Pedal Bike Tours Blog

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 our blog. On April 2nd feed your soul and stretch your legs with Pedal Bike Tours and Art Scout Art Consulting on a free bike tour from Pedal’s shop (2249 N Williams) to First Friday, 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 www.grasshutcorp.blogspot.com

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 www.newspacephoto.org

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.

Gathered For The Ride

Woo hoo!  Last Saturday approximately 15 pinball/bike riding fans rolled out of the shop and hit the streets to go in search of some fun.  Led by our staff pinball wizard Miles, we hit the road en-masse on our way to four stops around the city.

Outside Red Flag

We left the shop and headed east, through the quiet streets and mansions of Irvington, our longest ride of the tour.  On the edge of the Laurelhurst neighborhood we found our first stop, Red Flag.  The fact that’s it’s a relatively new bar with four pinball machines goes to show how popular pinball still is.

Keeping right on schedule we hopped back on our steel steeds and shot the short distance to our next stop, The Standard.  Another newish bar, The Standard is tucked cozily away off the main drag of Burnside.  Once you pass through the patio into the bar you’re greeted by five gleaming machines of pinball beautaceausness!

Working It

After several quarters worth of ‘balling we tackled the deepening gloom with one thought in our heads, donuts!  Past the former headquarters of Jantzen swimwear we pedaled at top speed to reach the second incarnation of that purveyor of deep fried delights, Voodoo II.  The line was so long we had to take turns standing in line and playing games.  A few pinheads even decided to try their skills at the bubble hockey table.  Lucky, lucky Laura (she of the “Bile” t-shirt) actually got the VERY LAST Bacon Maple Bar!  Now that’s some good ju-ju!

mmm, Bile

Stomachs fortified by dough and heads buzzing from sugar we rode through the Lloyd district back to our own dear neighborhood and into our last stop Billy Ray’s Neighborhood Dive.  When was the last time you visited a bar set in an old house with the entire second floor devoted to pinball?  That’s right, we moved in, took over and ‘balled until we were spent.  (Bonus, the Blazers beat the Mavericks on the tv behind us).

In time, some pinners moved reluctantly on to other pursuits while others were still pounding the flippers way into the wee hours.

Great tour everyone thanks for coming!

See more photos here.

You Must Concentrate, Grasshopper