Looking for a ride this weekend or next? Or something in the middle of the week?

Two of the best resources I’ve found are OrBike and the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club. There may be sites with better lists or calendars, but I haven’t found them yet, at least for the Portland area. They’re easy to use and allow you to quickly find events around the region.

OrBike has a calendar that breaks rides down by “recreational,” “fun rides,” “races” and other color-coded categories. The Wheelmen do a good job of giving you the basics, complete with phone numbers of rider leaders.

So what’s coming up this week? Here are just three of many rides listed on the two sites:

*Wednesday: The Wheelmen’s East County Summer Series resumes at 9:30 a.m. at Gresham City Park, 219 S. Main Ave. These rides vary from 30 to 60 miles and wander through the roads and hills of East Multnomah County. Parking and restrooms are available at the start.

*Saturday: Beaverton, Banks and Beyond starts at 7 a.m. at Papa’s Pizza Parlor at 15700 Blueridge Drive in Beaverton. It will include routes of 32, 64, 86 and 100 miles through the farmlands of western Washington County. Much of the rides will take place along the new Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway. Registration is $30 through Friday.

* Sunday: Sunday Parkways in Southeast Portland. The event begins at 11 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. It’s the fourth in a series of five rides through Portland neighborhoods this year. It’s free and will feature several stops along an eight-mile route through the area roughly described as east of Southeast 15th Avenue, west of Mount Tabor Park, south of Ankeny Street and north of Clinton Street. Parkways rides are leisurely and draw everyone from beginners to experienced cyclists.

Amtrak recently made it a bit easier to take your bike along when riding the Amtrak Cascades train.

The railroad and the Washington State Department of Transportation announced recently that they’ve added more bike racks in the baggage cars of all Amtrak Cascade trains. Each train now can accommodate up to 10 conventional bikes.

According to a news release, the racks must be reserved in advance. They allow Amtrak staff to hang and secure the bikes on the walls of the baggage cars.

Tandem, recumbent and other non-standard bikes will still require a bike box or bag, however. Travelers who don’t have a bike box can buy one for $15 at Amtrak stations.

Riders can reserve a seat and bike space through www.amtrakcascades.com or by calling 1-800 -USA- RAIL

Amtrak Cascades trains run between Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia. When the route began in 1999, baggage cars could accommodate six bicycles.

— John Killen