Written by Eric Oliver
On Saturday, October 18, NWTA teamed up with the crew at Cyclepath West to offer a beginner-friendly “Intro to MTB” group ride through Portland’s Forest Park. The chilly morning didn’t prevent folks from coming out early and fueling up with snacks and coffee provided by Cyclepath. After some last-minute mechanical adjustments and some tough decisions about layering, the Cyclepath team loaded our bikes onto their van and shuttled the crew to the north end, or “top,” of the Leif Erikson trail.
NWTA designed this ride to offer an accessible entry point to the often intimidating world of mountain biking. We were all new to the sport once! (Remember when “full sus” sounded like something a high schooler would say, or how much “travel” you had meant vacation time?) For beginners, or even folks who simply prefer their recreation to be on the calmer side of the spectrum, there is hardly a better place to get off the car-filled roads than the Leif Erikson trail. And to be shuttled to the top, nonetheless!
The crew spent the first few miles getting the feel of wider tires and easing into the ruts, gravel, and sticks of Leif’s car-free old roadbed. Sunlight sparkled through the trees, swirling the mist in the ferns. Sounds magical, right?!
About halfway down Leif, many of the riders opted to dial up the grade by turning uphill on the Saltzman Road trail. A few fellow cyclists asked if we were joining the concurrent “Saltzman Century,” which was flattering, but we did not have the snacks on hand for that. From the top of Saltzman, we rode down Firelane 5, where a sampler-platter of mountain-bike specific trail features awaited us, in just the right dose to wet our whistles without becoming overwhelming: some tight single track here, a small rock-roll there. After a narrow hairpin turn at the bottom of the Firelane, we ended up back on Leif feeling pretty victorious.
As we rolled into Cyclepath around noon, it felt like a different world out there. The sun came out, pedestrians crisscrossed NW Thurman St.: Portland had woken up, and a lovely fall day was underway. For our crew, even by noon, it was clear that we could call the day a success. Folks tested the waters, pushed themselves, and came out with some new friends, some confidence on trails, and a greater familiarity with where their bikes might take them in Forest Park and beyond.
For NWTA, this is what it’s all about: all riders of all off-road persuasions belong on our team. Keep your eyes open for more beginner-friendly rides soon.