File photo: 6/8/06
June is fast approaching and that means Pedalpalooza is coming!
Ever since BikeSummer was held here in 2002, a local bike group called Shift has been organizing Pedalpalooza, a 2+ week celebration of bicycles that is simply unrivaled anywhere in the world.
It all starts with a big parade downtown, followed by a huge party and Naked Bike Ride, then after two weeks of daily rides it all comes together at the Multnomah County Bike Fair.
Last year, one of my favorite rides was the Mobile Mystery Dance Party. A big group of us met at the Salmon St. Fountain and rode through downtown, stopping at various places to dance and get crazy.
Dancin’ in Pioneer Square
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Mobile dance parties allowed use of full lane.
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Pedalpalooza is an all-volunteer, community effort. All the rides — last year there were 143 of them — are created and led by people just like you. Each year, a printed ride calendar is insterted into an issue of the Portland Mercury.
If you want to create a ride, and have it included in the printed calendar, you must submit it online by May 1, at 6PM. Use this handy form to get started.
File photo: 6/8/06
Never led a ride before? It’s easy and fun (heck, even I can do it). But just in case you need a bit of guidance, check out Shift’s handy list of tips.
Stay tuned for more Pedalpalooza coverage. I’ve published daily ride reports and photos of all the madness for the last two years, and this year I’ll be doing it again. In the next few days I hope to have a special Pedalpalooza page up and running (I’ve got to organize my archives).
Check out the great rides already listed on the 2007 Pedalpalooza calendar and don’t forget to add an event of your own!