jyl

Our next Portland C&V ride is a week and a half from today. I'm organizing this through Velocult, we're hoping to make it a monthly thing. So, I'll just paste in the blurb from the VC forum:

"Time for the January Velocult C&V ride!

Next next Saturday, January 23. We'll do a flattish route from VC, over the Columbia River along Highway 5, over to the 205, back over the river to Oregon, and looping back to VC on Marine Drive.

Hopefully it won't be as wet as the December ride, which was fun and kind of epic, but verrry soggy.

Bring your lugged steel, your five speed clusters, your Nuovo Record. Or, heck, bring anything you want. "Vintage" is a state of mind. It means an appreciation for the heritage, the aesthetics, the lineage. It doesn't require any specific parts list.

Details to follow. Mark your calendars!"

I know the last Portland C&V ride was hella wet. And cold. I even bought new rain shoes after. Maybe the weather Gods will relent this time.

This ride should be about 20 miles, but it'll be flat. I'll pre-ride it this weekend.

As before, we'll meet at Velocult and end up there for beer, tea, or coffee. We may start around 10 am this time, so that people can stash dry clothes at the shop if they wish and if the weather so demands.

Oldairhead 

I would love to attend one of these, are they on a regular schedule? Short notice is always tough for me but if I knew ahead of time I would be there.

Jeff Wills

I can recommend the northern portion of VBC's "Two Bridge Loop": Two Bridge Loop | vbc-usa.com
Map link: https://www.vbc-usa.com/wp-content/up...STwoBridge.pdf
You could also squiggle through Officers Row in the Vancouver National Historic Site.

River Maiden Coffee (at McLoughlin & Devine) is a good "north" coffee stop. They're very cyclist friendly.

I'll be out riding Saturday, come Hell or high water. (Both may occur.)

gugie 

I'm a definite maybe.

jimmuller 

Wrong Portland or I'd be in. Yours is too far away. So I'll just have to read the reports.

easyupbug 

I am back today in Tucson sun from the Portland deluge over the last few weeks, you guys are brave.

Bikerider007

I took a spill in Phoenix last week when it rained. Almost broke my jaw as my front tire came out from under me so fast, was like being on ice, barely got my hands out and got pretty roughed up. Many here do the same in cars in AZ though too, little experience and rain can be far between.

On topic though, my daughter lives in WA and I will try to make this sometime as her fiance likes to ride and they love Portland (yea they are a bit hipster). He is keeping an eye out for a ride up there I can use when visiting.

jyl

Thanks, @jeffwills - I'll try that route out. @Oldairhead, up to now these Portland C&V rides have been ad hoc. I'm trying to make them a regular ride, but am not sure if monthly, every two months, or something else is best. Or maybe more often in summer, less often in winter. Or maybe keep it ad hoc. Many possibilities - I figure we can talk about that during the ride or the post-ride refueling, or indeed here - let's discuss.

Now that Velocult has started its shop forum/club, it has brought in more people interested in C&V. So I figure between the VC forum and this (BF) forum, we may have enough riders to justify a recurring ride.

Anyway, I'm getting cabin fever and need to save the guns from further atrophy - so its time for a ride!

As always, this will be a moderately paced ride, with cue sheets, more chatting than hammering, and any classic or vintage bike - or classic or vintage rider - or rider with appreciation for classic or vintage bikes -is welcomed.

easyupbug 

Is "forum/club" part of Team VC? Is there a link to it you could share. I was there a week ago and missed this somehow, I always stop and check out Sky's tap list.

jyl

Login Required | Velocult

I think you have to join the shop club (team) to get access to the forum. It just started up so I haven't figured out all the ins and outs yet.

CliffordK

I'll try to hit more rides... maybe. But, the weekend of the 23rd, my nephew and niece will be in Eugene, so the date won't work for me.

I liked the idea of doing C&V and Pedalpalooza last summer (when it was DRY).

For those of us with a significant commute, a couple of big rides a year would be preferable to monthly rides, but who knows. A couple of week advanced notice is nice (and thus a schedule).

I do ride rain or shine, but prefer sunny days.

Velocivixen

So @jyl this is technically a VC ride that you (we) would be attending or is this your specific C & V ride that happens to coincide with VC?

I'm a slow poke & so not sure. I'm a maybe.

3speedslow

I believe the correct order for drinks would be coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and then beer for the refresher.

Must follow decorum you know

I too hope for good weather on your outing.

jyl

I'm organizing and leading the ride, so it will be like our other C&V rides. Moderate pace, maybe a refuel stop at the coffee shop Jeff mentioned, no one gets left behind.

My mileage in the last few months is (ahem) double digit, so if anyone is going to be dropping people, it won't be me :-)

Velocivixen

@jyl - thanks. I will put it on the calendar, however if it's a monsoon count me out.

choteau

Mostly vintage bike (check), vintage rider (check), and an appreciation for C + V bikes (check).

Sounds like fun and I like the cue sheet idea, a bit of commute but carpool could work.

Tim

exmechanic89

I might make this ride too, not sure yet on my schedule. I actually do pretty much the same route regularily, except I ride from Washougal through town, then down the old Evergreen Highway to the Glenn Jackson bridge, over to Marine drive, ride that to the I5 bridge, cross it, then ride through Vancouver to home. Or sometimes I do the route in reverse. Around 45 miles total.

Jeff Wills

There's also a couple different ways to get through beautiful downtown Vancouver, WA:

From Southbound (west) side of the I-5 Bridge:
Exit the bike path, turn right up Washington St.
Turn right on Evergreen
At the traffic circle, go 3/4 the way around to head north on Fort Vancouver Way
Right at McLoughlin

or

Exit the bike path, turn right up Washington St.
Right at McLoughlin

or

From Northbound (east) side of the I-5 Bridge:
Exit the bike path, turn left on Columbia St.
At crosswalk, turn left and follow path along the Land Bridge over SR-14 and past Fort Vancouver
At 5th St, turn right to exit path then first left to follow road past Visitor Center (you may have to go around the gate- it's closed sometimes)
Right at Evergreen Blvd
Left at Reserve
Right at McLoughlin

jyl

Just a reminder for our January 23 (Saturday) Portland C&V ride!

Meet at 10 am at Velocult, leave 10:15 am. We can leave apres-ride clothes or whatever at the shop.

We'll head north on 38th then 37th to 33rd, west on Marine Drive, cross the Highway 5 bridge (on the bike path, obviously), ride north then east through Vancouver, then cross the Highway 205 bridge (bike path, again), east on Marine Drive, then return to Velocult via 33rf then 37th/38th. It is a 32 mile loop, almost all flat (500 feet vertical), and we'll ride it at a relaxed chatty pace, with a mid-ride break/stop at River Maiden Coffee (McArthur & Devine in Vancouver). Probably a three hour ride including the break.

A Cyclemeter map/stats for the route is here

Cyclemeter - Cycle - Jan 20, 2016, 10:44 AM

Weather forecast is either cloudy or light rain starting late morning. Plan for a drizzle and hope it holds off.

I'll bring cue sheets. This is a no-drop ride. Frisky riders are welcome to speed ahead, but no one will be left behind.

We're not doctrinaire about what a "C&V" bike is! Bring what you consider a classic and vintage bike, be classic and vintage yourself, or bring an appreciation for classic and vintage bikes.

See you Saturday!

jyl

Last - bump - reminder - for tomorrow's - bump - ride!

Jeff Wills

Bumpity bumpity bump?

jimmuller 

Do NOT any of you go bumpity bump on the ride. Promise me that.

jyl

Thanks to Mark/gugie, Jeff Wills, Jeff's better half, Tom, and Mike! (last two being non-BF'ers)

These intrepid folks came out for our January C&V ride. We crossed the mighty Columbia River twice, cruised through peaceful Vancouver, motored along the river dodging geese, and basically did a nice thirty miles. Then had a beer at Velocult where Mark almost had me talked into adding a handlebar bag to the Peugeot PSV.

The weather was okay as we ruled out from Velocult, turned to rain somewhere around the Hwy 5 bridge crossing, then after the mid-ride coffee stop we had sun for a while and intermittent drops mixed with merely cloudy for the rest of the way.

I don't have pictures, but I think gugie might post one later.

Velocivixen

Fantastic ride report. Sorry I didn't make it. Could you post or pm me the route? I've never ridden across either bridge and would love to know the way.

gugie 

Pics or it didn't happen!

Tooling over the I5 bridge. People commute by bike over this, but the noise, proximity to cars, and narrow pathway makes it quite unnerving, IMO. This was the part of the ride that was rainy.

Left to right, Mike, John, and Tom.


My new best friend at VeloCult. I think he just wanted a beer and was sucking up to me.