Here you will find the official Portland Velo Ride Schedule.  If the ride leader is unable to make the start of the ride, the ride is no longer considered a PV ride and those attending should make other arrangements.  It is important to remember that all of our ride leaders are volunteering their time.

TUESDAY

As of 5/7/2011 the ride starts at 9:00 am from the North side of Wilshire Park, NE 35th and NE Skidmore in Portland.

Ride distance varies between about 30 and 40 miles. Standard routes cross the I-5 Bridge into Vancouver, go through downtown, and head west for out-and-backs on the road used for the OBRA time trial races: Flat, decent shoulder, low traffic (usually), no stop signs at all until the turnaround points: short route turns around at Vancouver Lake (about 30 miles total), Frenchman's Bar (34 miles) or the Ridgefield wildlife Refuge (38 miles). The three turnaround points are all lined up along the same road, so you can decide at any point which distance you want that day. Nice pastoral scenery including tree groves and wetlands. On the way back, there is an optional coffee/bagel stop in Vancouver, after which we roll east through Fort Vancouver, drop down and take a neat little land bridge back to I-5 for the return trip.

The goal of this ride, and the Thursday ride as well, is to provide a ride accessible to the majority of club members, hence we generally have 2 distinct groups. Those who show up wanting a hard ride can go off the front; those who want a more social experience or who are on a recovery day can hang with the ride leader. The only requirements are a) that you are able to maintain 16-18 mph on the flat, b) that you show up with filled water bottle(s), spare tube and tire levers, c) that you are comfortable riding in a group setting, and d) that you obey all traffic laws, point out potholes and other road crap to the riders behind you, ride single file when "car back" is shouted out, and otherwise don't behave like a jackass.

No one gets dropped on this ride; no one gets lost or left behind. Regroups as often as necessary.

THURSDAY

As of 5/7/2011 the ride starts at 9:00 am from the North side of Wilshire Park, NE 35th and NE Skidmore in Portland.

Ride distance varies between 37 and 45 miles with an optional coffee stop around mile 26. All routes take the Columbia River Bike Path to the I-205 Bridge. There is a bit of up and down, but nothing serious, the only real climb being a 1.25 mile ascent up Payne Road, but this can easily be bypassed and you will end up at the same spot within 3 miles. The shorter route (37 miles) provides wonderful topside vistas of Lacamas Lake, the longer (43) miles includes a loop around the lake. Again, both eventually end up at the same place. Other options include the 45-mile Green Mountain route which, despite its name, is actually not much of a climb.

The goal of this ride, and the Tuesday ride as well, is to provide a ride accessible to the majority of club members, hence we generally have 2 distinct groups. Those who show up wanting a hard ride can go off the front; those who want a more social experience or are on a recovery day can hang with the ride leader. The only requirements are a) that you are able to maintain 16-18 mph on the flat, b) that you show up with filled water bottle, spare tube and tire levers, c) that you are comfortable riding in a group setting, and d) that you obey all traffic laws, point out potholes and other road crap to the riders behind you, ride single file when "car back" is shouted out, and otherwise don't behave like a jackass.

No one gets dropped on this ride; no one gets lost or left behind. Regroups as often as necessary.

“Saturday Signature” Ride

The ride starts at 9AM am as of 5/7/2011.  The start location is the parking lot of LaCie Ltd, 22985 Northwest Evergreen Parkway, Hillsboro, OR.  Parking is only allowed in the LaCie Ltd spaces and will be strictly enforced.  Please see this news bulletin for details.

For new riders/new members as well as riders visiting from outside the area, our Saturday ride is the perfect introduction to the Portland Velo “cycling culture”.  This is our largest group ride of the week and one of, if not, the largest weekly group ride in Portland.

Ride distances vary from just over 30 to 50 miles and we typically alternate weeks between relatively flat to rolling routes and routes with some real climbing thrown in.  Each week we ride a different route from our map database.

The “feature” of our Saturday ride are our designated ride groups lead by the Portland Velo Ride Leader team.  Each Saturday we have 5 different and distinct groups of riders based on their cycling skill and fitness levels.  Our groups are as follows:  14-16mph, 16-18, 18-20, 21 and 21+, based on average speeds on flat roads.

We expect each person to place themselves in the group that best matches their abilities, again, based on both fitness and cycling skill set. The particulars of each group are as follows:

14-16mph

This group rides at a moderate pace and includes numerous re-group points. The group may also stop for a quick refreshment break at some point on certain rides. If you are new to group rides and/or working on your fitness this is the perfect group for you. On occasion this group may ride either an alternate route or a modified version the planned route.

16-18mph

This group rides at a steady, brisk pace as well as uses drafting as a way to ride in a more efficient manner. Re-groups are decided on an as-needed basis and the rider expectation is that you are able to maintain a consistent 16 to 18 mph average speed on the flats.

18-20mph

This is a fast paced group where the rider expectation ramps up. This group rides in paceline formation for the majority of the ride and expects those within the group to have the skills necessary for this type of riding. The rider expectation is that you are confident and honest about your ability to ride at this pace and that you understand how to communicate within a group of this nature. Regroups are at the discretion of the ride leader.

21mph

This is a closely monitored, strong group that’s perfect for those looking for a consistent, strenuous effort. Riders in this group are expected to follow the Ride Leader mandate of what type of ride it is and be able to ride in a tight pace line, climb well and communicate effectively with other riders in the group. The mandate for this group are serious group riding skills which are more important than being fit enough to ride 21mph. If you have the fitness but not the riding skills, please do not attempt to ride with this group.

21mph+

The 21+ group is the “throw down” group of our club. At plus 21mph it should be obvious to anyone considering this group that your cycling skill set and fitness level needs to be top notch. Tight, rotating pacelines are the order of the day in this group and climbs are ridden hard. This group follows the lead of the day’s Ride Leader in terms of what kind of ride the day brings. The speeds in this groups can easily approach 25mph+ so be prepared for a seriously hard day in the saddle.

Freestyle group

Like the idea of “doing your own thing”? Want to put together your own group of friends and ride together at your own pace? Wanna “stop and smell the roses” on your ride? Like to start your ride a bit earlier? Rather ride solo or with a smaller group? Don’t have a “group ride” mentality or enjoy the structure of a defined group? If you answered yes to any of these questions then our “Freestyle” group is where you should be. This group rolls without a ride leader and using the provided map, navigates for themselves. We ask that you pick up the day’s map beginning at 8:30 and request that you’re on the road no later than 8:50 prior to the official rollout of our designated and defined groups.