ExIT Shoes by Bike » Rides

Open Tango at the Treasury

jeff — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:08:47 +0000

Some folks are no doubt wondering what could be more complicated than riding a bike to a downtown milonga. I’m here to tell you that there are full-lane dedicated bikeways right up to (and from) the Treasury Ballroom! Want to check them out? Yes, I knew you would.

It’s supposed to be hot Thursday, so we will start at Staccato Gelato, just in case, well, you know…

Date: Thursday, July 8
Meetup Time: 8:00 – 8:30pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)

This will be a leisurely ride through Southeast and in to town. No more sweating than necessary.

As always, you must have a white light on your bike to ride at night!

See you there.

Jeff

ps. If it’s as hot as they say, do think about going for a swim in Keller Fountain when it’s all over. No lights required there…

First Fall Milonga Ride 2009

jeff — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:07:47 +0000

Oh the wind and rain! Fall arrived in earnest this week. This means you will probably need a jacket when you ride to the milonga. I’m not NOAA or anything, I’m just saying…
You are more likely to be warm than cold once you start riding, so fear not the cold! In preparation for not fearing the cold we will brave the frozen gelato of Staccato Gelato. They have coffee and donuts too, if that’s how you are.

Date: Saturday October 17th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details:
Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at 9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

And remember…
You need a white light
on the front of your bike
to ride at night.

Pre Labor Day Tango Ride

jeff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:45:47 +0000

Monday we’re joining our Canadian neighbors and Bermuda as the only countries that celebrate Labor Day in September. The story of Labor Day is interesting and still controversial.
Check them out here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_Affair

If you’re not too exhausted from striking for the 58 hour work week, you might have time to enjoy a pre-Labor Day ride to tango!

Date: Saturday September 5th
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details:
Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at
9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the
ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

And remember…
You need a white light
on the front of your bike
to ride at night

Milonga/Parkway Preview Ride

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:36:38 +0000

There are a lot of reasons to bike this weekend. Sure, the ride to Berretin will be the highlight, but oh the implications are so much greater…

Sunday Parkways in southeast practically starts at the end of the milonga! Saturday’s route will be a night time parkway preview.

You have from 9-4pm Sunday to enjoy the car-free parkway. Bring on your favorite form of non-motorized transportation – walking, dancing, bicycle, skateboard, rollerblade, hulahoop…do you need more suggestions?

I’ll be out for the early shift closing intersections to cars and managing traffic along the route and hope to see you there. See the fun and ask yourself (and then ask the city and the state) why we can’t do this every day…

Seriously, why be depressed by the article in the Mercury this week about benzene levels in Portland being among the highest in the nation? Who believes the Mercury anyway? So read it from DEQ

Benzene is all about gasoline poured into or burned up by motor vehicles. Don’t choke your friends and family! Drive less, breathe more. Come see what it’s all about Starting Saturday night.

Date: Saturday August 15th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details:
Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at
9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the
ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

And remember…
You need a white light
on the front of your bike
to ride at night.

Fountain Frolic Tango

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:08:56 +0000

What? You missed the ride to Keller fountain after Wednesday night tango at Norse Hall? True, there were plenty of people there before us, and many, if not most, in bikinis and swim suits, but the tango ladies proved the modern dress makes for classier water fountain attire.

If we get more nights in the 80s, you may get another chance to welcome the new day in the cool waters of Keller Fountain. Until then…

If you’re thinking that so many days of heat was a bit excessive, consider leaving your car at home this Saturday and joining the next “organized” bike ride to Berretin.

Date: Saturday August 1st.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details:
Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at
9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the
ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

And remember…
You need a white light
on the front of your bike
to ride at night.

(On our way to Keller Fountain, we passed a sad cyclist nabbed by the cops for riding without a light. No fountain for him. Ouch)

I’d love to hear a recommendation for a good fountain to play in between Staccato Gelato and Berretin.

Milonga Parkway Prep Ride

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:29:35 +0000

It’s summer and if you have a bike, come find out how easy and safe it is to ride to Tango Berretin. This ride is a leisurely cruise through southeast Portland along some great bike routes featuring big trees, handsome houses and very little traffic.

Date: Saturday July 18th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details:
Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at 9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

Now some of you may be thinking that riding at night on the street where there are potentially cars, etc., is just too risky. For you, we have the Sunday Parkway! True enough, it doesn’t take you to Tango Berretin for the milonga, but it will get you pretty close to Peninsula Park where the milonga is on Sunday. This month’s car-free bike loop is around Northeast Portland, as in the Vernon, Concordia, Cully, Alameda, Sabin, and Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhoods. Check it out:

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=46103&a=234995

And remember…
You need a white light
on the front of your bike
to ride at night.

Northstar Milonga Ride

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:39:49 +0000

Summer is here, is it not? The calendar is already displaying July and wierdly it’s still light when the milonga begins. June was jam-packed with bike rides, if not of the garden milonga variety. I hope you were able to join the fun.

No? Well, let’s take advantage of the light and the (supposed) warmth that comes with it to enjoy a fine ride to the Northstar Milonga.

Date: Thursday, July 9
Meetup Time: 8:00 – 8:30pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)

The ride takes a leisurely 30 minutes and cruises some of the most stately streets in Portland. The new route is no less direct, but way more picturesque.

While it will be light when we leave, night will surely fall. If you don’t have a white front light for your bike go get one now!

Bike to work ride

jeff — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:08:42 +0000

This month is bike to work month. Back when I was in college, there was
bike to work day. Now we have bike to work month. Who says there’s no
hope for the human race?

If tango is your job, you can use tonight’s ride to fulfill some bike to
work time. If you just want to have fun, well, ok, this is for you. We
have a lovely evening ahead of us. The full moon is out. Did I mention
gelato? Come join the ride to tango!

For the bikes (walkers see below):

Date: Saturday May 9th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details: This ride is a leisurely cruise through southeast Portland
along some great bike routes featuring big trees, handsome houses and
very little traffic. Unless it’s really hot, you may not even break a sweat.

Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at
9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the
ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm. See you at 34th and
Clinton around 9:45 if you don’t want to meet for gelato.

Walkers, some of my best friends walk! I’ve even walk a bit myself. To
share the walking love, I want to give you a preview of a piece I worked
to educate drivers and pedestrians (mostly drivers, really) about
Oregon’s crosswalk law. This will be released next week, but you can
check it out here: Every Corner is a Crosswalk.

Berretin ride and the Southern Cross

jeff — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:17:41 +0000

Hola ciclistas and fair weather riders,

Fair weather is upon us once again. We had enough folks living down the Clinton way that I’m offering up the southern cross – 34th and Clinton as a meetup spot if you’re wanting to ride out to Berretin, but don’t want to haul all the way to NE 28th for gelato.

The route is generally 34th to Clinton, then Clinton to 65th. If you’re anywhere along the route, please feel free to join in.

Which reminds me, hey inner northeast, where are you? Sure we get people riding down from Peninsula Park, or University of Portland in St. Johns, but what about you lurkers within scooping distance of Staccato Gelato? Represent already! (Southwest, it’s ok. It’s really not your fault. Someday the city will make it possible to ride a bike over there…)

Date: Saturday April 18th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details: This ride is a leisurely cruise through southeast Portland
along some great bike routes featuring big trees, handsome houses and
very little traffic. Unless it’s really hot, you may not even break a sweat.

You need a white light
mounted on the front of your
bike to ride at night.

Ride of Spring

jeff — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:15:08 +0000

I really meant to do this on March 21st, but since there are still a few days of Spring left, let’s kick it off in bike riding style! Have you seen the forecast for Saturday night? I’m telling you, it’s looking fine. You don’t have to take it from me, go ask the NOAA. All you guilty people who have been telling me you are fair weather riders, this is it!

Date: Saturday April 4th.
Time: 9pm
Place: Staccato Gelato (NE 28th and Everett)
Details: This ride is a leisurely cruise through southeast Portland along some great bike routes featuring big trees, handsome houses and very little traffic.

Meet at 9pm, get some gelato, hang out. The ride leaves for Berretin at 9:30pm. This gives you a 30 minute window in which to arrive for the ride. We should arrive at Berretin around 10pm.

You need a white light
mounted on the front of your
bike to ride at night.