Since seeing my first cyclocross race a couple of years ago, I have re-discovered playing with my bike in the mud like I did when I was a kid! Sure, I take the maintenance more seriously now, but the grin is exactly the same as when I was 9 years old!
Last night’s PUMP meeting turned out to be a great way to see that same energy building among mountain bikers in Portland! I’ve never been to a PUMP meeting before, or even one of the weekly PUMP rides through Forest Park, but you could tell everyone in that room loved to ride and wanted more folks to know how much fun it is!
The meeting centered on a presentation from the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance who talked about how they grew their organization to over 1,000 members, generating thousands of hours of volunteer trail building and leading hundreds of club rides. After the talk and some really insightful Q and A, the 50 or so activists in the room talked about the trail work and rides to come here in our area this season.
We don’t have to wait for good riding, though. The third running of Horning’s Hustle gets underway this Sunday. Not sure if there’s a category of ridership you fit into? Well, somewhere between kiddie, beginner, pro-classes (three of them for women) single-speed and even unicycle, you can definitely find a fun pack to run with.
Coming up next week, Portland City Parks Commissioner Nick Fish is slated to meet with leaders from PUMP, along with the BTA’s executive Director Scott Bricker, to talk intensively about off-road cycling opportunities in Portland.
Thinking about taking the plunge and getting a mountain bike or cross bike, but not sure which one? You could always borrow or rent one first. The city keeps an online listing of local bike rental shops.
Ready for a little eye-candy, cyclocross-style? Click here.
See you at Hornings! I’ll be in the back of the pack, sucking wind on a hard-tail – with a big grin on my face!
I’d love to see a bicycle with a 29″ wheel.