Kirk Paulsen wants to “get you psyched to ride your bike.” That’s the rallying cry of his new business, Pedal Portland. If you have a bike gathering dust in the garage and want to use it for more than just Sunday Parkways and Bridge Pedal, you can hire Paulsen to show you the ropes.
Paulsen’s idea is to offer personal, one-on-one consultations designed to take the guess-work out of riding bikes. Whether you have a bike and just aren’t confident to start riding it around town yet, or if you are completely new to riding, Paulsen wants to help.
(Photo © J. Maus)
He offers two packages and also has pricing for couples and families. For $90, Paulsen will help you get set up for errands and riding in city traffic. Once the bike is properly equipped, he’ll help you find the best routes in your neighborhood and then accompany you on your first ride, offering tips and insights along the way. A similar package for folks without a bike runs $150 with the added service of bike purchasing guidance.
Paulsen, 27, was new to biking himself when he moved to Portland back in June. After completing his undergrad in civil engineering at Washington State and then working for a transportation engineering firm in Seattle for two years, he came to Portland and “immediately took up biking.” Now it’s the main way he gets around and he is “absolutely in love with it.” In fact, his love of biking is what inspires him to share it with others and it also inspired him to return to school to get a graduate degree. He’s currently attending Portland State University with hopes of specializing in bike research.
Since bicycling is just a recent thing for Paulsen, he knows that it can be stressful at first. “I want to be there to alleviate that stress,” he says, “because it will only get easier each and every ride after that.”
Learn more at PedalPortland.org.