SOUTH WATERFRONT
PORTLAND OREGON

Did you know that Go By Bike (the bike valet and repair service at the base of the Portland Aerial Tram) also does hourly, daily, and weekly bike rentals? I did not, until mid-August, when I decided to take one of their rentals for a weekend spin.  They have a fantastic lineup of bike types that cover just about every biking need, including:

• Brompton Folding Bike – (this was the bike I rented, pictured above on the Banks-Vernonia Trail) these bikes look different, and people will take notice.  While out on the Brompton, I received such comments as, “Wow!”, “Cool! How do you like riding that?”, and “Awesome bike!!”  It folds easily to fit in the back seat or trunk of your car, rides superbly, and has 8 gears.
• Breezer Uptown – Smooth sailing town bike.
• Cetma Cargo Bike – Front loading cargo bike, good for hauling groceries, dogs, you name it.
• Surly Crosschecks – Great for commuting, touring, or whatever you want to throw at it.

Rates are very reasonable:

1 Hour – $7
1 Day (must be returned by 6:45 of that day) – $20
1 Week – $70

There are all kinds of reasons to rent a bike – Want to take part in September’s Bike Commute Challenge, but don’t have your own ride? In the market for a new bike and want to get a serious test ride on some of the best bikes out there? Have guests coming from out of town who want to bike around the area? Or my personal reason – don’t currently own a bike but want to do some riding whilst on a weekend getaway?  To reserve a spot come by the shop or email – gobybikeshop@gmail.com

Speaking of weekend getaways, the getaway in question was to an absolutely fantastic, rural, bike-centric inn – the Coastal Mountain Sporthaus in Vernonia, Oregon (pictured above). Inspired by cycling trips to Northern Italy, owners Glen and Sandy Crinklaw created their inn to capture the warmth and relaxed atmosphere found in the Italian countryside. Located on a grassy hill overlooking a pastoral view of Piedmontese cows grazing contentedly in the meadow, a stay in one of the inn’s four guestrooms includes fresh (and mostly locally sourced) breakfast, lunch, and dinner with beer/wine, as well as a complimentary morning yoga class. We had smuggled in some of our own snacks and wine, but never touched them – Sandy even packed a tasty sack lunch for our day of biking the nearby Banks-Vernonia Trail, after which we soothed our tired muscles in the wonderful outdoor soaking pool and listened to the silence.

If you are up to the challenge of arriving at the Sporthaus by bike (a 48-mile ride from the South Waterfront) you will receive 10% from your already reasonably priced stay ($125 per person, per night).

Whatever your adventure, just go… by bike!

This entry was posted on Friday, September 7th, 2012 at 2:06 pm and is filed under Health & Wellness, Retail, Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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