Written by Eric Oliver
The timing couldn’t have been better: on October 5, 2024, the annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day celebration coincided with the grand re-opening of Gateway Green Park in East Portland. The weather cooperated too, as the slight chill in the morning gave way to a bright fall day as families came together to enjoy some time on two wheels.
With coffee and donuts in hand, guests at the reopening ceremony heard from the organizations and leaders that helped to transform Gateway Green from an underutilized space to a vibrant community hub, including Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), Friends of Gateway Green, TriMet, and Northwest Trails Alliance (NWTA). Though Gateway Green opened in 2017, parts of the park had been closed for construction and maintenance. The reopening included new “gravity lines” (named for their fun downhill flows) and a completed entry plaza, allowing for easy direct access along a new bridge from Gateway Transit Center.
But for the young people in attendance, the main attraction was not necessarily the ribbon cutting ceremony. All around the central plaza, kids were challenged with a six-stage skills course, beginning with a mandatory bike safety check (courtesy of Trek Bikes Westmoreland) and proceeding through some of the park’s best features, including rolling dirt trails and flowing “pump lines” for bikers of all abilities. Professional bike coaches led by Elaine Bothe (of Elaine B. Bikes) guided youth through the course, ready with an encouraging cheer and a completion sticker after each stage. No one was left out: kids without their own bike could borrow a size-specific mountain bike from NWTA’s fleet of youth loaner bikes, made possible by Trek Bikes.
In addition to earning their prize medals, kids enjoyed face painting and ice cream while families visited booths hosted by Trek Bicycles Westmoreland, TriMet, Warpaint Outdoors, NWTA, Friends of Gateway Green, and PP&R. NWTA hosted an hourly free raffle drawing, and some lucky winners went home with bike-themed swag and prizes of all kinds, including a brand new youth Strider bike. Families were treated to light snacks and refreshments by NWTA and PP&R.
Gateway Green was designed to be just that: a gateway for cyclists of all ages and all skill levels to practice their technique, build confidence, and ultimately, to challenge themselves with the kinds of healthy risks that encourage personal growth, empowerment, and good old fashioned fun. Some participants were behind the handlebars for the very first time, while others frequent the park often enough to know its trails by heart. Uniting them all was a shared love of spending time outdoors on two wheels and excitement around a new, close-to-home spot to go for a spin.
Thank you to PP&R and TriMet for making this event possible through their support and contributions.
Also thanks to:
- Trek Bicycle for NWTA’s loaner fleet of bikes and wrenching on bikes at TAKMBD
- Elaine B. Bikes for her coaching volunteers
- Athletic, Portland Design Works, and Strider Bikes for the *free* raffle goodies
- Fred Meyer (Gateway) for parking accommodations
- Warpaint Outdoors and Friends of Gateway Green for community partnership in Gateway Green events
Special shoutout to local company project^, who planted the seeds of NWTA’s youth programs two years ago with their generous support as a One Percent For the member. Youth mountain bike programming in Portland wouldn’t be where it is without this investment.
