Portland State, local organizations and vendors will be teaming up this Wednesday to put on an event for Portland’s bike enthusiasts. Get to Know Your Bike will take place in Smith Memorial Student Union at the PSU campus on Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The PSU Bike Fair will provide fun games, entertainment and information for all bicyclists here on campus.
Get to Know Your Bike is only one of many events on campus that promote a sustainable lifestyle. Add a passion for biking and you have an environmentally conscious college campus. There is something for everyone at this biking event, whether you bike recreationally, for commuting purposes or just enjoy the adrenaline of a good race. The Vanguard had the opportunity to ask Adrian Richardson, PSU Cycling’s team president, a few questions about the group’s participation this week.
Daily Vanguard: In your opinion, what will make Get To Know Your Bike a success?
Adrian Richardson: Successful advertising and vendors from the Portland area. I think that Portland has a lot to offer students, so hopefully we get a broad spectrum of Portland bike merchants and groups that are not related to campus relations, even though they are important.
DV: What makes the bike fair especially relevant to Portland and the PSU community?
AR: I wish there was a statistic floating around somewhere, but Portland State is a large representation of the city as a whole. People like Sam Adams are recognizing it¬—his speech during the cycle track and how he is now following our Twitter group. The bike scene is always growing and we have a group of passionate individuals looking to make drastic changes to the bike culture, people like the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, PSU Bicycle Advisory Committee and PSU Transportation.
DV: What kind of turnout do you expect for the fair?
AR: Well, seeing that it is in the ballroom, not as much of a turnout as there can be. I was really hoping we could have it outside or somewhere visible to [those passing by], but maybe next year. Still, with this insane advertising campaign, lots of people will show up.
DV: How will the presence of the cycling team benefit the team? How will it benefit the people that come and participate in the event?
AR: I think that the PSU cycling team will present new options for riders who might not know what PSU offers. Portland has a very reputable competitive cycling scene. Many of these established racers and riders who want to race really have no clue that PSU offers an alternate or primary team that races beyond what you can get locally.
DV: What’s the most exciting part of participating in this event for you?
AR: Seeing exactly how many people are interested in what Portland and Portland State has to offer for biking. I seriously believe Portland State has the ability to be the biggest biking hub in the nation and maybe even the world, so seeing interested bikers and maybe people wanting to begin a cycling lifestyle will be the most exciting part.
DV: How did you become involved with this event?
AR: Tony Cleasby, and I believe they are called PSU Auxiliary Services, [were the ones] who sought me out. The PSU bike groups have really been trying to come together lately, so once you get in touch with one bike group, you have access to all of them.
DV: How long have you been the cycling team president?
AR: Since June 15, so basically the summer. You can call me a newbie if you would like, but then again, I have been working really hard throughout the summer to redefine the cycling club, focus on our mission, try to gather more help from the outside and plan ahead, so I would say I have settled in quite nicely.
DV: What’s the most gratifying part of cycling for you?
AR: [The most gratifying part for me is] riding with friends who share the same passion for cycling as I do. There is really no other experience that can compare with riding over 70 miles with mates who suffer the same challenges and accomplish the same feats. It’s truly something I will always strive to introduce people to, and that is riding hard with friends.
DV: What’s your favorite area of Portland to ride your bike?
AR: Hills! The steeper the better. The West Hills, Rocky Point, 53rd, and lastly, Larch Mountain. I recently did some riding around Mt. Hood and it’s truly spectacular. I guess you can say I am a masochist, but really it’s getting to the top and looking back down that hits me the most.