Hi {{contact.first_name}},
November is when the rain moves back into Portland for real, and a lot of riders park the bike until spring. You do not have to. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so the light is gone before most of us are off work, and the passes up high are starting to take snow. But the valley still hands out dry, bright afternoons between the storms, and the roads are quiet. Watch the radar, stay low, and keep the run short enough to be home before dark.
Ride of the Month: The Silver Falls Loop
Big-timber two-lane and waterfalls running full after the first rains
Head south out of Oregon City on OR-213, the Cascade Highway, and roll through the farm country and the foothills down to Silverton. From there, pick up OR-214 and climb southeast into Silver Falls State Park, the largest state park in Oregon. The road winds up through tall Douglas fir and moss-covered maples, and the creeks that feed the park's waterfalls are running full again after the first rains. Park at South Falls and take the short walk to see it pour off the canyon rim.
Ride back down to Silverton for lunch, then follow OR-214 north through Mount Angel, with the Benedictine abbey up on its hill, and on to Woodburn for an easy run home on I-5. The park road stays shaded and damp all season, so take the corners gently, watch for fallen branches and fir needles, and save it for a dry day.
Short on daylight? Run US-30 out to the Sauvie Island Bridge and loop the flat farm roads on the island, a quick, easy ride less than half an hour from downtown. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, take a minute to thank the veterans in your riding crew. Plenty of them helped build this community.
Late-Fall Safety: Oregon Edition
November in the Northwest brings fewer dry days and a few new ways to get hurt on them.
- Wet roads are the normal now. Rain, standing water and wet leaves sit on the pavement for days at a time. Painted lines, metal plates and the streetcar tracks downtown get very slick. Leave extra following distance and keep your inputs smooth.
- You are riding home in the dark. Since the time change, the sun is down before most people leave work, and gray, rainy evenings make it even darker. Drivers are not looking for a motorcycle in the spray. Wear something bright or reflective and give yourself room at intersections.
- Deer and elk at dawn and dusk. Deer are moving on the rural roads in the foothills and the Willamette Valley, and elk cross the roads in the higher country. Slow down near tree lines and fields, cover your brakes, and never swerve across the center line.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and I-5 and I-84 will be packed. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, ride early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your Oregon Law
- Your bike probably has no PIP. Oregon makes car policies carry Personal Injury Protection, but motorcycles are exempt from that rule. Unless you bought PIP for the bike on your own, nothing pays your medical bills right away after a crash. Strong health coverage and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matter a lot.
- Fault is shared, up to a point. Oregon uses modified comparative negligence. Your recovery is cut by your share of the blame, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you get nothing. How the crash is documented early on matters a lot.
- Every rider wears a helmet. Oregon has a universal helmet law. Every rider and every passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet, whatever their age.
- You have two years, and much less for public bodies. You generally have two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit. If a city, county or the state is involved, you usually have to give them written notice within 180 days, so do not wait until spring.
Ride Nation Portland
The rain is back, but the Portland riding crew does not disappear. Post your best wet-weather ride, share the gear that actually keeps you dry, and let other riders know which roads have standing water, gravel or slick leaves. Tag us in your photos. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A driver who never saw your headlight in the rain on the 5 p.m. dark commute. A deer stepping out on a foothill road. A car hydroplaning through standing water on I-205. If you go down in Oregon, remember your bike likely has no PIP to fall back on, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows how the fault rules get used against riders.