Leisesturm

Anyone here familiar with either Prospect Park (Brooklyn, NY) or Central Park (NYC, NY)?? Both of these large urban parks had motorways ringing them. PP was a 3(ish)mile loop and CP was a 6 mile loop. After morning rush hour in spring and summer the road was closed to motor traffic and many an aspiring racer put in training miles on these roads. It was about the only way to get some traffic free riding in without riding miles out of the city.

I've been in Portland for 10 years and haven't needed anything like the above. I lived in Washington County for 8 years and rode all the very fine rural roads on weekends. For the last two years I have lived right Downtown. I recently started riding a recumbent and I don't think I will ever be able to ride it in traffic. For the first time in 10 years I am looking for a big park with paved surfaces so I can do long (or short) loops without traffic. Is there anything like that around Portland?

CliffordK

I'd get a good bike map and look at what there is to offer.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trans...article/322407

Most of what I'm familiar with would be out and back rides.

Forest Park has some good riding roads and trails, but gravel or dirt.

There is a riverfront path that you could do a more or less circular loop from the Sellwood Bridge to the Steel Bridge.

The Springwater Trail goes for quite some distance eastward.

There is a good 205 trail, and I believe a Marine Drive trail. Also the Banks-Vernonia State Trail.

Can you take your recumbent on the tram?

Leisesturm

Thanks for your post. I hike in Forest Park (Wildwood Trail) oftenish. I've never thought about biking there. I'm ok with a little bit of rolling terrain on the highracer, but Forest Park is pretty hilly. I could easily get the HR on the tram, but why?? You're not thinking I want to bomb down Terwilliger on it do you??!! Did that once on a upright bike after a doctors appointment. I'm 60 y.o. stuff doesn't heal as fast anymore. I am not close to the Banks-Vernonia anymore. People tell me about it all the time but I was not into trails at the time. Will look at the other trails you mentioned. Thanks again.

CliffordK

I Terwilliger frequently when I'm up in Portland, generally below the hospital between Capitol and downtown. I think it is a wonderful path system with short rolling hills. And, it does have an off-street path which I think is open to bikes (if you don't run over pedestrians).

As far as Forest Park, there are a lot of small trails, but I think the main road through the center of the park is fairly level... although I was mainly running on that trail in the past, so I may not remember little hills well. There is an annual hill ride that goes up a dirt trail on the north end of the park with quite a bit of climbing.

The Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway will get you from the end of the tram more or less to the Banks Vernonia trail. Does the tram go to Hillsboro or Forest Grove? I suppose it would require a transfer from tram to bus to get all the way to Forest Grove.

https://traveloregon.com/things-to-d...cenic-bikeway/

There are quite a few "scenic bikeways" around, generally wandering through rural Oregon, although often having some low traffic or bike lane segments through cities. It varies a bit, and some segments help if one is confident on the road. Others are very calm.

I have done the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway several times from Eugene to Champoeg St. Park south of Portland. I have met people who do day trips from Champoeg to Salem and back.

https://traveloregon.com/things-to-d...cenic-bikeway/

There are quite a few possible on-street routes on less traveled streets in Portland. I'm sure some cycling clubs would help with finding routes. The ones I've done up there have been quite hilly indeed. But pleasant if one likes about 7,000 to 8,000 feet of climbing in 50 miles. There are quite a few fairly level low traffic routes in East Portland.

PortlandEddie

i hate how a lot of the maps don't go past the 185th heading west.