My kids on the Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride.
(Photos: Madi Carlson)

Happy Pedalpalooza! My kids and I joined over a thousand others on the Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride on Saturday and we’re excited for more bike fun! Hundreds of rides with all sorts of themes for all sorts of people will take place this month and a lot of them are kid friendly.
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Fremont Bridge in the background as hundreds of Kickoff riders made their way on the route through northwest Portland.
(Photos by Eric Thornburg/no.lens.cap)

Pedalpalooza is off and running. And from the amount of smiles at Saturday’s Kickoff Ride, y’all are ready for it!
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One month until you can spread our wings and fly into Pedalpalooza!
(Photo: Eric Thornburg/No.Lens.Cap)

It’s still a month away, but it’s so big you need at least that much time to get ready. Yes, of course I’m talking about Pedalpalooza.[Read more…]

Portland photographer Eric Thornburg’s images of Pedalpalooza rides are a testament to what “free bike fun” in Portland is really all about.
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We had a great group for the Kidical Mass ride to Cargo Bike Roll Call on Sunday.
(Photos: Madi Carlson)

I’m incredibly excited to be experiencing my first June as a Portlander, which means my first Pedalpalooza!

Our Family Biking column is sponsored by Clever Cycles.

➤ Read past entries here.

Organized by the all-volunteer Shift, Pedalpalooza is a month-long festival filled with hundreds of bike events, organized by anyone who wants to lead a ride. There’s hopefully something for everyone. Most events are bike rides and most have a fun theme, but anything goes (like Bladepacking, “like bike packing but on BLADES SKATES AND BOARDS. This is an overnight”).

There are so many rides, it can feel overwhelming. Here’s how to navigate it all and find rides that are fun for families.[Read more…]

(Photos by Aaron Brown)

From the wonky to the wacky, the seventeenth annual Pedalpalooza has shown that Portland’s creative, inclusive, free, and fun bike culture is alive and well.

Here are some highlights…[Read more…]

(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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(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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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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Armando (center) at the Photo Booth ride Thursday night.

Armando Luna is everywhere. From monthly advocacy meetings to late-night party rides — this guy soaks up the cycling scene.

During Pedalpalooza — the month-long, grassroots festival of creative bike rides and events — he kicks it up a notch. So far this month (we’re 21 days in), he’s attended 29 rides.

I recently asked a few questions to learn more about him and his impressive Pedalpalooza prowess…

What’s your background?

I moved to Portland in 1996, fell in love with it and then fell into a job at OHSU, where I still work. I commute by bike every workday from my home in Hollywood. I am grateful for being able commute by bike, for OHSU partnering with Go By Bike bike valet, and for my work paying bike riders to ride to work. (And the tram rides!)

How long have you been doing Pedalpalooza rides?

I don’t really know! I don’t remember the early years, mostly because I was a new dad, that sort of took everything over. When the kids were young they ended up attending a daycare downtown, so when they were old enough I’d pull them in a trailer to daycare, then ride to work.

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