Photo courtesy of BikePortland.org
Portland is a city of bridges – and one of the best ways to capture the essence of this unique city is to ride its bridges. On one day each year, those bridges are turned over to cyclists. The annual Providence Bridge Pedal allows you to wind your way across six, eight, even 10 bridges – in lanes temporarily dedicated only to bikes.
It’s a surreal feeling to ride over the towering Marquam and Fremont bridges – 364 mornings a year, these are interstate freeways – on two wheels. You’re free to stop and take in the view of the serpentine of bright colors as 18,000-plus riders wind their way through the core of Portland. It’s not to be missed.
Participants in the 17th annual Providence Bridge Pedal on Aug. 12, 2012, will encounter some new features of the signature Sunday sojourn. The most notable changes are two new registration options: money-saving group registration, and an “express start” option that will allow some riders to get ahead of the pack by starting their routes 30 minutes early. Express-start spots are limited to 1,000 riders and are available only for the eight- and 10-bridge rides.
The Providence Health and Wellness Expo will take place again this year, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bridge Pedal participants will have the opportunity to play on the renovated Jeld-Wen Field, enjoy the usual finish-line festivities and visit more than 50 vendors for information about health, recreation opportunities and activities.
With the Morrison Bridge’s completed construction, this year’s Bridge Pedal will again operate on all 10 Portland bridges. All participants will finish by crossing over the Fremont Bridge and looping over to Lincoln High School, just a short walk from Jeld-Wen Field.
The cycling event this year features four different routes:
the 10-bridge ride, covering 35 miles;
the eight-bridge ride, covering 24 miles;
the six-bridge ride, covering 13 miles; or
the Bridge Stride for walkers, crossing two bridges and covering 6 miles.
Each ride has a different registration fee, start time and starting location.
For more information about the event, to register or to volunteer, visit http://blog.bridgepedal.com/ or call 503-281-9198.
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