We spent a couple of days in Oregon City with the Xtracycle Swoop cargo e-bike (an electric longtail family bike) and had a nice time using it as our primary mode of transportation.
Riding the cargo bike to the Oregon City Farmers Market
I took the cargo bike and the two kids up Linn Ave to get to the top of the Hill in Oregon City, where the Oregon City Farmers Market is located. It's at the corner of Beavercreek and Kaen Rds, at the Clackamas County Red Soils campus. The ride up was okay. Car traffic was moving kind of fast, which is a little unsettling in the bike lane with kids on the back, but it felt okay. We had to stop briefly because my kid was having a moment. The bike was fine. It felt stable with 2 kids on the back, and the elevation gain up Linn Ave wasn't too bad with the electric assist set to 2 or 3 on the Shimano EP8 mid-drive system.
Taking the left onto Warner Milne Rd felt a little uncomfortable, but part of it was due to my unfamiliarity with the area. We peeked into SaberForge from the windows and then rolled into the Farmer's Market.
Jam samples from Das my Jam
There was some really nice music playing, and vendors with a lot of nice veggies, food, and flowers. The kids' favorite booth was the Das My Jam booth. They sampled a bunch of jams and picked a favorite: Loganberry Rhubarb. They make other fantastic jams and jellies based on Hawaiian and Northwestern fruit such as Liliko'i Butter, POG, Raspberry Roselle, Strawberry Guava, and Strawberry Pineapple.
On our way out, I chatted with a nice person about the cargo bike, and about how he wishes he had been able to use one when his kids were younger.
Cargo Biking to the Oregon Trail (Museum)
Afterward, we rode to the Oregon Trail Interpretive & Visitor Information Center. The ride there was fine - easily accomplished by e-cargo bike. I couldn't find any bike parking there, so I locked the bike to a metal sculpture of an old covered wagon. The visit was great for the kid. Lots of interactive stuff, and we had played The Oregon Trail earlier to get excited for the visit. It was interesting to see some of the somber realities of the trail and see its profound influence on the settlement of the west.
