Portland

It's a little difficult to write how I feel about Portland. I had so looked forward to seeing the mecca of US cycling. I hoped to find some easy going bike fanatics to hang out with. I had booked two nights with a Warm Showers host. Unfortunately he turned out not to be a cyclist nor even like cyclists, but he had a huge beautiful house and I was fed and watered. Very generous.

I entered Oregon by cycling over the Interstate bridge on the Interstate Highway - otherwise known as I5. No sooner had I cycled under the 'Welcome to Oregon' sign... I noticed another puncture in my front wheel. Puncture no. 2 and again in the front tyre. And no sooner had I discovered the puncture than a young gentleman jumped off his bike saying 'Hey ma'am let me help you with that, I'm a bike mechanic, and this neighbourhood ain't too good'.

Tyler helping me fix a puncture - actually no, Tyler fixing the puncture all on his own

Crossing the 15 bridge over the Colombia river

I had two days in Portland so wandered through the streets, enjoying my light bike with no panniers. The infrastructure for bikes was a delight. Just what I expected I guess. Less expected was the hugely visible homeless problem in Portland. Living in Dublin you get used to seeing men in sleeping bags in doorways and on benches, but this was another level altogether. This was people asleep on a mattress on the footpath at 11am in the morning or 2pm in the afternoon.

I couldn't shake off the feeling it left with me. I guess I'm a little like them, carrying all my home on my bike, but yet so different because mine is a conscious decision to take to the road. These wandering zombies just looked so vulnerable. It still kind of haunts me a few weeks later as I write this (I'm currently sitting in a shower room at a campsite in California. It's 5am and dark and drizzly outside and everyone is asleep).

A typical Portland suburb street marked as a cycling 'Greenway'

The sign telling you that you are on a Greenway

Easy cycling on Portland's cycle paths

The newest bridge in Portland. Only trams, buses, walkers/runners/cyclists allowed to cross. Quiet.

I loved this bike shop called VeloCult. Imagine opening a place like this in Ireland. Hmmm...

A bike shop/tavern.

The pub and restaurant is surrounded by the bike workshop.

The glass table tops shows off products being sold in the shop.

My Warm Showers host invited some mates around to watch the first presidential debate. They were all completely anti-Trump, so it was interesting to hear them all comment about how bad he was doing.

Me taking a picture of the TV. The first debate.