GreenWorks 2019 Pedalpalooza Picks!

It’s June and that means the peloton of Pedalpalooza rides are already pulling away, catch up!

Pedalpalooza is “a month-long celebration of bicycles and bike culture” put on by a planning committee known as Shift. Portlanders plan rides and Shift helps them get the word out. You can join rides celebrating pretty much anything worth celebrating.

Friday, June 7th is a great example: Take a tour of free things you can get in town, celebrate the movie The Sandlot with your “cap, glove, PF Flyers, a little chaw…”, learn to fix your own bike, celebrate the music of Prince--and ponder the Prince vs. Bowie question, ride to a bonfire at Broughton Beach, and join an event simply described as, “This ride is for the real cyclists of Portland. Keeping it real no babies allowed.” Those are just events happening that day!

But seriously, there are some real gems in the prodigious lineup. Here are a few we at GreenWorks are considering saddling up for:

Not on the tour: Playground at the Portland shipyards, 1945, Portland City Archives

1.  Vintage Playground Ride

11 am, Monday, June 10th

We love our PP&R playgrounds, so here’s a retrospective.

“Portland Parks still have relics of past ages of fun--tornado slides, teeter totters, and merry go rounds. We'll go find them and live dangerously! Ride ends at Foster Streetscape ride.”

2.  North Portland Green Infrastructure and Heritage Tree Tour

2:00 pm, Saturday, June 15th

Green Infrastructure is what get us up in the morning—and Portland is famous for it. This tour helps us all notice just how much there is all around us.

“Join Environmental Services and Friends of Trees on a tour of green infrastructure and heritage trees in the Portsmouth and New Columbia Neighborhoods! On this tour we will visit green streets, eco-roofs, community gardens, and some of the oldest trees in the neighborhood! Our last stop will be at the Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is now bike accessible! We will end where we begin - at McCoy Park.”

Probably on the tour: One of approximately 500 food carts in our fine city. Photo: Flickr/bryan Ochalla

3.  History of Food Carts

11:30 am, Friday, June 14

Our relatively low regulation on food cart operation has a fascinating story, pods pop up (and disappear) everywhere. RIP 10th & Alder!

“Have you ever wondered how Portland became the best town in America for Food Carts. Then you should join Scott Batchelar - the official “Mayor of Food Cart Town” for an informative and delicious ride around Portland to the Carts that started it all. We’ll visit some current and former Food Cart Pods, have some delicious food and learn the history of Portland’s Food Cart Scene. Bring cash for eats!”

4.  E-Scoot E-scoot Ptown Throwdown II Pedalpalooza Edition

6:30 pm, Wednesday, June 19

E-Scooters are bringing interesting questions to our city, questions about infrastructure, equity, and accessibility; don’t ride them in parks, though!

“Brought to you by the ORIGINAL E-SCOOT gang of PDX! Before our corporate overlords Bird and Lime came to town we were the hardcore no-holds-barred antichristic version of Hell’s Angels—only greener and less hateful. This event will intimidate not only your surroundings but what your perceptions are of what is possible on a capitalist scooter. Come bearing your free ride codes, a scooter, and ability to drop major stairs. Actually just show up and have fun, bike or scooter nobody cares. Bring beer.”

5.  Breakfast on the Bridges

7-9 am Friday mornings in June, then the last Friday each month

It’s not a ride, it’s more of a booster club for car-free commuting! Leave home a bit early on Friday, wonderful people will be waiting with coffee and treats.

“Join us for coffee and breakfast goodies on the east end of the lower Steel, west end of the Hawthorne, and/or west end of the Tilikum under the red balloons statue. BonB is a way to build community, provide a little fuel for your commute, and say, ‘Thanks for biking or walking!’”

Wave at GreenWorks green infrastructure projects as you speed by!

6. Ride the Green Loop

1:00 PM, Wednesday, Jun 19, 2019

The Green Loop will be a “central hub for all”. Ride in support of this grand vision, “it’s like Sunday Parkways every day”.

“The Portland Green Loop will be a 6-mile linear park around Portland's central city. Join Friends of Green Loop and expert guests to ride the proposed Green Loop route, stopping along the way to learn about key points such as the Culinary Corridor, Earl Blumenauer Bridge, OMSI Innovation Quadrant and the Broadway Corridor. Find out how you can help make the Green Loop a reality along the way.”

7.  North Portland Sunday Parkways

11 a.m, Sunday, June 30

Sunday Parkways is a summertime neighborhood parade. It “promotes healthy active living through a series of free events opening the city's largest public space - its streets - to walk, bike, roll, and discover active transportation…” What better way to end Pedalpalooza than with a monthly event that continues for the rest of the summer!

“Don’t forget to bring some gold with you to this event to celebrate our anniversary - this will be our 50th ride! This year, the June event will take place at the last Sunday of the month and will take you through a charming 9.5 mile double loop course. Every Body Rides will return and will be located at Arbor Lodge Park adjacent to the universally accessible Harper’s Playground.”