This post was made possible by Portland Design Works, a local company that designs beautiful and functional parts and accessories for everyday cycling. Ben is one of three winners of our Ride Along Contest we held last March.

A 20-mile pre-dawn bicycle commute might sound horrible to some people; but if anyone can enjoy such a long haul it’s Vancouver resident Ben Sanders. [Read more…]

Kimberlee Chambers crossing SE 122nd and Halsey.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

— This post was made possible by Portland Design Works, a local company that designs beautiful and functional parts and accessories for everyday cycling. Kimberlee is one of three winners of our Ride Along Contest held last March.

From neighborhood highways to neighborhood greenways, from bike paths that double as both wildlife corridors and homes to families with nowhere else to go, Kimberlee Chambers’ 12-mile work commute offers a stunning diversity of riding experiences.[Read more…]

Ben and Kate Cogdill outside her preschool in northwest Portland.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

— This post was made possible by Portland Design Works, a local company that designs beautiful and functional parts and accessories for everyday cycling. Ben Cogdill is one of three winners of our Ride Along Contest that will be featured in the coming months.

In many ways Ben, Jenica and Kate Cogdill are a typical Portland family. But when it comes to getting around, they’re a rare breed. The Cogdills live and work downtown and bicycles suffice as their family vehicle. While Portland’s inner neighborhoods have some of highest rates of family biking anywhere, it’s uncommon to see kid-toting parents amid the hustle and bustle of the central city.

[Read more…]

We’re excited to announce the winners of our Ride Along contest!
[Read more…]

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Portland Designs Works. And we’re kicking it off with a contest that will win three lucky readers $300 worth of PDW gear.

This fantastic local company first sprung into our hearts back in 2009 and has really hit their stride in the last few years thanks to a line of smartly designed products, creative spirit and authentic commitment to our community.

Now, PDW has stepped up to be the official sponsor of our Ride Along series! That’s the regular feature we’ve been doing for just over three years now where I meet up with a reader at their house and join them for their ride into work. Along the way, we get to know the person and we see their ride — the good, the bad, and the ugly parts — from their perspective.[Read more…]

Ali Reis, on SW Broadway en route to her job just east of Raleigh Hills.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

This post is part of our SW Portland Week.

Ready to rock.

Alexandra Reis (she goes by “Ali”), a 30 year-old social worker who lives in north Portland’s Overlook neighborhood, is one tough cookie. She earned her urban cycling stripes on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan while going to graduate school at New York University. Now she’s putting her street smarts to use on her 11-mile daily commute to the outer limits of southwest Portland.
[Read more…]

This post is part of our special focus on east Portland this week.

Not every bike trip east of I-205 is terrible. In fact, parts of Kathleen McDade’s daily commute from Gateway to Ventura Park are downright pleasant. But as is often the case here in east Portland, it’s the crossings of major arterials that really make her nervous.[Read more…]

Ben, Liam and Campbell McLeod roll out of their driveway in Sellwood on their way to school this morning.
(Photos J. Maus/BikePortland)

This morning I joined Ben McLeod and his two sons, Liam (9) and Campbell (7) for their ride to school. They live in Sellwood, just a few blocks east of Sellwood Park, and the boys go to Cedarwood School in Lair Hill. The trip is just about four miles and it includes some of the best and worst biking conditions that Portland has to offer.
[Read more…]

Vancouver resident Branden Shelby outside Torque Coffee.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

[Read more…]

Paul Cole outside his apartment building in Old Town.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland

Welcome to the latest installment of our Ride Along series, which is sponsored by MetroMile.

Prepare to be envious of Paul Cole’s commute. This 29-year-old northwest Portland resident has a commute that’s only about 1.5 miles, most of it on relatively low-stress streets, and he also gets to ride over the Willamette River every day.

Cole, who works in marketing for a software firm, lives in an apartment in Old Town at NW 5th and Everett. He moved to Portland from St. Augustine Florida in 2007 and hadn’t ridden a bike since childhood when he moved here. One day he stumbled into Bike Gallery during one of their big sales and bought a bike. “I was kind of nervous at first,” he recalled, as he packed his panniers and got ready for work (he stores his bike in his apartment).
[Read more…]