The Fields Park is located right in the Pearl District. There are plenty of shopping and great restaurants to eat at.

Biking

One of the best ways to explore the Rose City is on two wheels.

The Fields Park is located right in the Pearl District. There are plenty of shopping and great restaurants to eat at.

With miles of protected bike lanes (many of which are adorned with special designs), one of the world’s largest naked bike rides, and even a months-long bike festival every summer, Portland is any bicyclist’s dream.

Bike-Friendly Portland

Pedaling through Portland on two wheels is a summertime must. With almost 400 miles (650 km) of bikeways woven throughout the city, Portland is consistently listed as one of the most bike-friendly cities in America.

Portland’s bikeways are made up of bike paths, designated bike lanes and neighborhood “greenways” where bicycles and pedestrians are given priority over cars. In just a few minutes, cyclists can go from riding beneath a canopy of trees in Ladd’s Addition to biking along the Eastbank Esplanade and watching the sunset over the Willamette River. If you don’t have your own wheels, Portland’s many bike rental services and Biketown bike-share program have you covered.

A person standing over an orange bike next to bike stands

Biketown Bike-Share in Portland

Introduced in 2016, Portland’s bike-share program brings 1,000 smart bicycles to the central city.

family on bikes stop in green bike lane, one pointing up with building towering behind them in cityscape

Portland Bike Tours

Bike tours let you see Portland like a local, rolling through neighborhoods along this cycling-friendly city’s many bike paths, trails and lanes.

person with phone in hand stands with three electric scooters in front of a storefront

Electric Scooters (E-Scooters) in Portland

E-scooter sharing lets users rent vehicles via an app for one-way trips. Before boarding, check out our dos and don’ts for riding e-scooters in Portland.

Bike Safety Tips

The Portland Bureau of Transportation provides a page with all the relevant state and city laws pertaining to cyclists.

Know Before You Go

Portland city ordinances prohibit riding bicycles on sidewalks in the downtown area bounded by SW Jefferson Street, SW Naito Parkway, NW Hoyt Street and 13th Avenue.

Most Portland drivers are comfortable sharing the road with bicyclists — in fact, many of those drivers are counting the hours until they can get on their own bikes and ride. However, it’s still a good idea for cyclists to be careful and ride defensively. Some Portland streets are geared more toward cyclists than others, so it’s a good idea to review the biking and walking maps from the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

bike share and e-scooters sit along a green bike path in a downtown city street framed by buildings — Biketown bike stations and scooters parked in front of a car-free bike lane next to McMenamins Ringlers Annex bar on SW 12th avenue.

Bike Boxes

Portland has 15 intersections with green “bike boxes.” These are designed to prevent collisions between cyclists using bike lanes and motorists making right turns. Here’s how they work:

When the light is red, bicyclists should stop inside the green box. (Motorists must stop at the white line behind the box.)
Bicyclists can turn right on a red light at bike box intersections; drivers cannot.
Bicyclists have the right of way on a green light.

Bike Lane Variations

The city is testing two other alternatives to traditional bike lanes downtown: the Portland State University Cycle Track demonstration project on Southwest Broadway from Clay to Jackson; and buffered bike lanes on Southwest Oak between Naito Parkway and Ninth Avenue, and Southwest Harvey Milk Street between Naito and 13th. Use the links above to learn more.

Bicycle Maps & Where to Ride

With bike lanes and paths throughout the city, Portland has great places to ride for cyclists of all abilities.

Let's roll

Biking Events

Bike-loving Portlanders have come up with all sorts of rides and events that fill the calendar with two-wheeled shenanigans. Read on for our top biking events by month, and check out BikePortland for more Portland-based biking news and upcoming events

Worst Day of The Year Ride

March

Die-hard riders will spend 12 months of the year behind handlebars, but anyone worth their chain stains makes it to the Worst Day of the Year Ride . Timed to coincide with the year’s worst weather day, the 15-mile (24 km) fun ride (or 42-mile [67 km] challenge course) ends with cold beer and hot soup at Southeast Portland’s Lucky Labrador Brew Pub .

Tweed Ride

April

The dream of the 1890s is alive during the Tweed Ride, an annual affair in which dozens of riders don their most dapper duds and take a spin on vintage bikes. Expect to see waxed mustaches, fancy hats and a few penny farthings (and don’t miss the after-party!).

Summer Biking Events

Sunday Parkways

May-September

Held in several different neighborhoods each year, Portland’s free Sunday Parkways rides convert city streets into car-free zones, encouraging cyclists to explore different parts of the city. Each event features stops in city parks along the route, with entertainment, food and activities.

bikers riding through a water mister to cool off on a sunny day — Sunday Parkways are fun for the whole family.

Each Sunday Parkways route is closed off to cars and other motorized vehicles from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., allowing cyclists full access to the city streets. Dozens of volunteers are stationed along the route, directing traffic at busy street crossings and providing additional safety measures (and encouragement) for young and less experienced riders. Learn more on the Sunday Parkways website.

Pedalpalooza

June-September

For the expansive months in the summer, bike geeks organize about 200+ events to celebrate all that is cycling during Pedalpalooza. There’s a major menu of rides, performance art, races, taco stand tours, gay pride bike parades, bike polo and more.

a woman riding in front of a group of cyclists with a dog in her bike basket — Many Pedalpalooza rides are open to children — and even pets!

Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride

August

The World Naked Bike Ride is a global event, with rides held in 74 cities from Amsterdam to Perth, but Portland lays claim to the world’s largest ride, drawing over 10,000 cyclists clad in various combinations of swimsuits, underwear, body paint and smiles in 2014. And don’t worry, riding naked in Portland is legal; the event is considered a protest and, therefore, nudity is permitted under Oregon’s liberal free speech laws.

Bridge Pedal

August

The Bridge Pedal is your one chance to pedal fancy- and car-free with nearly 20,000 other cyclists across Portland’s Willamette River bridges, from the Sellwood to the St. Johns Bridge and most others in between. The event’s route includes the top decks of the Marquam and Fremont bridges, normally open only to automobile traffic on interstates 5 and 84.

a crowd of people biking across a bridge — A crowd of cyclists rides west over the Broadway Bridge in summer.

Year-Round Biking Events

Every Sunday

The recipe is insane but simple: The Zoobombers gather every Sunday evening at the corner of Southwest 13th Avenue and West Burnside Street, ride MAX Light Rail to the Washington Park station (Oregon Zoo stop) and bomb back down via the streets of Portland’s West Hills. Regulars prefer to ride small children’s bikes or their own customized contraptions. If you’d rather just get a taste of this particular slice of Portland culture, visit the People’s Bike Library of Portland sculpture at 13th and Burnside