For the last two years, my daughter (Lily) and I (Nat) have explored Portland's parks by bicycle during our annual Park Safari. For 2010, we thought it would be more fun to have more kids along for the playgrounds, and more parents along for the riding. Pedalpalooza seemed a perfect time to do it.
Add to your calendar: 
You gotta RSVP: natjwest@gmail.com 971-255-0617
We will meet at my house in the Woodlawn neighborhood at 9:30 AM, Sunday June 20. We leave at 10 AM SHARP, riding from there to about 13 parks, about 28 miles in the saddle, in a gigantic loop, ending back up at my house for a post-ride potluck. The safari route map and list of parks HAS BEEN POSTED - stay tuned to this blog for more details.
Here are the details. Ask me if you have any questions! You gotta RSVP to get the starting address! natjwest@gmail.com 971-255-0617
The $5 donation is to help me pay for post-ride beverages and food.
There is a $5 donation per bike which helps me pay for dinner and drinks. I'll make hamburgers and hot dogs and have sodas and beer. But it's a potluck not a dinner party. If you plan to hang out after the ride, bring a dish to share and we'll stick it in the fridge before we leave my house (which is the meeting place). If you don't plan to stay for the party, then don't pay me a dime! And really, it's a donation. I'll have the food and beverages regardless.
No adults by themselves. No kids by themselves.
This is a parent-child ride. Come with your kids, no matter the age, no matter the parent-child ratio. Parents can ride solo if their kids are on another parent's bike. (Like my wife will probably be coming along, riding by herself while I carry our daughter.) My daughter is 6 years old, and some of her friends (and their parents) are coming along. We're not taking a break for a nap, but if you want to cut out mid-day, go right ahead.
Kids cannot be on their own bikes. No exceptions.
The first year, we rode with a Co-Pilot type seat on the rear rack. Last year, we rode our Xtracycle. Your parent-child ride can be either of those, or a trail-a-bike, or a trailer, or a tandem, or something more unconventional. The purpose of this rule is to ensure we'll get to all the parks we want to visit. If your kid is riding 30 miles a day, or some kind of junior triathlete, then send me an email and we'll discuss. This event is more focused on the parks and less on the riding in between - we'll generally ride hard to the next park (often as little as a mile or so), then relax when we get there. Additionally, there are a few treacherous crossings of 82nd on this year's route. I don't want kids pedaling in those intersections.
This is not a ride for once-a-year riders.
I've never ridden in a race, I don't shave my legs and there isn't really any rush, but we will be riding quickly from one park to the next, not going "Bridge Pedal" speeds, if you've ever done that ride. Single-speeds welcome. As long as riding with your children on errands or to classes is at least an occasional thing to you, you'll have no problem keeping up. Also, there are a few less-than-ideal roads on the route. We'll be taking the lane occasionally, and dismounting to cross and crosswalks at other times. You should be very comfortable riding in the road with your kids. Check out the route map to see all the planned roads and intersections.
Bring your own snacks.
We'll be out for maybe 6, maybe 8, maybe 10 hours. The kiddos will be burning calories on the playground equipment and the parents on the bikes so everybody needs to stay fueled. It can be a bit exhausting to go-go-go, but we gotta get to these parks! We keep snacks handy for ourselves at all times and you should too. In years past, we haven't had a hard time refilling water bottles at the parks. We will not have a formal lunch at a restaurant, nor will the group stop anywhere other than the parks.
Bring your own tools. Know how to change a flat.
I'll have my own tools along for fixing my own bike, and if someone gets a mechanical failure, I'm sure we can cobble together a fix, but these kinds of roadside repairs are much more cumbersome when there are kids along. So tune up your rig prior to the ride, bring spare tubes and maybe a tire. After all, you're going to be bringing a bunch of snacks and goodies, so don't skimp on the tools.
Every park we visit might not have a playground.
Last year, we stopped at the bright golden statue of Joan of Arc in the traffic circle at 39th and Glisan. There's nothing to do there except climb a tree, get a picture and get back on the bike. However, nearly every park stop will have some playground equipment. And at a minimum, we don't leave the park until we've gone down a slide or done a few minutes on a swing. And if a lot of kiddos are in the group, we'll all have to take turns on the equipment.
Each park stay might only be 20 minutes.
We'll be aiming for about 15 parks in a single day, covering about 25 miles. That's a lot of miles and a lot of parks. I know it can be difficult leaving a park when the kiddos are playing, but they'll quickly realize that we're leaving this park to go to a new park they might never have seen before! I'll give a 5-minute warning, then we'll load up and cruise on to the next park.
Everyone must wear helmets snug, well-fitting helmets.
I've got a pet-peeve and it's parents who put helmets on their little ones without fitting them properly or impressing the importance of keeping them positioned on the head. Please make sure everyone's helmets fit well and cover the forehead.
Please RSVP to get the starting address and so I can get a head-count for the post-ride potluck. natjwest@gmail.com 971-255-0617
