Day 1: Portland, OR

8/6/22

Riders rolled in today! Well, some of them;) Some flew, some trained, some drove, some biked. After three days of prepping here in Portland and months of remotely planning the trip, us leaders welcomed them with open arms. Our riders came from as far as the East Coast and as close as one mile away! It was an exciting introduction to the Bike&Build community for those who are new and an easy return for our many alumni. We spent the day playing name games and ice breakers, after the riders grabbed all their safety and sleeping gear, labeled everything with their names so they don’t lose it during our travels, and build their bikes that joined them on their long journeys here. Some really important presentations followed, covering topics like safety and health on the road, the content of which will quickly become second nature and maybe even part of their daily practice once the trip is done! Always riding with lights, a helmet and hi-vis gear while biking sure became second nature to me after my first trip with B&B. We had a few breaks throughout the day when riders could go for a walk around the Alberta neighborhood in Portland, thrifting or exploring the local bike shops. Our dinner was donated by some lovely local pizza shops, Atlas Pizza and Papa Murphy's, happy to help support our cause and keep us fed! It was a great day of getting to know each other, all twenty five of us, and bonding in ways only Bike&Builders would (including but not limited to breaking out a box dye bleach kit). I sure look forward to the adventures ahead!

-Noelle Albert, DW’22 leader, SUS’18