This morning the League of American Bicyclists awarded Portland with platinum level recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community, rising from our previous gold level status. The only other city in the US with platinum level recognition is Davis, California. What better reason to get on your bike? Take a spin to celebrate and stop by Ben and Jerry's for the unrelated -but-perfectly-timed Free Cone Day! Read on for more information including biking maps, details from the city's application for platinum status, and--ok ok--the locations of Ben and Jerry's.

Google Maps has a driving directions page that already tops all the others. After all, after you enter your starting and ending addresses, you already can click the option: "Take Public Transit," and it will give you several options--even calculating the price of driving vs. the price of riding!

What are you missing? Click to watch the video for the surprising results. Watch the video while tired, talking on your cell phone, at night...well, you'll get the idea.



Do the Test

How was your ride? Write about it in a short message and compare notes at Velog Portland.  Like a bike computer meets a text message (in the 140 word limit familiar to users of Twitter.com), Velog capitalizes on the urge to tell your pals about your bike ride and the need to keep it short and sweet. Calling itself "the worlds simplest cycling log" Velog allows users to post on a message board open to "bike commuters, roadies, mountain bikers, cyclocrossers, randonneurs, weekend warriors, and anyone and everyone with a bicycle under their butt." If you had to google randonneur (long distance cycling) or haven't seen your bike since the leaves hit the ground, use the Velog ride descriptions as encouragement.

Women who want to ride in Portland can take advantage of the Women on Bikes program, which has a huge selection of clinics that cover basics, clothing, traffic, and flats and include fun bike rides. Men and women can participate in the By Cycle clinics that include basic commuting, shopping by bike, and the best downtown routes. The Hillsboro based company Team Estrogen has a large selection of women’s cycling gear and resources to get women of all levels connected to a local chain gang.

Bike commuting is a mental and physical challenge, and it’s also a great way to work exercise into your day, avoid the cost of commuting and reduce your CO2emissions. Many people’s top concerns about bike commuting are arriving wet and safety on the road — fortunately Portland is one of the best biking cities around, with advancements every year. We even have one of the nation’s only bike-thru windows at Black Sheep Bakery, so you can get your coffee and pastry without ‘parking’ your ride.

Think your car can’t run on vegetable oil?  Browse the gallery of converted  cars and see the minimal adjustments at Love Craft Biodiesel, a great resource and shop for vegetable oil or biodiesel.

If you are concerned about being stuck without a car, use car-sharing through companies such as Flexcar, which has over 200 cars throughout the Portland area and plans starting at $9/hr. Ask your work about incentives for alternatives to driving including telecommuting part-time there are tax benefits for businesses and there may be benefits for you in addition to saving gas money. A new car company Go Loco, incorporates social networking with online payments for a carshare program without the hassle.

Driving to work can be tedious, polluting and costly. Walking, busing, or taking light rail are good options with many resources. The American Volkssport Association has several walking clubs in the area, including the Columbia River Club which has everyday walks, weekend walks and a gallery of photos for inspiration.

Whether you’re new to biking or want to expand your pedaling horizons, set goals for three riding trips for yourself: one easy, one medium and one difficult or across town. (You can use the notes section in the bikes section of our book.) A good ride deserves a reward, so grab dining coupons from our book and treat yourself to dinner somewhere new at your destinations.