Ride with us

The Portland State University Bicycle Advocacy Collective was formed four years ago with the mission to build community and improve conditions for cyclists at Portland State. Since then, PSUBAC has been involved in many activities and projects focusing on physical infrastructure changes, bicycle programs and building social networks that enable individuals to join together to push for positive improvements on a grassroots level.

“We want more people using manpower to get to and fro in their daily lives and otherwise,” PSUBAC officer Kevin Vilbig said. “We like bikes, and we want the streets to be safer and the air cleaner.”

Until June 3, PSUBAC is holding its weekly community bike ride on Sundays. They meet at 11 a.m. at Southwest Sixth Avenue and Harrison Street outside the PSU Bike Hub, which hosts the Biker’s Breakfast every Wednesday morning outside the Academic and Student Rec Center building among other places.

“Rides generally end around 2 p.m. unless there is a general consensus to do a longer ride,” PSUBAC officer Margret Harburg said. “The Sunday community ride is meant to be casual and can last a few hours, so snacks, a water bottle, cash and rain gear are good things to bring. And, of course, no one can ride without a helmet, so bring a helmet!”

Although not a necessity, it is a good idea to bring along a tube patch kit, as the Sunday community ride includes nearby destinations like Mt. Tabor and Powell Butte. The ride usually consists of groups of three to six riders, and they take a break whenever required.

“The Sunday community ride is a great way to connect with other Portland State cyclists and get to know Portland by bike,” Harburg said. “It is also a good opportunity to meet people to attend other bike events in Portland like Pedalpalooza, which starts on June 7.”

Pedalpalooza is a three week bike festival with over 173 events, mostly organized by individuals. Nearly all events are free.

The fact that biking is free isn’t the only reason to ride, though. “Biking is a great exercise. It improves self-confidence and promotes self-sufficiency,” Harburg said. “It’s a zero-emissions form of transportation and therefore ecologically sustainable.”

Some of the other activities PSUBAC are involved in include working with PSU transportation and the City of Portland to provide more bike lanes in the downtown area. PSUBAC says that one of the biggest barriers stopping people from commuting to Portland State by bike is the fear of sharing the road with cars.

PSUBAC is also working with Portland State to build more secure and convenient bike garages, working to encourage secure bike locking by providing U-Locks at a discount and loaning out bicycles on a long-term basis to PSU students.