Pedalpalooza is an annual phenomenon made possible by Shift, a loosely organized nonprofit whose mission is to promote fun on bikes. It takes place for three weeks in June and is known for the big Kickoff Parade and the Naked Bike Ride — but those are just two of the over 300 events that make up the festival.
“We are the figurative sand in the gears of the automobile-dominated Sandy Blvd of today, and we’re actively making it better for tomorrow.” – Ted Labbe, ride co-leader Is Sandy Boulevard the ‘worst street ever‘ or a misunderstood corridor with the potential to be great? The answer will depend on who you talk to; but … Read more
Pedalpalooza is saving Portland right now. Every day, people are coming together around shared passions and connecting on our streets with open arms. It’s exactly the kind of community-oriented, free fun so many of us need right now, and the Art in the Bike Lane Ride held on Saturday was a great example of this. … Read more
As we’ve learned firsthand recently, trees and plants make for very important additions to a bike route. Not only will a lush canopy help keep you cool riding around on a hot summer day, it’s also just pleasant to be able to look around while riding your bike and see the kind of greenery we … Read more
A few years ago, Portlander Keith Jones (who happens be executive director of Friends of Green Loop and operator of The Cart Blocks) was feeling nostalgic for the ’70s and “went down a Yacht Rock rabbit hole.” Next thing you know he was captain of the Yacht Rock Pedalpalooza Ride. What is Yacht Rock? It’s … Read more
Summer has arrived for real and the Pedalpalooza vibes have never been stronger. If you’re having trouble deciding which rides to do, or just need a nudge to get out there, keep reading. To help guide you through the fun options, every Monday we choose one ride from each day that looks interesting and worthy … Read more
Cat people across Portland put on their whiskers and cat ears and gathered yesterday evening for the fourth annual Cat Ride, and it was a purr-fect success. (Groan all you want at my cat puns. I can’t resist.) While most of the attendees simply adopted feline energy with a cat-inspired costume, some kitty whisperers managed … Read more
Hundreds of people donned their finest – or most eccentric – garb and headed to Colonel Summers Park Saturday night for Pedalpalooza’s annual Bike Prom. This event, which was hosted by the Portland chapter of the Dead Baby Bike Club for the second year in a row, capped off the first month of Bike Summer … Read more
If you heard strange music or saw a spaceship bike and people with pointy ears riding around northeast Thursday night, you were not hallucinating. It was the second annual Star Trek Ride held as part of Pedalpalooza. “Are you a Trekkie? If you believe in science, if you believe in infinite diversity and the freedom … Read more
The heat dome that enveloped the Pacific Northwest last June was catastrophic and traumatic for people across the region. Temperatures skyrocketed to unprecedented heights: on June 28, 2021, Portland heat reached an average of 116 degrees. This surpassed not only local records, but also shot past the historic high in Dallas, Texas. At the time, … Read more
Good urban planning means the average person traveling around a city doesn’t need to know anything about what went into designing it – they can just get around intuitively. Peter Koonce, who manages the traffic signals and street lighting division at the Portland Bureau of Transportation, is keenly aware of this. Koonce and his team … Read more
Can you believe it’s already week four of Pedalpalooza Bike Summer. How are you holding up? To help guide you through the fun options, every Monday we choose one ride from each day that looks interesting and worthy of your attention. As always, check out our Weekend Event Guide and Calendar for more of our … Read more
Finally! It appears we have warmer, sunnier weather on the horizon. And it’s a good thing because Bike Summer is still going strong into its third (of 12!) weeks. To help guide you through the fun options, every Monday (sorry, I couldn’t get to this yesterday) we choose one ride from each day that looks … Read more