Pedalpalooza is on! Last night about 250-300 people gathered at Laurelhurst Park in Southeast Portland for the first big event of this year’s Pedalpalooza — a 17 day celebration with over 200 bike events.
The parade looped through Southeast and then headed into downtown via the Hawthorne Bridge. We took over Naito Parkway and then filled all the lanes on SW Broadway before headed back east via the Morrison Bridge. The ride ended up at Irving Park in Northeast.
Here are just a few of my personal highlights:
- I ran into Michael Andersen, the reporter behind new transportation magazine, Portland Afoot.
- Cargo bike builder Tom Labonty’s excellent beer keg bike was on hand.
- A Sven and Greta sighting (my first).
- Taking over the Morrison Bridge with bikes was a treat.
And one highlight that deserves special recognition is Timo Forsberg’s new bike, which is signed by none other than NYC’s DOT Director Janette Sadik-Kahn. Timo has an unabashed policy crush on Ms. Sadik-Kahn, so when his girlfriend Esther Harlow saw a limited edition signed Batavus up for sale, she bought it and had it shipped from NYC! Yesterday was the bike’s maiden voyage and Timo — clearly smitten — even carried with him a photo of Sadik-Kahn signing the bike and a certificate of Authenticity!
The signature.
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The proof.
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What fun! And a great way to get the Pedalpalooza juices flowing. Many more great rides and events ahead. Check out the calendar and stay tuned to our Special Coverage Page for all the latest news and updates.
For more of the faces and bikes in the parade last night, check out the slideshow below: