Book features trips
The burgeoning growth of bicycle riders in the Eugene
area and their questions about afternoon and day-long trips
have resulted in a book by Ernie Drapela and Kevin Pratt
with illustrations by James Cloutier.
“Thirty Bike Hides in Lane County" presents a variety of
excursions with informal notes on terrain, road conditions,
mileage, points of interest and a detailed map The paper
back book, which sells for $2.50, includes hints on deciding
where to go, safety notes, what to take along and repair kits.
All proceeds from the book will go toward the construction
of a velodrome—a bicycle racing track—for Eugene.
Authors of the publication are.
Ernie Drapela, assistant director of Eugene Parks and
Recreation Department, who is an avid cyclist and active
promoter of touring, racing and recreation uses of bicycles.
Kevin Pratt, who has enjoyed bicycle touring since his
grade school days near Austin, Texas. Currently a University
law student, Pratt said he wanted to share some of the many
pleasant routes in the Eugene area with other cyclists.
The publication has been distributed to local bike dealers in
the area and is also available at many book stores.
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Eugene
is
a
bicycle
town
By DAVE HARMS
Of the Emerald
If you don’t know by now, Eugene is a bicycle
town.
There are an estimated 40,(XX) bikes in Eugene, an
ever increasing number of bike facilities and
programs and a city eager to advance the cause.
The range of activities is from leisurely family
rides to touring to racing to a cross country “cyclo
cross" and almost everything in between.
Facilities include several miles of existing bike
paths and routes, with more miles in the planning
stages. “Bike Route” signs are up, curb cuts are
being included in new street construction, bike
safety and licensing programs are planned and a
“Bike Maintenance Workshop" is tentatively
planned in the University's Physical Education
Department.
If you’re a bike rider, and you don’t want to
compete with cars for space on the city streets,
Eugene’s bike paths are for you. The existing path
along the Willamette River extends from the edge of
Springfield to the western edge of Skinner’s Butte
Park The path is accessible to the University by
using the footbridge adjacent to campus and con
tinuing to Franklin Boulevard through the newly
completed underpass under the railroad tracks.
The next stage in the bike path system will be
construction of a path from the University to the
Westmoreland housing area, following 15th Ave.
In the planning stages, pending local and federal
funding, are proposed paths extending the present
Willamette River shore paths to Valley River
Center, and a path to parallel Franklin Boulevard in
the campus area
In many parts of Eugene, green and white "bike
route" signs can be seen along streets. The signs
are on routes frequented by cyclists, and give
motorists warning there may be bike riders in the
area
Another aid to bike riders that has been in
creasing in Eugene is curb cuts They have been
included most recently in the extensive street
construction in downtown Eugene this summer
For tlx* person who likes to do his riding either out
of town or on a race course, the opportunities are
many Monday through Thursday, for instance,
rides are planned for various distances for almost
every category of rider The “tours," which will
continue every week until the weather becomes
unsuitable, include
—Monday; a 26-mile (or less) family ride suitable
for nearly anyone who can ride a bike. The ride
starts at 6 p.m. and leaves from the intersection of
Briggs Hill Road and Spencer Creek Road.
—Tuesday; a 10-mile time trial is held over a flat
course north of Coburg. The ride starts at 6 p.m. and
allows riders to ride fast or slow and learn how lone
it takes to ride 10 miles without the aid of other
riders.
—Wednesday; a 26-mile tour beginning at the
same spot as the Monday family ride. The 6 p.m.
ride is designed to see how fast the circuit can be
completed. Slower riders are allowed up to a 20
minute head start.
—Thursday ; for serious cyclers, a long ride over
the 26-mile course, including interval training for
conditioning, begins at 6 p.m. at Collins Cycle.
Three of the biggest bicycle events of the year
have been saved for the weekends. The nearest
event is the Eugene Cycling Championship, slated
for Sunday, Sept. 24, at Skinner’s Butte Park. The
race is one of six races in the U.S. where points can
be gained for the national championship. Riders
from the U.S. and Canada, including some just back
from the Olympics, will compete for $1200 in prizes.
The event is sanctioned by the American Amateur
Bicycle League of America, Inc., and includes races
from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for all categories ranging
from the boy’s “Sting Ray Race” to the ABL or a
Senior Race.
The second major event this fall is the second
annual Cancer Society Bike-a-thon, to be held
Saturday. Sept. 30. The ride is over an 80-mile loop
course from Eugene to Coburg, Brownsville,
Marcola and back to Eugene. Participants recruit
sponsors to pledge a donation of a few cents for
every mile riden. Last year, 1200 riders collected
$10,000 for the local Cancer Society. It was billed as
the largest bicycle event ever held in Lane County.
The third event, the second annual Cyclo-Cro^^
will be held Sunday, Nov. 19 in Alton Baker Pafli
The cyclo-cross features cross country races for Iff'
ages, and involves riding and carrying a bike over
rough terrain such as rocks and creeks.
Other bike events include a ride tor new students
on the bike paths during orientation week, and plans
for a possible 100-mile-plus ride from Eugene to the
Three Sisters Wilderness area, and a still tentative
over night trip with the destination undecided.
Not all the bicycle activities are happening on the
streets and circuits of the area. This fall, the
University and local community centers will be
teaching interested persons how to take care of
bikes and about touring and racing.
The Westmoreland Community Center is offering
a “Bike Maintenance Workshop” beginning Sept.
28. The course lasts for four weeks and meets on
Thursday night from 7 to 10 p.m. The fee for the
course is $4, and includes instruction in basic ad
justment, repacking wheel bearings and fixing flat
tires. According to Glyn Bissix of the center, the
workshop will cover “the basic wants and needs of
the class.”
Another class being planned is a one-credit
physical education class at the University, taught
by Bissix, titled “Bike Touring and Racing.” The
class is tentatively scheduled for winter and spring
terms.
One more item should be noted before riding off to
the bike paths or to the races—a new city ordinance
requires all bikes in Eugene to be licensed.
Every person who rides a bike in Eugene
purchase a $2 bike license and display the licens^rJ
the bike. Persons not buying licenses are subject to
a fine or loss of use of the bike.
Persons can purchase the license at the h,ugene
Finance Department or at any bike shop when a
new bike is purchased. In order to be issued the
license, the Finance Department needs the
following information about the bike: the make and
model of the bike, the frame size (the length of the
tubular frame section from the seat to the sprocket)
and the serial number. The Finance Department
also recommends that the license be displayed on
the frame section under the seat area, because it is
a permanent, non-removeable part of the bike.
One of the purposes of the bike licensing program
is to aid in the recovery of lost or stolen bicycles.
The Eugene Police Department has recovered
many stolen bikes during the summer, but they face
an unusual problem—the owners can’t be found
According to the EPD, some of the recovered
bikes were reported stolen as long as a year ago, but
the person either left town or just gave up on getting
the bike back.
The department suggests that persons who
reported a bike stolen, and did not list the bike serial
number on the report, contact J & W Towing on V\
2nd Avenue in Eugene to check on the bike. The
police department needs either the bike’s serial
number or an accurate description of the bike from
the owner to release the bike. Bikes not claimed
within 90 days are auctioned to the public by the
city.
For further information on bike facilities and bike
programs in Eugene, persons can read the Parks
and Recreation Department’s “Fall Program 19*2
or call the Eugene Parks and Recreation Depart
ment at 342-5221, ext. 346, or Bissix at the West
moreland Community Center at 345-0813.