A little cold, windy and raining weather can't keep 2,000 cyclists indoors. Sure, the skies may be gray but the streets will be a sea of bright yellow rain jackets for the Worst Day of the Year Ride, Portland's annual quirky weather ride to benefit the Community Cycling Center. Register at partnering retail locations and save – but in-store registration closes on Sunday so you've got to hurry to get the deal.

Yummy treats and hot drinks await you at every rest stop along the way of this 18-mile urban course with an extended 40-mile Challenge Loop. At the finish line party, Laughing Planet Café, experts in wholesome deliciousness, are providing made-from scratch soups and focaccia bread. If that wasn't enough to get in the saddle, how about coffee and doughnuts at the start line, the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers to kick off the ride, games, contests and the camaraderie of 2,000 other brave souls.

Be sure to head out in costume! The organizers are creating a special edition reflector in the shape of an umbrella, available only to costumed-riders. And the best dressed will be eligible for additional prizes. So are you sitting inside on a dreary Sunday, or are you making the most of it? We know what your answer should be.

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With 150 of the greatest names in frame building displaying the neatest and funkiest bicycles imaginable, the hotly-anticipated North American Handmade Bicycle Show elevates the craft of bike making to as near an art form as it's going to get. The traveling festival won't be back in the Northwest for at least four years – so this is the year to attend.

Over three days, NAHBS will bring together expert speakers with a wealth of knowledge in a diverse range of subjects. Whether it's tips on technique from carbon frame construction experts, or an introduction to long-distance cycling, you'll find invaluable information. There's something for everyone: professional and hobbyist frame builders, bike fitters, shop staff and owners. Discussions will cater to both recreational and sporting cyclists.

And if you're not into listening to the experts, you can also just wander around the expo - freaking out and geeking out on some of the most beautifully-constructed bikes in the world. Seriously, you've never before seen bikes quite like these.

The expo is at the Oregon Convention Center. Attended bike parking will be available. Tickets are $18 at the door or $15 online in advance.
(photo credit: Iran Ryan Cycles)

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Filmed by Bike embraces the art and innovation of bikes through the eyes of imaginative storytellers - using moving images to celebrate the world's most efficient and creative form of transportation. Now in its sixth year, the annual festival showcases a love of two wheels in eight minutes or less. Filmed by Bike runs April 11-13 at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland and features movies from around the globe.

Entries, due March 1, are evaluated by an esteemed jury of bicycle and film enthusiasts from the Oregon-Washington area. It is free to enter and guidelines are on the website. Submissions may also be dropped off at the Filmed by Bike booth at the Worst Day of the Year Ride finish line party.

Bicycles are freedom and those who ride them know the entrancement of endlessly spinning wheels and passing miles. But you don't have to be a daily rider to be entertained by the magic of seeing bikes on the silver screen.

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Sunday Parkways is a transportation and active living event patterned after Ciclovias, an event that first became successful in South America. Every Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm the city of Bogota, Colombia closes 70 miles of major roads so that people can bike, roller blade, run and stroll without traffic. The Ciclovia has become a major community activity with 1.5 million people enjoying the traffic-free boulevards on an average weekend. Another term for this concept is "Sunday Parkways", and they're coming to Portland this summer.

The City wants to hear ideas for fun and healthy activities you would like to see in the four parks and along the six-mile looped route. They are also seeking suggestions on how to make this event successful and enjoyable for all participants and neighbors so they have put together two town hall meetings. The first meeting is February 6th at Kaiser Town Hall, 3704 N. Internstate, from 5:30-8:00 pm. The second is on February 7th at Chief Joseph Elementary School, 2409 N. Saratoga, from 5:30-8:00 pm.

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During the summer of 2007, ORbike member Chris McCraw hopped on his bicycle in Austin, Texas, and didn't stop until he reached Anchorage, Alaska. So it's no surprise this 31-year-old Portlander is a huge fan of local bike events.

So why did he join ORbike? "ORbike seemed like a good gateway into meeting bikey people and doing bikey things," he says. "Plus, I figured I'd get my money's worth via event discounts and supporting the furtherance of the culture I love."

Chris is a 50-mile-a-week kind of a guy who rides his bike for errands and for pleasure. This year he's really looking forward to riding Seattle to Portland and biking to Mt. St. Helens with friends to camp and climb.

Chris is an experienced rider. He once had to tear free his helmet from the underside of a freight truck – thankful that he escaped the accident unharmed. He enjoys riding a bike because it allows him to be present in the environment through which he is traveling - soaking in the sights and sounds. "I feel like I'm participating actively in my travels rather than just having them happen to me."

Join Chris and become an ORbike member today. You'll get discounts on events all season long and membership pays for itself in no time.

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