Bike NW

BIKING FROM DOWNTOWN/CENTRAL CITY/NORTHWEST

 

NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE

Downtown is downtown.  Downtown you can find anything you want.  Just beware of the congestion and rails.  One is trouble, but together they can really ruin your day.  Once you get comfortable navigating the area, it can be a fun place to beat cars through the city and get to park for free.  If you really enjoy a challenge, try the West Hills and take your mountain bike up to Forest Park.  (Won’t get you to school, but at least it can train you for the ride when you do decide to get to class.)

 

ROUTE INFO

**In general** Bike-friendly streets are marked by sharrows. Some bridges are bike-friendlier than others. Particularly bike-friendly bridges: Hawthorne, Morrison, Steel, Broadway. Less bike-friendly bridges: Ross Island, Fremont, Sellwood.**

 You’ll likely want to use the Willamette Greenway Trail, Barbur Blvd, or Terwilliger Blvd.

Click here for a sample route from downtown to the Law School using the Willamette Greenway trail. This route is almost entirely on bikepath, or car-limited paths. It does involve a lot of little zig-zags and some unkempt asphalt. It will not be the fastest way to get to school, so allow plenty of time.  Do a test run or two to scope out all the little turns.  However, it’s a great ride for those who are wary of fast cars and want a leisurely ride on the west side of the Willamette. 

Click here for a sample route from downtown to the Law School via Barbur Blvd. This route has more traffic, and some hills. The traffic on this road moves fast and there are a series of three bridges.  You can also navigate your way onto the narrow sidewalks in these sections.  This is definitely the most efficient and quickest way up from downtown. 

You can also take Terwilliger Blvd from downtown. This route is very bike friendly and is pretty up-and-down, but rides through beautiful forest. It’s a really fun ride. Keep in mind that it’s not the most efficient because of the up and down segments, and it’s longer than the Barbur route.

 

BIKE SHOPS

• Athletes Lounge  2600 NW Vaughn  503-477-5906
• Fat Tire Farm 2714 NW Thurman  503-222-3276
• Kalkhoff Electric Bicycles 528 NW 11th Ave 503-220-2310
• Western Bike Works   1015 NW 17th Street  503-342-9985
• Twenty-First Ave Bicycles  916 NW 21st Ave  503-222-2851
• REI   1405 NW Johnson 503-221-1938

 

HOW TO BIKE COMMUTE IN PORTLAND

 

CATS GEAR LIST