(Photo © J. Maus)
[This article was written by contributor Carl Larson.]
It’s officially time to start getting excited about Pedalpalooza — Shift’s 2+ week festival of bike fun that hits the streets of Portland in June.
There are lots of ways to get excited…
-You could read Jonathan’s late-night dumpster-side account of getting lost at the end of a 12 hour long sushi ride.
-You could think back to that time when 5,000 naked people on bikes passed you during a late-night dogwalk.
-You could post your own event to the Pedalpalooza Calendar before Friday!
Events posted to the calendar before midnight on Friday will be included in the printed Pedalpalooza calendar. That calendar is inserted into the Portland Mercury and delivered to bike shops all over the city.
Do you have what it takes to lead a Pedalpalooza ride? Probably. It’s understood that these rides are seat-of-the-pants, volunteer-led adventures. If you’ve got a bike and a fun idea, you can lead a ride.
If you’re intimidated by the calendar deadline, consider this: all you really need is a title, a time, and a place. You can work out the route (I-5 or Glen Jackson?) and all the details (“Cajun” or “Original” Pringles?) later.
Once you get the ride posted, you can focus on the details. In my experience, the best rides have been expertly planned and thought through. If you’d like some tips for leading your ride, join me and Shawn Granton at the Hawthorne Hostel on Monday night for a workshop on bike fun and ride leading. Shawn’s an expert ride leader.
BICYCLE FUN WORKSHOP: HOW TO LEAD A RIDE
Monday May 17, 2010 at 7 pm
HI-Portland, Hawthorne Hostel
3031 SE Hawthorne Blvd (map)
If you want some inspiration or suggestions events you could post, here are a few:
-It doesn’t have to be about bikes. Are you an expert on meteorology, linguistics, or motown? There’s your theme!
-Think of larger groups you are a part of who could be united by a bike ride: spanish-speakers, Girl Scouts, electricians. There’s your theme!
-If you can’t keep it free, keep it cheap. Pedalpalooza is about free fun.
-Not every ride has to be an absurd, beer-soaked, costumed affair. You don’t have to start, stop, or end at a bar or wear a wig.
-It doesn’t have to be a bike ride! It could be a slide show, street hockey on bikes, a lecture…you name it.
Pedalpalooza is only as good as the events you come up with. Don’t be shy. Post an event soon!
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
I’ve thought about leading a ride called “Food for Thought;” a loop that would include Reed college, Lewis and Clark, PSU, and University of Portland, sampling the cafeteria/food carts of each location. What do you think?
Who is leading the BikeSnob ride to Powell’s on June 20th?
go for it!
Mmann: I really like the idea of a ride that takes in all four campuses. It’s worth noting, though, that food service at Reed is pretty limited during the summer (i.e., starting next week): the cafeteria is only open a couple hours in the middle of the day, with limited meal/snack options, and there are no food carts anywhere near campus. Lewis & Clark and the University of Portland might be similar.
“BICYCLE FUN WORKSHOP: HOW TO LEAD A RIDE
Monday May 18, 2010 at 7 pm”
Ummm…. May 18th is a Tuesday this year. So, which is it? Monday the 17th, or Tuesday the 18th?
Thanks k’Tesh, it is monday the 17th of May, 2010.
Have fun at Jonathan and Shawn’s event…you all are in good hands.
PS> Let’s see some more Vancouver and Clark County rides for Pedal Palooza…I even heard the rumour that the MCBF will be in Vancouver this year….sponsored by the City of Vancouver’s office of Economic Development.
Also…for those of you looking for ideas…there used to be a fun family event many paloozas ago…but not seen recently…a childrens’ patriotic bike parade on flag day (14 June). Kids just love to ride their bikes with streamers and balloons…
To clarify, this post was written by Carl Larson, not publisher Jonathan Maus. The bikefun workshop event is being run by Carl and Shawn who are both experienced ride leaders. BikePortland is not specifically involved although we will be providing coverage of Pedalpalooza.
Todd,
I am throwing the NW Pump Track Championships in Vancouver as a Pedalpalooza event, June 12th, 2PM or so.
It will also start with The Dirty Kitty Alleycat, high noon, Esther Short park.
Then at the venue(my house) will be fun neighborhood time trials, probably cul-de-sac Bike Polo, The Pump Track races, and other excitement thrown in.
Hope you all can make it….
I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanna see Matt Piccio’s cute tushies.
Got the 9 to 5 ride posted on Shift last night.
Will soon post the Portland “Tea” Party Patriotic Secession From the Corporate Communofascist Nanny Police-State Ride!
Park Safari 2010, Sunday the 20th! Tell all your kid-toting friends! If your kid rides on your bike (trailer, tandem, tagalong, copilot, xtracycle) then you had better have a good reason NOT to be on the ride!
Cool Dabby…I wish I could see it…
…I will have to tune in via the internet…as I am in Abu Dhabi….and will miss the Pump Track show and much of PP08 this year.
(I always hoped someday…there would be a temp pump track on “Block 10” …. that vacant [city owned] lot next to Esther Short Park. Image a future vision of a full city block with contoured bike trails and dirt hills framed by Mondrian multi coloured painted and stacked [with view gaps] shipping containers…perhaps your event is a first stroke in this direction!)
What temporary better use for this lot…vs. weeds or an auto show lot (Carr/ Copps used it for a while…so how about summer bikes? – more activity than parked cars…calling Economic Development?! Helloooo. 😉