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-Sally Bell, Advertising Manager

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s September Bike Commuter Challenge was an all-out success. Thousands of Oregonians made first-time commutes and some committed themselves to more consistent ridership, for the sake of healthy competition, the wonders of bike commuting and good old-fashioned fun. This year’s Brian Reynold’s distance award winner happens to also be my husband, Chris Bell. 

Chris is the most modest super commuter you’ll ever meet and he logged well over 1800 miles in the month of September, making the trek from our home in SE Portland to Salem, every day and back. More...

I want to add the phrase “everyday cycling” to our language. I first heard this when I was a guest on the KBOO Bike Show (May 2009) with hosts Ayleen Crotty (organizer of Filmed By Bike) and Tori Bortman (owner of Gracie’s Wrench). Before the show, I head Tori use everyday cycling, and being the word geek that I am, I asked about the nuances of her phrase. A discussion ensued, and I am now convinced that everyday cycling needs to be part of our language.

There is a sizable group of people who fall under the term everyday cycling, myself included, but my riding habits are usually described as bike commuting. Until now.

Image used with permission of metrofiets.com. Pictured: Ella Ross and Phillip Ross. Picture taken by Maile Leithea. Check out the Metrofiets photostream! More...

It is sunny as I write this, sitting on my porch, kids playing in the yard. It's one of the few days this week when the sun came out, giving rise to some hopeful feelings, and just in time. I just went through a riding slump.

Commuting by bike is hard. Well, the actual process of riding is not hard. However, there are variables that exacerbate the situation: weather and kids--and both are unpredictable. Our mornings were cold, sometimes icy. No matter what the time of day, the rain seemed to come just as we started, as if in defiance of my family’s desire to pedal. And even though my children want to ride our bike to and from school, those cold, wet, miserable days did take some cajoling.

I am through the slump and even with the unpredictable weather (and kids), commuting by bike is still simple. A basic existence. More...

As an adult who has chosen to commute by bike, I can make the decision without much complaint or discussion. However, it is a bit different for kids who are often pulled into commuting by bike. After all, they are kids, and as such, I need to appeal to kid logic. When I pick up my kids from school, I have an after school snack with me so they can munch during the bike ride home. Additionally, we play games. One such game is an alphabet game. Aside from the educational benefits (sorry, I teach middle school), it usually lasts the whole ride home. More...

Make way for Asa! Portland's newest bike commuter. Equipped with his sturdy blue, hand-me-down-from-the-neighbors bike and outfitted with dual stabilizing devices (training wheels), Asa commutes home from school.

It is a one mile ride, one way. Asa prefers taking alleys the whole way--more puddles, barking dogs, and forgotten treasures. I let Asa lead the way and I follow on my bike. He loves to ride and as he says, "I can go where I want."

Most children love riding their bikes. Somewhere in our teens, when cars suddenly become cool and a bike is associated with being a kid, the love for the bike drops. I can use this time with Asa to foster the idea that:

(1) Biking is an effective form of transportation
(2) It is cool

Currently, I have no trouble convincing him that it is cool. More...

Grab your favorite kids and join the riding party this Friday for Kidical Mass, the family spin off of Critical Mass. Bikes will be decorated, ice cream will be eaten, and families will ride together in a safe environment.

Details from BTA below. There are four area rides this time, with more planned monthly. More...

Gaadz are there ever loads of bike events this month! Drinks, tea, breakfast, beginners rides, family biking workshops, breakfast on the bridges, and that's just what's left! If you haven't taken the opportunity to get on a bike and join a community event yet, make sure to do it before the national Bike to Work Month is over. Plus, Chinook Book has loads of bike coupons.

Here's a list of events compiled from PDOT, BTA, Shift, Bike Portland.org, and more: More...