RIDE REPORT: Three Speed Ride, Sunday 5 May 2013

It's a group shot, but my Rudge Sports is hogging all the attention.

We couldn't ask for a nicer "spring" day for this ride! I use spring in parenthesis, as the weather was more mid-July than early-May, with a high of 85F (29C.) Twenty two folks showed up to Ladds Circle for a late afternoon of fun.

The majority of riders were on Raleighs, with Raleigh Sports being the predominant models, but there was also one Superbe, and three Twenties!

Also in the interesting bike department: from north of the border we had one CCM Mixte from the 70's, and a five-speed Eaton's Glider. Eatons was a Canadian department store chain, and the bike was most likely manufactured by Raleigh.

Also of interest was this Sears branded small-wheeled folder. It looks to be 60's to 70's vintage and the design looks to be an attempt to copy a British Moulton or small-wheeled shopping bike. But the construction is definitely "American" (read: heavy.)

Note the improvements.

After about a half-hour of mulling about and talking, we departed from Ladd's Circle. Well first we did several laps around the Circle then headed to the waterfront. On the way there there was a flat that needed mending, so the majority of the group hit the shade near the waterfront while a small party attended to the repairs. Then we headed north along the Eastbank Esplanade path, dodging the multitudes, crossed the river at the Steel Bridge, and explored some new waterfront paths on the west side of the Willamette and north of the Broadway Bridge.

From there we high-tailed it to Macleay Park in NW Portland with a quick stop at Food Front for groceries. Here was the only real tragedy of the ride, as we lost two riders, the Sears owner and his friend on the Breezer. (We sent out someone on a recon mission, but no luck.) Oh yeah, on the way out there we stopped on NW Raleigh St where all the Raleigh riders posed.

We had a lovely picnic in the park. After that some of the riders retired at the Lucky Lab beer hall on NW Quimby, while others went their separate ways. All in all it was a good ride.

For more photos, please go here.