Hi {{contact.first_name}}, September is the sweet spot for Portland riders. The dry summer is still holding, the Gorge is warm and gold in the afternoons, and the fall rains have not quite moved in yet. That window does not last, the first real systems usually roll in by the end of the month, so this is the time to get the big rides in while the pavement is still dry. Watch the sky, chase the last of the sun, and September gives you the finest riding the Northwest has to offer.
Ride of the Month: The Historic Columbia River Highway
Waterfalls, stone guardrails, and the Vista House looking out over the river
Run east on I-84 and drop onto the Historic Columbia River Highway at Troutdale, then climb the old road through the trees to Crown Point and the Vista House, with the whole Gorge opening up below you. From there it is a slow, gorgeous roll past Latourell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena, and Multnomah Falls, the oldest scenic highway in the country, built for exactly this kind of day. Pick it back up on the far side toward Mosier and the twin tunnels into Hood River.
Go early, because the waterfall corridor gets packed and parking is tight by mid-morning. Watch the shaded corners for moss, damp leaves, and the seeps that never fully dry, take the old stonework easy, and drop back on I-84 or keep climbing toward Mount Hood if the weather holds.
For a full day, run the Mount Hood Loop on US-26 and OR-35 through Government Camp and Hood River, some of the best mountain miles in the state. Coast crowd: take US-26 the Sunset Highway out to Cannon Beach and run 101. Closer to town, Skyline Boulevard and the West Hills give you a quick fix. All of it is best while the roads are still dry, so mind the forecast.
Wet-Season Safety: Oregon Edition
September is the last of the dry, and the change can come fast. When the rain returns, the roads turn on you.
- The first rain is the most dangerous. After a dry summer, that first real shower floats months of oil to the surface and makes the pavement greasy. Give it long following distance and easy inputs for the first ten or fifteen minutes of any rain.
- Metal and paint are ice when wet. The steel bridge decks over the Willamette, the streetcar and MAX tracks downtown, and every painted line get treacherous the moment they are damp. Cross tracks at a square angle and keep your lean and braking off the metal and the paint.
- Wet leaves and Gorge seeps. Leaves are dropping on the backroads and in the Gorge, and the shaded corners of the Historic Highway stay damp all season. Treat the leaf-covered curves and the mossy stonework like the low-traction surfaces they are.
- Short days and low sun. Sunset comes earlier fast now, and the low sun and gray glare sit right in drivers' eyes. Run your light, wear something bright, and assume the car turning left has not seen you.
Know Your Oregon Law
- PIP does not follow you onto the bike. Oregon requires Personal Injury Protection on auto policies, but motorcycles are exempt from that requirement, so most riders have no PIP on the bike for their own medical bills after a wreck unless they bought it separately. Carry strong health coverage and lean on UM/UIM.
- Fault gets split, and there is a cutoff. Oregon uses modified comparative negligence. Your recovery drops by your share of the blame, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you collect nothing. How the crash is documented decides the number.
- Everyone wears a helmet. Oregon has a universal helmet law. Every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet, no age or coverage exceptions.
- You have two years. Oregon gives you two years from the date of the crash to file an injury claim, and far less notice, sometimes 180 days, when a public body is involved. Do not sit on it.
Ride Nation Portland
The local chapter is where Northwest riders post weekend miles, call out fresh gravel, wet leaves, and slick tracks from the Gorge to the West Hills, and share the shots worth putting your helmet on for. Post where you rode this month and tag us. It is your scene, run by riders who actually ride these roads.
Still Time for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are on this list because you entered, which means you are already in the running for 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, drawn December 10. Got a buddy who would want a shot? The entry page is open and free.
Enter the giveaway
A driver turning left across your lane on Powell. Wet streetcar tracks downtown. A distracted commuter who never saw you on I-84. If you ever 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.
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