Time Magazine wants you to take a bike tour! Given 24 hours in Portland Time list 10 things you should do and number 2 is you should take a bike tour across some of bridges that span the Willamette river through the center of Portland. Our tour takes us across 3 of the 4 (5 beginning next week!) The other 9 must do things are pretty awesome too!
Mar
30
2010
30
2010
Mar
28
2010
28
2010
Mar
26
2010
26
2010
Commuter Dreams
Check out this cool video about a Portland bike commuter who takes the Tour de France to work with him...
(and yes, it is that green and bike friendly here!)
Mar
17
2010
17
2010
Pedal Cargo Bike- All Done!
The pedal cargo bike is up and ready to go! Holly is so excited!
Credit goes to Tom at , for the powder coating and Benn Schonman at s for the decals. Great job guys!
Here's a link to see the photos:
Mar
16
2010
16
2010
Art By Bike- First Friday- April 2nd
Art By Bike- First Friday
Free community bike ride to Southeast Portland’s Monthly Art Walk
We had so much fun last month we’re doing it again! Check out highlights on . On April 2nd feed your soul and stretch your legs with and on a free bike tour from Pedal’s shop (2249 N Williams) to , southeast Portland’s version of Last Thursday where galleries and other businesses throw a street-side party of art, food and community.
Easy riding for everyone, bring spouses, significant others, grandparents, children, even portable pets! We’ll ride on quiet streets through lovely neighborhoods and pause for nourishing art and refreshments at three different galleries.
Date: April 2nd
Time:5:30pm-8:30pm
Where: starting at Pedal Bike Tours, 2249 N. Williams
Stop 1) B. Rogers Gallery
Address: 2415 NE Broadway St.
Telephone: (503) 236-0600
Hours: Wed-Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5 First Friday till 8
Sky, Roads, and Rivers Pastel works by Andrea McFarland.
Stop 2) Grass Hut
Address: 811 East Burnside St.
Telephone: (503) 445-9924
Hours: W-Su 12-7pm and First Fridays
"Balls Out", as in give it your all. A group show of 50+ Artist from all over the country who were given a panel of wood, ink, and felt to do what ever they wanted to do with.
Stop 3) New Space
Address: 1632 SE 10th Ave.
Telephone: (503) 963-1935
Hours: M-Th 10am-10:30pm, F-Su 10am-6pm and First Fridays
Photography show with works by Bryan Wolf and Elizabeth Fleming.
Mar
15
2010
15
2010
The Car That Killed The Hat
The Car That Killed The Hat
I walked the 2 miles to work the other day. I do it sometimes because the dog can't ride the bus, it's good exercise (for me and the dog) and it only takes 30 minutes.
Today's walk was a bit more interesting because of the steady rain coming down. Knowing my waist length rain jacket merely sheds water straight down, leaving me very quickly with wet pants, I opted to put on rain pants. Now I really looked like I was going for a hike, even if it was an urban one.
Now, generally when moving about the city I like to look like I'm a city dweller, not a hiker who's wandered out of the woods and lost his way. The same is true when I'm riding my bike around town. When I'm out on a training ride it's spandex all the way, but for errands, commuting or heading out on the town, I prefer to wear street clothes.
So, as I'm walking along all duded out in my plastic shell with my hood up I began to wonder to myself why I was dressed this way and how I might have dressed differently. For example, I could have worn my mighty fine Pendleton wool coat which goes down to my knees. THAT would shed water nicely, resulting in minimally wet pants, if at all. Of course, then there's the issue of my head, what about keeping it warm and dry? I had a stocking cap on, but that doesn't keep the rain out of your eyes or off your face and neck. A nice wide brim is perfect for keeping the weather off your face and neck, stylishly too.
President Kennedy was credited for "killing" the hat when he stopped wearing one around 1960. But why did he stop? Did fashion suddenly change after hundreds of years, never to return? This is what I think happened: Cars were invented, people started to buy, ride in, and drive them. Cars have roofs, heaters and later, air conditioning, precluding the necessity to dress for the weather. With a car you can move from your warm house to your warm car to the warm store, office, shopping mall, etc. As fewer and fewer people walked from place to place and more and more people used cars the necessity for hats, warm overcoats, etc. dropped rapidly. Finally, President Kennedy was the first one to take that fateful step, leaving his hat in the closet and its fate was sealed. Poof, no more hats.
Recently the hat has been making a comeback in Portland and elsewhere. British driving caps, cycling caps and various brimmed hats are appearing on heads all over the place. Whether this indicates more people are moving around and in need of a head covering to keep the rain off or if it's just pure fashion, I don't know, but it is nice to see hats making a small comeback.
How many other previously ubiquitous things have disappeared with the rise of the automobile and will they reappear as we move slowly away from the hegemony of the automobile culture? We'll see...
Todd
Mar
12
2010
12
2010
Mar
11
2010
11
2010
First Look- The Pedal Bike Tours Cargo Bike
Here it is, the first look at our brand new cargo bike! has been working on this baby for a month now and boy does it look good! It just came back from the powder coater a few days ago and Tom couldn't wait to put it together and take it for its maiden voyage. In this picture it doesn't yet have its kickstand but other than that it's ready to go!
This bike is almost completely made from recycled materials. Tom used a recycled frame for the rear, a children's bike for the front and scrap metal for the box. It's going to be useful for lots of hauling jobs, from Holly the 13yr. old dog, to groceries, building supplies and even humans (hence the sweet bench made from recycled pallets). The seat even has a locking box so you don't have to haul everything around with you.
The dog can hardly wait! (Me neither actually!)
Here are a few photos of the work in progress:
Mar
07
2010
07
2010
Art By Bike- First Friday- Total Blast!
Art by Dan McClary at Launch Pad Gallery
Last Friday 10 art loving bike riders took to the streets to go visit , Southeast Portland's monthly art walk. First Fridays provide arts patrons and enthusiasts the opportunity to wander from gallery to gallery during extended hours on the first Friday of each month. The galleries were all suggested by Bridget Larrabee at , great choices Bridget!
23 Sandy Gallery
Our group met up at Pedal HQ as the sun was setting at the end of a beautiful 61 degree day. We jumped on our rides and headed the few miles to our first stop, Gallery. Tucked away off Sandy Boulevard, 23 Sandy has beautiful big windows and was already full of people enjoying the works by artists such as the wonderful paper cuts by Virginia Flynn and hand made books and journals by Karen Hanmer.
After enjoying these works we rolled along the quiet streets of the Buckman neighborhood, through Ladd's Addition on up Clinton street to where owner Annie Meyer displays her own work as well as the multimedia work of Rachel Austin. Annie's little dog was having a birthday so there was plenty of delicious birthday cake and of course no dog's birthday would be complete without some red wine to toast him with!
On we went to our final destination of the tour. We doubled back the way we came, past the rose gardens and through the industrial area of inner southeast Portland to . There we found and a bar setup featuring Eugene's own beer on tap. Launch Pad's location in a warehouse has a hip edgy atmosphere and was perfect for hanging out with a beer or glass of wine and enjoying the art by Dan McClary, Patsy Blasier, David Lechner, and Jamond Williams and music by The Archers into the wee hours.
Launch Pad
But we weren't done yet! Biking, even meandering slowly from gallery to gallery is a great way to work up a nice appetite so several of the crew decided to go grab a bite. After finding the line too long at the great Japanese restaurant up the street , we moved a few extra blocks to , with its James Beard award nominated . The secret of Nostrana's late night happy hour must be out, because the place was packed at 9PM! However, by the time we were halfway through our first Moretti beer in the waiting area our table was ready and we spent the next 2 hours devouring delicious wood-oven fired pizza, Nostrana's great namesake salad and more Moretti.
As we all got back on our bikes for the ride home everyone declared the night a success and we all promised to meet up again for next month's First Friday. Come join us on April 2nd!
Socializing at Launch Pad
Here's a note from one of our riders (and an artist in his own right) John Holley:
"The Art By Bike - First Friday ride was the best group cycling experience I've had in 20 years of biking in Portland. It was fun to see a wide range of art at several diverse galleries. The many interesting conversations with friendly fellow bikers made it even better. Thanks Todd for providing a thoroughly enjoyable bike tour at just the right pace. John Holley"
Thanks to you John for coming along, we'll see you again next month!
Todd