For reasons that are still unclear, I twist the handlebar 45 degrees. I pick myself up, inspect a few scratches on my knee and tell Doug I'm fine. Whoa, man, you should really keep your eyes on the trail. Gee, thanks, Doug. But it's difficult to train my eyes on a wide swath of gravel, rock and mud when I'm surrounded by so much of Mother Nature's fine work.
Forest Park is one of the largest urban wildlife habitats in the country.
No wonder Bicycle magazine recently ranked Portland the number-one city in America for cycling. When I ask for a hybrid bike, which I'm used to riding on the tame pathways back home in D.C., an employee looks at me as if I'd asked for a tricycle. We rent only mountain bikes. You know, fat tires. I'm glad I have an alpha-bike with full suspension and tire knobs the size of quarters.