Biking in Portlandia

I'm sure all of the hipsters in Portland hate when it's called Portlandia, but as an outsider I just can't help myself. If you haven't seen the show, Portlandia is a satire/sketch comedy that spoofs all of the things that makes Portland, Oregon the wonderful city that it is. Check out one of my favorite clips, that also happens to involve biking:



It's spring break for the schools in Missoula, which means time for my annual trip to Portland to visit my best friend, Lindsay. This time I twisted my friend Leah's arm to make her tag along for the road trip and a visit to the city she called home for several years. I love making this trip for so many reasons:

Leah and Lindsay chowing down on some naan. 

• I get to see my best friend (duh).
• I leave Montana during the shoulder season when the skiing isn't great, and the biking isn't great, and the weather isn't all that great either. 
• I get out of the Missoula bubble and experience the "big city life" in Portland. 
• I eat tons of delicious ethnic foods that I can't get in Montana, unless you count China Buffet. 
• I bike everywhere!

Portland (and the rest of the Pacific Northwest) is notorious for its extended rainy season and heavy rainfall, and boy did it deliver. We drove almost the whole 8 hours there in the rain and spent our first day in Portland biking all over the city in our rain jackets and rain pants that had completely soaked through. At one point the rain was coming down so hard while we were crossing one of the many bridges over the  Willamette River that it felt like I may as well have been in the river I was so drenched. The three of us could do nothing but laugh at the absurdity of the situation as we pressed on to our next stop - a warmer, drier place. 

Rocking my new flashy tights and bike. 

Portland's bike infrastructure is the best I've seen in a city, big or small. There are bike lanes on almost every major street, designated bike routes that wind through the neighborhoods, indoor and covered bike parking at many establishments, and a number of bike and pedestrian-specific pathways and bridges along the river. In fact, a project is currently underway to complete a new bridge across the Willamette designed to carry light rails, buses, cyclists and pedestrians, but no private vehicles (except emergency responders). Coupled with the awareness and courtesy that motorists have of bike commuters, it just makes Portland downright fun to bike around. While Lindsay was at work, Leah and I spent our last day making a 30-mile loop around Portland's many distinct neighborhoods and downtown area without even a drop of rain falling on us. Then we met Lindsay after work for happy hour on the 30th floor Portland City Grill overlooking the entire city and Mt. Hood. We watched helplessly as a rain cloud moved closer and closer towards us and proceeded to bike home in the pouring rain.

The eye-catching Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge, scheduled to open in September 2015.