(Photos: Jonathan Maus)

Last night’s Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride was everything we could have hoped for: Perfect weather, an intriguing route, and a massive turnout that set this year’s month-long fun fest on a course for limitless adventure and romance.
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Fresh new singletrack to be ridden on the southern coast!
(Photos: Whiskey Run MTB Fest)

Register now to save your spot on June 9th.

[This post is part of a paid promotional partnership.]

You probably don’t know there are 11 miles of new, professionally-built singletrack trails open and ready to ride on Oregon’s southern coast just north of Bandon. And that’s why the Whiskey Run MTB Festival exists: to help you discover one of Oregon’s best-kept riding secrets. That’s also why we’ve teamed up with local businesses and tourism promoters to help spread the word about it.

The inaugural event is on June 9th and consists of a ride in the morning (three routes to choose from) and a big afterparty celebration at Bandon Brewing Company. The rides are lead by members of the Wild Rivers Coast Mountain Bicycling Association.
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Scenes from the inaugural Skull in 2017.
(Photos: Harney County Chamber of Commerce)

About 130 miles east of Bend lies the small, high desert town of Burns, Oregon. People from the Northern Paiute tribe have lived there for thousands of years. Today, like many eastern Oregon towns, the area gets by mostly on farming now that most of the big timber is gone.

But there’s another natural resource that is just coming into its own: unpaved roads that are perfect for bicycling. And an interesting partnership of local, state and federal agencies are leading the charge to promote them. The marketing vehicle for this new discovered asset is the Skull 120/60/30/Relay ride — a combination endurance/gravel/cross-country/sightseeing race/ride that will roll out on its second annual edition June 16th.
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Just a few of the 25,900 people who attended Sunday’s event.
(Photos: Greg Raisman)

Sunday Parkways is one of the best Portland events for kids who like biking. It’s also great for kids who like playgrounds, bounce houses, food of any sort, dancing, art, music, etc. This week I’ll share a bit about Sunday’s first event of the season. And because there are four more to come, I’ll also share some tricks I’ve learned to get the most out of them.

Our Family Biking column is sponsored by Clever Cycles.

➤ Read past entries here.

Last weekend’s Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways was especially great for us as it was the first time my kids rode their own bikes at this event.

We attended last year’s “Sellwaukie” (Sellwood/Milwaukie) Sunday Parkways, but I carried both kids on my longtail cargo bike. And our very first Sunday Parkways was Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways 2016 with a bakfiets from the Clever Cycles rental fleet.
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(Image: Eric Thornburg/@no.lens.cap)

Remember the idea we posted about a few weeks ago to create a loaner library for ride leaders?

The woman who started the GoFundMe, One Hwang, and the rest of our wonderful community, ended up raising $560 ($60 over the goal). And now the Bike Fun Library is an actual thing.
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Lush green forest canopy was a constant companion along East Buck Creek Road.
(Photos: Jonathan Maus)

The sixth annual Oregon Triple Crown kicked off in Waldport on Saturday in nothing short of ideal conditions for a day in the saddle.
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(Photos by James Buckroyd)

Looking to get back in the cycling swing of things? Metropolis Cycles (2249 N Williams Ave) is hosting a free commuter clinic (that I’ll be teaching) on the first Monday of each month starting in May.
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Teresa Bubb’s design is inspired by the Paul Bunyan statue that watches over the Kenton neighborhood in North Portland. See all 15 finalists below.

A panel of judges has picked the finalists in a design competition that will bring new colors to Portland’s fleet of Biketown bikes.

And it’s time to vote on them.
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One Hwang at the 2017 Tiki Ride.
(Photo: Eric Thornburg)

This story was written by Portland bike fun enthusiast and Shift volunteer, One Hwang. (Please note: This project is not affiliated with Shift or Pedalpalooza.)

Pedalpalooza 2018 is right around the corner and the bike fun community fire is burning hot. This year we want even more people to organize and attend Pedalpalooza rides, so we’re going to try something new: A Bike Fun Library with everything you need to lead a successful ride!

Members of the public could more easily organize their own Pedalpalooza ride if they had access to a bike ride equipment library, where they could borrow for free a flat bed trailer, sound system, disco ball, batteries, and radio transmitter. Furthermore, if they receive training on how to welcome women and other underrepresented groups, they could help create a more inclusive bike community and address factors that discourage these groups from participation.

We will soon create the Bike Fun Library. And we need your help to make it happen.
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This could be you!
(Photo: Cannon Beach Fat Bike Festival)

*This post is part of a paid promotional partnership.*

If you’re looking for something fun to do on a bike this weekend, consider the Cannon Beach Fat Bike Festival.

The Oregon Coast is a perfect place to ride a fat bike. And Cannon Beach — just 80 miles west of Portland on Highway 26 — is the closest place to do it.

I first heard about the Cannon Beach Fat Bike Festival from our friend Daniella Crowder at Oregon Rides & Events — who also happen to be the owners of Bike Newport, a shop that won the Adventure Cycling Bicycle Travel Award in 2010. Wanting to get more people on bikes on the coast, Daniella and her crew worked with the Cannon Beach Tourism & Arts Commission on a three-day event full of rides and activities.

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