PORTLAND, Ore. -- Bicycle flat? Call AAA.

File photo

Bicyclists heading down an Oregon road

Bicycle service is now officially included in AAA service across Oregon and in some southern Idaho counties, according to the company.

John Porter, AAA president for Oregon and Idaho, said it just made sense given the popularity of bike riding across Oregon, and he was proud to be the first club in the U.S. to start the service.

“Our members are concerned about fitness, the economy and the environment. Whether our members are riding for fun or commuting to work, we'll be there to offer assistance if their bicycle breaks down," Porter said.    

The service applies to all bicycles -- road bikes, tandems, mountain bikes, rentals, hybrids, cruisers and even bicycle trailers.

Any AAA Plus member with roadside service is eligible. A service vehicle will be dispatched from the nearest contracted station if and when a member becomes “disabled.” Members just need to present an AAA card at the time of service, Porter said, and he or she will be offered a ride within a “direct return route” to the station that serviced the bike.

Bicyclists who are covered may also request a ride to any point within a 25-mile radius of the breakdown, or to any “point of safety” in the town or city the breakdown occurred in.

Services are only offered to covered members and not other parties of a bike ride.

AAA pointed out that 2 percent of Portland’s population commutes regularly by bike, with a 28 percent increase in bike traffic last year across the metro area. Bike traffic on Portland-area bridges increased “a whopping 322 percent” from 1991 to 2008, according to city statistics.

Boise has similar statistics, according to the club.