A 10-Person, 45-Mile Group Ride in Oregon with Friends on Bikes

Friends on Bikes

Oct 3rd, 2024

Support

Thanks to our Adventure Grant, ten WTFNB (Women, Trans, Femme, Non-Binary), BIPOC riders met for a multi-modal bikepacking trip from downtown Portland to Stub Stewart State Park in Banks, OR. The group included both experienced and first-time bikepackers, riding 45 miles and tackling 1,335 feet of elevation along a mixed-surface route on the Banks-Vernonia trail, staying overnight at a campsite in Stub Stewart State Park. (See Adventure Cycling’s video about the Short Route to Stub Stewart.)

We met up on Saturday morning outside of J’s Cafe in Portland to catch the next MAX train to Hillsboro. Riders had a chance to get to know each other as we rode the MAX to the end of the line. Luckily for us, it started pouring rain as soon as we got off the train! We took a detour to a cafe to warm up with coffee and lunch and wait out the rain. After about half an hour, the sun peeked out, and we resumed our ride. This was, fortunately, the last we would see of the rain that day — moments of sun continued surprising us through the clouds as we were cruising along bucolic roads and fields of flowers at a conversational pace. We stopped along the way at Jim’s Market in Banks to have lunch and chat (and peruse the epic fried food hot bar). We then rode through the woods on the Banks-Vernonia Trail until we reached L.L. Stub Stewart State Park.

Once at the campsite, we set up our tents, shared dinner and snacks, and spent the evening talking around the campfire before turning in for the night. The next morning, after breakfast and coffee, we packed up camp and rode back to the Hatfield Government Center MAX station, with a detour to Glencoe Farms to pick freshly blooming peonies to bring home to partners and friends.

We were so happy we were able to provide this experience for our community and for multiple first-time riders. We’re very grateful that Adventure Cycling helped us cover the cost of transportation, campsites, and snacks for riders with the Adventure Grant. Furthermore, we were able to provide folks not only with a fun weekend experience, but also the knowledge and confidence they would need to go on similar cycling adventures on their own or with friends.

One of our riders even recorded a podcast for the Oregonian sharing their bikepacking experience and tips. To ensure new riders were well-prepared, we outfitted them with bags from the Friends on Bikes gear library, so they could try bikepacking without needing to invest in expensive equipment upfront. This ride was a blast and a perfect encapsulation of our greater mission as Friends on Bikes: to empower riders from marginalized groups to experience bike joy in a safe, educational and fun setting and provide a space for folks to meet and make deep connections, both on and off bikes.

Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoy the photos!

–Alyssa Alfonso, Casey Mong, and Arthi Vijaykumar