Guest Post: Recap of my second ‘Joyride’

This is me on a flat stretch of road where I remembered how to ride with no hands.
(Photos and words by Abby Koonce)

This post was written by 14-year-old Sellwood resident Abby Koonce.

My name is Abby Koonce and I am sharing my story of the 2017 Joyride as a way to encourage other people to join us for next year’s edition. I am 14 years old and I am going to Benson High school this year. My parents are cycling fanatics so I suppose it kind of rubs off.

This was my second year doing Joyride with my mom. The ride is organized by Cycle Oregon, the organization mostly known for their big week-long ride.

This year’s Joyride was really fun because it was more familiar and didn’t seem as busy. My mom and I did it again, but this time we met a group of people and rode with them. Two of the people in our group were the same age as me, and I really enjoyed getting to know them. Cycle Oregon organized the same route as last year, but this year they reversed it. I saw a lot of things that I recognized, including the large grassy area that this year was being used for a wedding.

The first rest stop was next to a barn.

The sign in tents were very busy.

Damaged tire. As you can see there is a large hole in it, and Susan Koonce (my mom) could see her finger through it when she checked for the cause of the flat.

This year the snacks were a little more varied; but very similar to last year with yogurt and granola (not pictured) and ‘brownie brittles’ with fresh strawberries and chocolate covered nuts. Yum!

Once again, we did the 60-mile route and survived. Our average speed was about 12 miles per hour, and 5 minutes in we had a flat tire. One of the girls in our group had a very worn out tire, to the point of it needing a tire boot. Luckily Bike Gallery was at the first stop and they were happy to help us.

This year’s routes were based from Stoller Vineyards east of McMinnville.

The first rest stop was the most memorable, because it had the most people and lots of bikes. The volunteers were friendly and offered second and third helpings of everything. There was even a cat. The site was an old open air barn with even older farming equipment. The lands around the barn had no animals, and there was no house that I remember. We leaned our bikes against the old equipment, and there was a massive line for the toilets. The rest stop had no music, sadly, but lots of food. After the rest stop, we had about 20 miles to the next one.

The next stop was just a water stop, so we weren’t there long. After that there was another rest stop, but we didn’t stay at that one very long either. When we finally reached the end there was a sausage-chicken dish, salad, some sort of salmon thing, and dessert. The dessert was a shortcake biscuit with berries, jam, honey and whipped cream. The music was by a band called Corner and I thought they were really good, and there was one large group of ladies who were dancing.

I have to say that this is a great ride for women of all levels of experience as there are different lengths of the ride. I would definitely recommend it for everyone even though few of my friends actually ride bikes often. Cycle Oregon’s Joyride is a great way to get on your bike with a group of friends, and it’s also a good way to make friends.

— Abby Koonce

Cycle Oregon is a BikePortland advertising partner. Stay tuned for more coverage and photos from their Weekender ride July 7-9th.

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Adding pattern and life with Breeze Blocks

Now that the inside of our home is pretty much done, we’re looking towards our outdoor space. We have two very old garages that will need some attention soon. We have a long driveway and a bit of ‘grassy’ area behind our bedroom. And our property is surrounded by a wooden fence in back that’s falling apart, and an unsightly chain-link fence in front. Something has got to give.

As we start to brainstorm about dividing our outdoor space and all the things we want from it: outdoor dining area, jacuzzi, flow between the indoors and out and transforming our garages into a studio apartment/in-law suite… I keep coming back to breeze blocks.  

Breeze blocks are cement blocks that have been widely used as essential building materials for load-bearing walls since ’30s. They have cut-outs that create fun patterns. In the 50s and 60s they became somewhat ubiquitous. They make me think of mid-century Palm Springs but/and I feel like they can also add a beachy/breezy/boho je ne sais quoi as in the example up top, which I snapped in Tulum last week. Of course I love that they add pattern in a kind of wallpaper-effect kind of way, but the shadows that the breeze blocks create might be my favorite thing about them.

In the above example, design studio @dustandco uses breezeblocks in a kind of patchwork at @dakikokiko . (Photo by: @bethanynauert  found via @FireclayTile) I love this idea for my new studio but/and I am also thinking of ways to leave some blocks open to make room for some plants. It could create a kind of Breeze Block/ Living Wall situation!?!!

Now my only hurdle if finding out where to buy (or make!?!) these blocks in or around L.A.! If anyone has sources please let me know!

(all photos by J. Blakeney unless otherwise noted). 

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Panna Cotta with Summer Berries

There are certain desserts that are so easy to make and so stupendously rewarding that they should be at the very top of your list for special occasions.

Panna cotta is definitely one of them.

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Steak Salad with Arugula and Parmesan Cheese

When summer finally hits its stride, you begin to understand Italian food.

Think of figs, arranged on a pretty plate and drizzled with honey. Or perfect peaches macerated in white wine and strewn with lavender. Or fresh-picked, fat asparagus, peeled, steamed, doused with fruity olive oil and topped with finely shaved shards of Parmesan Cheese.

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The Monday Roundup: Carfree tourism, hi-viz tips, futility of speeding, and more

This week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by The Classic — Cycle Oregon’s iconic, week-long, fully-supported bicycle ride.

Here are the best stories we came across last week…

Torontonians have spoken: A very healthy majority of Toronto residents understand that lower speeds and better bike access are a good thing for their city.

Speeding is futile: Bike riders know this all too well. When people speed in urban areas, it only wastes gas and creates more danger for everyone.

Equitable bike share: Chicago Reader has a solid report on a new PSU study that examines bike share access to low-income and communities of color.

Bikes are a global cure: The reach of cycling as a solution to urban transport issues has no boundaries — as this editorial from a news outlet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia attests.

From Ethiopia to L.A.: “Make bike lanes safer” made it on a list of “20 ways to fix Los Angeles” in LA Weekly, a popular local newspaper.

Homeless on the bikeway: A video of people living on a popular bike route in San Francisco has spurred debate and calls for change. We’ve had similar situations here in Portland.

Build it and they come: Another example of the simplicity of solving urban transport through cycling: A network of inexpensive temporary bike lanes in Macon, Georgia led to an 800 percent increase in bicycle users.

Vision Zero policing concerns: The issue of unfair policing as a result of increased enforcement in the name of traffic safety has bubbled up in Los Angeles. This is a major reason why Portland’s Vision Zero Plan specifically ruled out more enforcement.

Carfree tourism: Take cars out of the equation and watch the money roll in: This is the thinking behind a tourism trend in Europe to prohibit auto use on iconic roads in order to encourage cycling.

Bragdon is back: Former Metro Council President David Bragdon is making headlines for his efforts to reform New York City’s embattled subway system.

Hi-viz tips: New research shows that if you want to increase your visibility among auto users, focus your hi-viz gear in places that are in motion — like on your legs or shoes.

Car control is the new gun control: Strong Towns compares gun control with the out-of-control state of our motorized traffic safety epidemic.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Gaps

(Gaps abound in the Portland region.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

“I feel like Portland is losing its way… Things aren’t connected.”

As a daily bike commuter and a long time road cyclist in places with pretty horrid biking conditions, riding in Portland has generally been great in contrast when I’m out riding by myself or my fellow roadie friends. Since March, however, I’ve been training for the Cycle Oregon weekend rides with my two teens, ages 17 and 13. And as our rides have started stretching out into 40-50 miles and we’ve started collaborating on where to go ride, all of us are noticing The Gaps.

— The Gap on SE 17th at the southern Portland city limits.
— The Gap on SE 17th (again) where it crosses McLoughlin into Sellwood.
— The Gap on the SW Waterfront trail near The Old Spaghetti Factory.
— The Gap on the Gresham-Fairview Trail where you need to cross the road, then turn left on to Burnside, to continue north on the MUP.
— The Gap in Lake Oswego from where the path through Tryon Creek ends and Old River Road begins (we hate that gap the most because it forces us on the narrow sidewalk, where none of us want to be).

We’re not asking for separated infrastructure everywhere we ride. (Though as an aside, my bike/road savvy kids always request rides on MUPs wherever possible, even if it means a longer or more roundabout trip. I’m still mulling over what that means.) But we do certainly notice where we abruptly go from having bike lanes to having nothing and/or being forced into weird detours across/against car traffic or over railroad tracks or choosing between sharing a lane on a highway or riding on the sidewalk.

I feel like Portland is losing its way in the ability to create viable non-car transportation alternates. Things aren’t connected. We manage and ride because we love it (and because if my kids want to get somewhere they have to ride, because I’m not driving them!), but we’re committed. What about all those people that think how much fun it would be to ride to lunch at Old Spaghetti Factory (or Edgefield) but then are turned off by all the weird detours Just For Them? As the State is passing a tax on the transportation mode we should be do everything to encourage rather than penalize, the penalty is a double whammy because the funds will not be allocated to fix the gaps in our street network and, I’m afraid, will just create more paths to nowhere.

— by Carrie, a BikePortland subscriber

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Lentil Salad with Arugula and Feta

I could eat this salad every day! It has all the elements I love in a salad: something crunchy (pine nuts and red onions), something salty and tangy (sherry vinaigrette and feta cheese), something sweet (dried currants), and some tasty greens (peppery arugula).

It makes a great lunch all by itself when you’re in the mood for a salad. It also pairs well with anything coming off the grill or with simple roast chicken if you want to serve it for dinner.

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