Gearing up in Normandale Park in 2014.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

Portland’s annual Pedalpalooza festival starts on Thursday and will wrap up June 27 with Oregon’s biggest pay-what-you-will bike ride of the year, which also happens to be the largest clothing-optional bike ride in the world.

The 2015 edition of Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride will begin gathering in Colonel Summers Park, at Southeast 17th Avenue and Taylor Street, at 8 p.m. The roll-out will start at 9 p.m. and the ride is so big it usually takes an hour or more before all of the participants are moving.

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From Portland’s first Kidical Mass in 2008.
(Photos: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Kidical Mass PDX, the tradition of family bike rides each month exploring neighborhoods around Portland, will hold its annual planning meeting one week from Saturday and is inviting anyone who might have ideas to join in.

“We’ve had a pretty stable leadership the last few years, and that’s been great,” said Katie Proctor, who took the handlebars of Kidical Mass in 2010. “But we also are feeling a little set in our ways, so we’re looking for new blood to come in and shake things up.”

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Paying homage to Portland’s unofficial Rudolph.
(Photos by M. Andersen/BikePortland)

If there was any question that “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a TV movie for the ages, the number of generations who joined Saturday night’s mobile singalong should put it to rest.

“I’ve been watching it every year since I was a kid,” said Tom Howe, the ride’s leader. “The music is timeless.”

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Finally, the cloud cover you moved to Portland for.
(Photo by J.Maus/BikePortland)

After weeks of terrible, ice-cold sunshine, it looks like Christmas and New Year’s are rolling into Portland the way they’re supposed to: warm and gray. What better way to celebrate than with a bike?

We’ve recently heard about two fun, free group rides of note here in town: One on Dec. 26 and one on Jan. 1.

The first, organized by the grouchy but erudite Urban Adventure League mastermind Shawn Granton, is a “Country Bike (in the City) Ramble.” Here’s Granton’s description:

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Organizers Tom McTighe and Laura Recker with the afternoon’s haul.
(Photos by M.Andersen/BikePortland)

In an event organizers said might be the first of a new tradition of charity-oriented bike fun in Portland, 96 cheerful people pedaled across the city Saturday to gather an assigned list of goods from the city’s grocery stores and co-ops.

The alleycat-inspired game, which was part of a 14-year-old American tradition called Cranksgiving, brought in $1,573 worth of dry goods for Outside In, a local nonprofit that helps homeless young people and other marginalized Portlanders.

“This isn’t a race,” one organizer said at the start. “But because this is America, there’s going to be a prize for the first team back. And because this is Portland, there’s going to be a prize for the team with the best costumes.”

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Sun, wide-open country roads — what more could you ask for?
(Photos by Jonathan Maus for The Pioneer Century)

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Event Name: Echelon Gran Fondo
Event Start Date: September 26, 2010
Start Time: 8:30:00 AM
Web Site: http://www.echelongranfondo.org/portland/index.html
Event Description: Echelon Gran Fondo in the Columbia River Gorge is a festive and scenic road ride event with distance options of 30, 60 and 100 miles. Team Radio Shack’s Chris Horner rides along as ambassador of this exciting benefit for OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and the Livestrong Foundation. Enjoy the party atmosphere, race if you’d like during the 40k timed section or just enjoy the views of Mt. Hood as you pedal past entertainers and cheering spectators toward the finish line feast in Hood River.
Register yourself, a team or sponsor other riders today.

Event Name: 8th Annual Harvest Century Presented by Showers Pass
Event Start Date: 9 October 2010
Start Time: 7:00:00 AM
Web Site: http://www.harvestcentury.org

Event Description: Choose from 100, 75, 45, and a 3-mile looped routes from Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon. Registration fee is $45 for the 3 longer routes and there is no-charge for the family route. Proceeds from this scenic and well-organized event benefit Community Vision.

Contact: keberwein(at)cvision(dot)org

We’ve got a great lineup of events this weekend, and the weather promises to be at least partly cooperative.

Friday, September 18

Friday is Park(ing) Day
On Park(ing) Day, on-street car parking spots are temporarily turned into parks of all sorts. Metro is celebrating the occasion all over the region to promote its Intertwine trail network (and to contribute to it, at least until the parking meters run out).

5:30: Kidical Mass Downtown
Bring your parents and meet at the playground at NW Park and Davis for a friendly ride around downtown.[Read more…]

Portland Farmers Market has announced that this May will be their first-ever Bike Month at the Market.

Throughout the month, the Saturday PSU Market will host a bike booth featuring bike displays, bike inspections and biking experts to provide market-goers with the information and inspiration to tote their produce and artisan foods home on two wheels instead of four.

According to a survey conducted at the market, 60% of shoppers arrive by car. And a visit on any Saturday morning finds a serious parking deficit and slow-circling cars hunting for a spot near the booths. Market organizers say they hope that Bike Month will help solve the parking problem as well as encouraging the community to make the connection between local food and sustainable transportation.[Read more…]