Karla Betts, a car-for-bike swapper from Portland, won this bike in 2007 during the Tour de Fat event.
Tour de Fat celebrates 10th anniversary – looking for car-for-bike swappers
Summer brings sunshine, long days, clear nights – and Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s celebration of all things bicycle. Eleven cities are on the roster this year, including Seattle Aug. 8 at Gas Works Park and Portland Aug. 15 at Waterfront Park. The free festivities include costumed bike parades, music, and celebrations of folks willing to swap their cars for bikes for one year. Volunteers who are willing to step up to the challenge (one in each city) are given a hand-built Black Sheep commuter bike in exchange for their cars. To put your name in the ring, submit a video or essay describing your desire to live car-free for a year. Visit www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat for all the details.
Oakridge Mountain Biking Weekends
Mountain Bike Oregon is back this summer with two weekends of unequalled single-track mountain bike riding in Oregon, near the sport’s epicenter in Oakridge. Dates are July 17–19 and Aug. 21–23.
Cost is $279 for the three days which includes all meals, shuttles, camping and a t-shirt. Other features include beer garden, demo bikes and gear, clinics, mechanics, and a vendor expo. Trailer and RV parking is available about two miles away from the main site. Non-riding guests may also attend for $100 per day.
The rides vary daily but include the 25-mile epic single-track-dream-come-true along the middle fork of the Willamette River. www.mtbikeoregon.com.
Oakridge takes the cake when it comes to mountain biking. Photo courtesy of Mountain Bike Oregon
Lake Union 10K debuts August 23
In what has to be one of the more scenic and historical races to be launched in the past decade, the inaugural Lake Union 10K debuts Aug. 23. The race celebrates Lake Union and the new Cheshiahud Loop Park Trail. The race starts and finishes at South Lake Union Park; start time is 7:30 a.m.
Cost of the race is $35 before July 30; $45 after that. There is no day-of registration.
Lake Union is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington and is the geographic heart of urban Seattle. The course celebrates the rich history of Lake Union and its ties to the first inhabitants, the Duwamish Tribe and to Seattle’s maritime industries. The neighborhoods around the lake reflect a diversity of uses: vibrant houseboat communities, marinas with live-aboards and lakeside condos. A variety of boat-brokers offer sail and motor yachts for sale and shipyards do small to major repairs and refits. Visit the Wooden Boat Society to learn about the history of boating on the lake or to rent a sailing dingy. On the north end of Lake Union is Gas Works Park, with a spectacular view of the lake and the city beyond.
The Lake Union 10k benefits the Puget Sound “Girls on the Run” Program, an organization that encourages preteen girls to develop self-esteem and healthy lifestyles through running.
www.lakeunion10k.com
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