Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Inagural Ride, Kelly Point Park


The inaugural ride. It's one of my faves, and it's appropriate for musicians due to it's lack of hills. You start in North Portland and ride out to Kelly Point Park. You can either trace your steps back or loop through St. Johns (lots of trucks, best on Sunday). You end up on paths almost the whole way, and the park, which is the confluence of the Willamette and the Columbia, is a nice place for a picnic if you're into that.

Start at the Little Red Bike Cafe on Lombard. Load up on espresso and then walk or bike to the corner of Lombard and Portsmouth, which is where the ride really starts. Round trip out and back to the Little Red Bike is about 14 miles. Please note that the bycycle.org map skips the off road bike path that goes between Portland Rd. and Marine Drive/Lombard and takes you by Smith Bybee Lakes. Check out the picture or the North Portland Bike Map on this page for details.

For the variation through St. Johns, just turn right on Lombard when you exit Kelly Point Park instead of going back the way you came.

Good stopping points include:
Mock Crest Tavern
James Johns Cafe
Ladybug Cafe
Santa Cruz Taqueria (if it's the weekend, get the consome de barbacoa).

Welcome the Musician's Leisurely Cycling Society

Founded by musicians, the society is a proponent of the leisurely two-wheeled, human-powered exploration of our fair city. This blog is meant to detail past rides and or potential rides, and can be a resource for any cyclist who values combining cycling with other important things like conversation, coffee, and beer.