Bike Tours, wants to guide
you to work.
(Photo © J. Maus)
North Portland-based Pedal Bike Tours wants you to “Ditch the car and discover the best route to safely ride your bike to work,” and they have a novel way of helping you do it.
The company, founded by Todd Roll back in November, will offer guided rides from North and Northeast Portland to “show new bike commuters how easy it is to get downtown.”
Roll says that with the onset of Spring “there are lots of people who are just itching to ride to work instead of being trapped in the car but are unsure of the best route to get there.” Roll hopes these events will show people how easy it is to find a safe and efficient route.
The rides will begin with a look at maps and period stops to discuss alternate routes. The destination will be the Portland Farmers Market at the South Park Blocks on the campus of Portland State University. On the return trip, the rides will stop at Pedal Bike Tours’ home base on Williams (which is conveniently shared with Metropolis Cycles, owned by Todd’s brother Nathan) for refreshments, free bike checks and discounts on tune-ups.
If you don’t have a road-worthy bike, you can show up and rent one from Todd.
Here are details on the two rides:
-
Saturday, May 16 at 8AM
meet at Little Red Bike Café (4823 N Lombard)
The ride is 6.2 miles each way
Saturday May 23 at 8AM
meet at Delphina’s Bakery (4636 NE 42nd)
The ride is 5.8 miles each way
Sign up for the cost free rides at info@pedalbiketours.com or call (503) 916-9704
If you haven’t checked out Pedal Bike Tours lately, you should. Todd is doing a great job establishing his company, volunteering at local non-profits, and making the community stronger. He’s got an entire menu of rides that are perfect for visiting house guests, new residents, or anyone just looking to learn more about Portland on two wheels. The rides last 3 hours and cost $39 (bike included). Learn more at PedalBikeTours.com.
oh maaan…do you realize how much bike traffic this is going to create? I was 10 people deep in line the other day in the Rose Quarter…It is time to stop encouraging bike commuting…
Just Kidding! Great idea! Some people are hesitant to take the first step and this will help!
Todd is a great guy who is engaged in N/NE, and I encourage everyone to support his business.
Likewise, his brother Nathan’s bike shop at the same location on N. Williams, Metropolis Cycles, is worth your business. As opposed to up-selling me, Nathan actually encouraged a cheaper fix. And he let me borrow a bike for free while the repair was done.
When I was in Portland looking for housing last December, Todd created a custom tour for me to check out several close-in neighborhoods in NE and SE. It really helped me get a feel for what each area was like. It was money well-spent for certain.
Pedal Bike Tours actually sounds pretty cool. No that I read about it it might be a service I would suggest for out-of-town guests.
I enjoy having a shop I can stop in on on my ride home.
Here’s an unsolicited idea: If a bike needed service, someone could drop it off at Metropolis on their way to or from work and (perhaps for a deposit) use one of their beaters, or Pedal Bike Tours rental bikes, until the repair was completed.
When the repair is done, return the loaner and ride your own bike either home or to work. This would save time schleping a bike around in a car. It might be a nice opportunity to check out a different bike for a change too.
Car repair places do this, why not a bike shop? Metropolis/Pedal Bike Tours seem well positioned to fill this niche.
Todd also scheduled all of the meetings with legislators for the Oregon Bike Summit. A big undertaking and extremely valuable! Thanks Todd.
$39 for a three hour tour seems about right. It seems that the tours are catering more toward locals, however. How could you get more out of town people involved I wonder?
Portland Bicycle Tours does this for free. I attended one of their bike commuter workshops (also free) and they gave several people one on one route planning assistance.
The Safe Routes To Work rides are 100% free. Check them out at http://pedalbiketours.com/about/new.htm. Come along to learn how to get downtown, to help someone else learn or just for a nice ride.