Portland personal injury attorney Michael A. Colbach.

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Portland Bridge Pedal

**Portland (* car free *) Bicycle Rides**

The Providence Bridge Pedal- a celebration of Portland and our bridges, is an annual huge event for bicycle riders, runners, walkers, families and kids on strider bikes (usually 2nd Sunday of August).

Car free and provides the best view from the top decks of the Marquam and Fremont Bridges in Portland. But why stop there, depending on the route you choose, you can take in spectacular views of most of Portland's bridges over the Willamette River.

The Bridge Pedal also benefits not only the participants, but yearly it has donated part of the rider fees to different organizations like the Portland Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and more recently the Providence Teaching Kitchen and Garden of Giving.

The Bridge Pedal offers multiple different rides which vary in distance, and of course what bridges you get to ride over. There is also a "bridge stride" and a kids pedal, usually a route for runners, walkers, and then varying distance routes for bike rides.

For the serious road racing cyclists in the PNW, there is usually an early start with their longest route (depends on the year, 23-30 miles on average for the longest rides, sometimes they add miles by repeating bridges and taking cyclists on longer routes between bridges to add miles). This is great for the faster cyclists as well as the slower families and groups doing the ride at a social hang speed who don't have to worry about slowing down fast cyclists or being pressured by faster cyclists, it really is great for everyone.

There is usually plenty of time to finish the routes, you can take your time, and take plenty of pictures.

The main route is around 20 miles, and you can even have breakfast on a bridge before the ride some years. The shorter route is around 13 miles. But, it's easy to join the route and skip part of it, or decide when you are done; you can easily join the ride route for the Marquam and Fremont bridges, even the Ross Island Bridge, and skip the rest, but the St. John's Bridge and reduced cars on the road on the route to get to it are really a great stretch of Portland's cycling roads.

The ride is fully supported with snack stations with bicycle mechanic help along the way, plus all kinds of character from the neighborhoods you get to travel through featuring music and more.

Imagine if our morning bicycle commute looked like the bridge scene above!

The pace is generally relaxed. But riding in a big event like this, the distance goes by very quickly even if you aren't used to riding that many miles, the excitement and energy and smiles of the group ride fuel you up and keeps you going.

You get vistas atop Portland's tallest bridges which most of us only ever get to see the view from a car.

Just think all those miles and bridges shut down to cars. Fun and safe ride with bicycle riders and family walkers and striders everywhere. It is quite a special event.

This is not a bike race. The pace is leisurely and the rest areas offer plenty of amusement and snacks to take your time on the ride, take pictures, hang with others having a fun and memorable time.

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