Some days, you just want to head out on a longer ride, but you aren’t necessarily up for a full-on supported event. Sure, you could hit a paved trail like the Springwater Trail in Portland, an easy way to clock some serious miles, but what if you want to try something new?
We have three favorite go-to resources for finding day rides.
STATEWIDE – RIDE OREGON
With the support of readers, Ride Oregon (a subsidiary of Travel Oregon) catalogs great road and mt. biking routes. In the future, they might want to add “gravel” to their categories, since that’s all the rage these days.
You can search based on type of riding, difficulty, scenic byways and distance. The results pop up all over Oregon.
You’ll see a clear map, easy instructions, and in some cases you’ll find comments from other riders who have been on the route.
VIEW THE ROUTES >>
PORTLAND METRO – RUBBER TO THE ROAD
A bunch of River City Bicycles riders felt guilty keeping their favorite training routes to themselves, so they eventually published Rubber to the Road and offered the proceeds to the Community Cycling Center and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. The guide was so popular a second volume was published.
These days, the guide exists as an easy-to-navigate online resource. It is especially fitting for people who want to challenge themselves with hills, miles and training. There are some excellent time-tested routes in their roster.
VIEW THE ROUTES >>
PORTLAND SHORTIES – PORTLAND BY CYCLE RIDES
Got a friend in town? These routes from the City of Portland are some of our favorites for tooling around Portland, without having to think about what route to take. Master mapper Jeff Smith assembled this catalog of a handful of short routes that offer a chance to explore some of the best aspects of Portland.
WHERE WILL YOUR ADVENTURES TAKE YOU?
Where do you plan to go on your bike this summer? Share your favorite routes below.
If you’re on Twitter, tag your rides #ExplOregon. We’re on Twitter @ORbike.