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Courtney Tait
Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More
Pedalpalooza Bike Festival
Every summer, Portland cyclists organize hundreds of fun-filled, public bike rides.
Courtney Tait
Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More
Whether you’re a cycling fanatic, an occasional cruiser or just a lover of fun events, Pedalpalooza has something for you. Held all over Portland, this bike- and fun-focused festival celebrates summer’s arrival with over 100 rides throughout town.
Don’t know where to start? Why not start at the yearly Kickoff Ride at the beginning of the festivities? Dress up you and your bike and take to the streets to celebrate biking and the community. You can also Head to Portland’s verdant Gateway Green, Portland’s very first cycling park.
What is Pedalpalooza?
Inspired by the success of Bikesummer, a traveling event Portland hosted in 2002, Pedalpalooza has entertained bike enthusiasts since 2003. While local bike-fun organization SHIFT runs the festival’s site and helps with planning, anyone can create and lead a ride.
It’s DIY, as is Portland’s culture, with room for every weird kind of ride.
Chris McCraw, SHIFT
“I think the thing that surprises most newcomers (and continues to entertain old hands) is the ingenuity behind some of the rides,” says Chris McCraw, one of SHIFT’s community builders and an occasional ride organizer. “It’s DIY, as is Portland’s culture, with room for every weird kind of ride, from life drawing to scavenger hunts to pub crawls to races to campouts.”
With a mix of family-friendly and adult-only rides, Pedalpalooza embraces bike fun as a way to bring the community together. Many rides — such as Fancy Mondays or the Star Trek Ride — encourage costumes reflecting the festival’s celebratory, non-competitive nature. And while fun with bikes is Pedalpalooza’s priority, in previous years, events like the Climate Ride, Oil Train Protest Ride, Feminist Ride, and Jazz Funeral Ride (memorializing Portland and Oregon traffic deaths) also let people speak out on important issues.
Pedalpalooza for Visitors
Visiting from out of town? If you don’t have a bike, it’s easy to test out Portland’s bike share program, Biketown, or one of the city’s several other bike rental programs. Want to get a taste of Pedalpalooza without pedaling? Head to an event that ends with a post-ride dance, like the Kick-Off Ride Afterparty. There are also slower rides that you can join by foot or pedicab.
Pedalpalooza is a ‘Welcome to summer, get on your bike!’ event that builds community
Chris McCraw
“Pedalpalooza is a ‘Welcome to summer, get on your bike!’ event that builds community,” says McCraw. “Hopefully, people you pass by will get a whiff of that joy — that delightful sense of being yourself and having fun in public — and join us on the next ride.”
Mentioned Elsewhere Online
Shift
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Biketown Bike-Share in Portland
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