridge is incredibly not peaceful. All those cars whizzing by are unsettling, even if they are on the other side of the barrier. Also the bike lane/pedestrian path is a bit skinny. I inadvertently ended up on the west side of the bridge (riding against traffic) and I’m glad that no bikers were going the other way. Going back, I poked around figured out the way to get on the East side path so next time I will at least be riding with traffic.

Glorious Bicycling Moments/Neat Things:
· The sign on the Marine Drive Bike Path near the Expo Center says: “Welcome to the Peninsula. Gateway to Nature.” I laughed a little because the Peninsula, like many slough-y areas, has been a bit of a dumping ground, historically. Hence the reason I rode past a waste water treatment plant, and a lovely marshy area has an Auto Wrecking yard in the font of it. However, right before I got to the auto wrecking yard, I came upon a fellow biker who was very quietly following two geese and their goslings. We both followed them as they waddled along the bike path. Only when they turned off into the grass did I pass them.
· Other bird sightings: Two yellow birds flew along in front of me for about a quarter of a mile before they turned off. I interrupted a dove resting on the path and also maybe a killdeer? I’m such an ornithologist.

· Just past the wastewater treatment plant the bike path suddenly opens up and voila! Golf Course. Portland International Raceway is in the background.
· Just after turning onto Denver there was a pile of garbage, but on the top was a ball peen hammer! I stopped and grabbed it. Free ball peen hammer! Excellent ride bonus!