Group Rides

PSU Cycling puts on group rides for recreational and training purposes. Whether you are riding to improve your health, train for a race, prepare for a long distance ride, or just to have fun, we welcome you to our rides. Group training rides are announced over the club email list, but check out the events page to see what regularly scheduled rides are going on, and check out the ride forum for more rides.

Speed and Distance:  Ride speed and distance generally depends on who shows up to rides and what people feel like doing.  In general, you can expect to go at least 20 miles at 15mph.  Occasionally you'll see fast/long rides announced which are more like 20+mph for 60+ miles.

"No Drop Rule" - All PSU rides follow the "no drop rule". Every ride will have various stops to regroup and make sure everyone is still there or accounted for.
 

What to Bring / New Riders

Helmet-YOU MUST WEAR A HELMET. No exceptions, if you show up without a helmet, you can't ride with us that day. It's for your own safety.

A working bike - If your bike needs a tune up, stop by the PSU Bike Hub and they will help you fix it up. Please bring a road bike. We are a road focused team, and as such the rides are angled at road bikes.

Riding Clothes - Spandex can be scary but in time you'll learn to love it. If you don't have good riding clothes yet, workout clothes are fine as long as you are comfortable and warm. Better yet, contact us about getting some PSU Cycling gear.

Flat Repair Kit - Inner Tube, Patch Kit and a Pump. Try changing a tube in your living room once or twice before you have to do it out on the road.

Water and a Snack - Rides usually last a couple of hours so it's important to have some food and drink to keep you going. Make sure you get in on the next Clif Bar order and stock up on what you like.

Forms - If you haven't yet done so, all riders are required to fill out a PSU Code of Conduct and Liability Wiaver.  You can pick one up in the Rec Clubs office, room 47 in the basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union building, and turn it in to a PSU Cycling officer or drop it in the Cycling mailbox in that same room.  (You don't need to bring this to a ride, just do this before riding with us.)
 

Touring

During the summer, PSU Cycling members participate in long distance rides like the Seattle To Portland as well as multi-day self supported touring rides. Information on upcoming events will be posted on the email list or discussed during a meeting.  If there is a specific event you're interested in doing, contact us.

For some touring maps, see the City of Portland's Bike Touring info or Bikely.com.

For more touring related events, check out Community Exchange Cycle Touring Club, the Portland Wheelman calendar, Portland Wheelman's list of annual events, Shift to Bikes calendar, and the Oregon Randonneurs.
 

Routes

To find routes for riding, pick up a copy of Metro's Bike There! map at any bike shop.  The Rubber to the Road books are also a great resource and the routes in those books are available online.

For rides close in, check out the free City of Portland bike maps which you can get at the PSU Transportation Info Center next to Rice Junkies in the Urban Plaza (across from the bookstore). 

We've begun to collect some additional routes which are available on our routes page.