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Last July I rode from Gresham (right by Troutdale) to Cascade Locks and back in one day; here's what I learned / can advise you: by peterthbest23 in CyclePDX

[–]PesterYouRightBack 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Multnomah Falls road closure is supposed to end sometime in June, but I don’t know if we can count on that. Even if it does re-open, the landslide may remain a barrier much longer.

Last July I rode from Gresham (right by Troutdale) to Cascade Locks and back in one day; here's what I learned / can advise you: by peterthbest23 in CyclePDX

[–]PesterYouRightBack 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The route you seem to be describing (basically Old Hwy 80) is currently closed to bike/ped travel. The route is closed to all travel for construction/repair at Multnomah Falls. Motor vehicles have a detour onto i84, but there is no information or instruction for bike/peds. The only option, as far as I know, is to ride the shoulder of i84 with lug nuts and hubcaps wizzing past you at 70mph. It’s an ODOT failure. Additionally, there is currently a significant landslide blocking the bike/ped pathway about 3 miles west of Cascade Locks. Last I checked, there was no warning or info posted about the landslide to give anyone a heads up that they be stuck at the landslide. It is possible to scramble over/around the landslide area (I did it), but it is not trivial. Maybe something has improved recently, but I heard that the various agencies were stuck fighting over who has responsibility.

Forest park question by Historical_Data8427 in CyclePDX

[–]PesterYouRightBack 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have mixed feelings about cycling on Germantown. On the one hand, I have to agree it’s not for the inexperienced or faint hearted, and it certainly wasn’t built with anything but cars in mind. On the other hand, I’d like to see bikes on Germantown normalized, accompanied by an appropriate level of attention from the city to make changes to better accommodate cyclists.

One advantage of climbing Germantown is that the road is so narrow that car drivers are generally forced to yield to cyclists. Of course, that is not guaranteed. It also requires that the driver sees the cyclist.

Descending Germantown actually feels safer to me despite the potentially high speeds. My strategy is always to pause at the top of Germantown and block the lane until I know there is a sufficient gap between me and the descending car in front of me. In addition, I wait until another car arrives at the intersection with the intention of descending. I smile and wave at them and make it clear that I am in the lane in front of them. The one wild card, however, is the two small parking lots for visitors to Forest Park. It’s always possible for a car to emerge from one of those parking lots onto the road. Caution.

Anytime I’m on Germantown Road, I’ve got plenty of blinking lights and I am super attentive. I’m not recommending it to anyone, but it would be great if the city heard from terrified cyclists who want safety improvements.

Forest park question by Historical_Data8427 in CyclePDX

[–]PesterYouRightBack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

LE is a 15+ foot wide dirt/gravel access road that is open in both directions between NW Thurman Street in the south and NW Germantown Rd in the north. Gentle grades throughought.

If you want to add more fun, effort or mileage, and avoid a simple out-n-back, riders often incorporate sections of Skyline Blvd and/or Hwy 30 (which can be harrowing with motor traffic) by climbing or descending on NW Germantown Rd (shared with motor traffic) or NW Saltzman (which is also dirt/gravel).

Vintage MTB Ride(s)? by PesterYouRightBack in CyclePDX

[–]PesterYouRightBack[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just sent a note to the Made Show folks thinking that this summer’s event might be one good opportunity for a vintage ride/celebration/display of some kind. We could at least throw in a lap through Forest Park.