The Columbian: Pollard’s pedal pushers tour bike-friendly areas

Alora Crone set off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday on the 20-mile route advertised for “experienced cyclists” during Mayor Royce Pollard’s Tour de ‘Couv bike ride. For 6-year-old Alora, a few weeks without training wheels made her experienced enough. Although Alora’s parents, Thomas and Jeanette, and 9-year-old sister, Kylin, learned to ride on two wheels much earlier, the bike bug didn’t bite the family until this year.

“We just started this summer,” ­Jeanette said. “But it’s so addictive.” “We’ve really started to look into more bike-friendly roads and paths,” Thomas said. Getting cyclists familiar with bike routes was one goal of the event, which also shows off Vancouver ­during the city’s 150th birthday.

Kris Greene, president of the East Vancouver Business Association, saw more symbolism behind the route, which started at Riverview Community Bank’s east Vancouver office center and ended downtown. “It bridges the gap between east and west,” Greene said. “I hope (the cyclists) take a look at all the opportunity over here, all the workout facilities they’ll be passing by, the small businesses and shops,” Greene said. “They’ll get an idea what it’s like to be over here on the east side.”

Matt and Kimberly Beltran lived in Fisher’s Landing for seven years before moving to Washougal. Avid mountain bikers, they saw Saturday’s Tour de ‘Couv as a leisurely way to explore the scenery. At least on the outbound trip. “We’ll push the pace pretty hard on the way back,” Matt Beltran said. The early morning posse stopped at the Water Resources Education Center, where Pollard gave a pep talk to the “Family Fun Cyclists” joining the tour at 10 a.m. All participants finished at Esther Short Park.

There, the River City Band celebrated alternate forms of transportation with a cover of Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” Unaware of the mayor’s ride, bicycle commuters Frith Picanso and Angela Woodward of the Hough neighborhood were making their regular trip to the Vancouver Farmers Market when the Tour de ‘Couv ended Saturday. “We almost never drive,” Picanso said. Vancouver is a pleasant place to cycle, Woodward said.

And word has spread across the river, she said: Portland cyclists drive across the river, then explore roads and trails here on two wheels. Picanso said he feels safer cycling in Vancouver, where drivers give bikes more room than in Portland. “I’m much more nervous right when I get over the bridge,” he said. For other cyclists, like Lyle Bradford of the Northwest neighborhood, there’s no reason to cross the Columbia River - especially when you can ride along it. “It doesn’t get any nicer than that,” Bradford said after the tour. Justin Carinci covers neighborhood news and issues. He can be reached at 360-737-4006 or justin.carinci@columbian.com.