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Pedal Rolls Out Portland Pot Tour

A new form of tourism is sparking up in Oregon, and Pedal Bike Tours is leading the way – marijuana tours.

Guests purchasing pot on October 1st.

Guests purchasing pot on October 1st.

With recreational marijuana now legal in the state, Pedal Bike Tours is giving guests the chance to pull back the curtain on Oregon’s thriving marijuana industry with the launch of the state’s first cannabis-centered tour, the Portland Pot Tour.

Did you know hemp was one of the Willamette Valley’s first commercial crops? The Portland Pot Tour covers how Oregon’s fortunes have long been tied to the cannabis plant, bringing us up to legalization today. So in addition to the fascinating history, riders on the tour will learn the current laws for purchasing and consuming cannabis products, as well as get direct access to some of the finest pot available – and we’ll do it all by bike!

“People are curious about legal weed, and we’re excited to show them what’s happening,” says Pedal Bike Tours owner Todd Roll. “Who knows if this will be the state’s newest tourism draw, but either way, this ride will be pure fun.”

The relaxed 9-mile ride takes riders to some favorite dispensaries, like Canabliss and Gras, as well as legendary head shops like Third Eye Shoppe and Mellow Mood. Guests can browse and shop for the finest locally-grown and organic strains, hand-blown art glass and carved wooden pipes. The tour also includes delicious “pairings” with a couple munchy stops, including ice cream (yes: vegan options are available).

A stop at Canabliss dispensary in SE Portland.

A stop at Canabliss dispensary in SE Portland.

Prices include a bike, helmet, guided tour, food and a joint of local marijuana at the end of the tour ($69). Riders will not consume marijuana on the tour itself, but are welcome to purchase products for later.

Date: Daily
Time: 3:00PM to 6:00PM
Where: starting at Pedal Bike Tours, 133 SW 2nd Avenue

We hope you can join us for this one-of-a-kind bike tour!

Pedal's new limited edition Portland Pot Tour t-shirt. Get 'em while you can!

Pedal’s new limited edition Portland Pot Tour t-shirt, available at our shop.

We’re Rolling in Honolulu!

This past week has seen a flurry of activity in our new Honolulu branch of Pedal Bike Tours!  With shiny new bikes all built and ready to roll out the door for rentals and tours, lets take a look at the international standings:

So far the Canadians have outpaced the Yanks in Oahu bicycle tours by nearly 2 to 1.  With strong showings from the provinces both British Columbia and Quebec, the Canucks could really run away with the bike tour gold by month’s end.

In short, Uncle Sam wants YOU (to take a bike tour).  So do your patriotic duty, and sign up for one of our daily bike tours of either Honolulu or the North Shore.  Lady Liberty awaits!
_Kamehameha
On the bike rentals front, we have seen a whole host of nationalities sporting our bikes on the streets of Honolulu; folks from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, and the small island-nation of Austin, Texas.

Of course there are also the Dutch…

As with cheese rolling, wooden shoes, Calvinism, and post-impressionist painting, the Dutch are winning in the bike rental category. Our new friend Michiel (visiting from the Netherlands) decided to rent a Jamis Commuter 3 for the whole week.  He loved his bike so much that yesterday he stopped by the shop to see if he could keep his bike for another two weeks.  ‘Fine by us’ we said, as he made like a Dutchman and split this joint.

Happy Pedaling everyone! And come see us at 150 Kapahulu Avenue in Waikiki.

_Waikiki Riders

Free Rides with Pedal Bike Tours!

If you love art and bikes, you’ll have a blast on one of our monthly guided bike rides to the art galleries of Portland’s Pearl District and the SE neighborhoods.  On the first Thursday and Friday of the month the Pearl and SE galleries stay open late and offer free food and drink.  Not to be outdone, we’re providing bikes and helmets for free on the ride.  So stop by our shop and come ride with us!  We will be leaving at 6pm and returning at 9pm. Check out our calendar for specific dates.

First Thursday Ride
1 – 3 miles to the Pearl District art galleries, flat terrain
First Thursday Information
Pearl Gallery Map

First Friday Ride
5 – 10 miles to SE Portland art galleries, a few small hills
First Friday Information
SE Art Galleries Map

Questions?  Call 503-877-2453.

Cheers,
Pedal Bike Tours
133 SW 2nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
www.pedalbiketours.com

We Rode, We Donuted, We Pinballed!

Gathered For The Ride

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

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

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

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

You Must Concentrate, Grasshopper

Bikeable Bend

It sure is. Bendians (Bendites? Benders? Bendies? Bendos?) People from Bend, Oregon have one more thing to brag about besides skiing, rock climbing, Deschutes brewery, exquisite views of the cascade peaks, high mountain lakes, a lot more sun and a lot less rain than Portland- a great bike path network. We went over for the weekend and the weather was cool, crisp and fragrant with the spicy smell of woodsmoke. Meanwhile on the west side of the mountains the rain fell in dense sheets.

On previous trips I had noted the multitudes of mountain bikes and road bikes alike, all gleefully riding on magnificent paths often separated from the road by a lushly landscaped median. This trip we brought our own city bikes, intent on experiencing the paths for ourselves.

I’m happy, very happy to report we hardly had to ride on a bike pathless or laneless road the entire time. Even the main road right in front of our hotel, which was a mile outside of downtown in the big box store and mini-mall zone had a bike lane. The desk attendant hesitated only a moment when asked how to ride up the Deschutes river, (which I knew you could do at some point for several miles). Although her directions didn’t work out, we still had a lovely time getting lost, and she got points for not staring at us for asking what is, in most small towns in America, a flabbergastingly stupid thing, biking being strictly for children and those too poor or witless to buy a car.

Even in Portland, it’s not uncommon for a fat, luxurious bike lane to suddenly disappear, casting the hapless cyclist into the teeth of his deadly steel neighbors. Naturally it was the same in Bend, but less so than Portland which is one of only three platinum level bicycle friendly communities in the country! Like Portland, bike lanes ended without warning, but invariably once we turned the corner, hurray, there’s another bike lane!

Bend is full of traffic circles. Rich, retired Californian emigres plus tiny cowboy town equals instantaneous and massive town planning, emulating Europe on the scale of the reconstruction of Dresden after WWII. The result is a well thought out master planned town complete with a mall built around an old lumber mill and a river famous for its fly-fishing and world-class rapids meandering through downtown.

City planners didn’t forget bicycles when they put in these alternatives to intersections. As the bike lane approaches the traffic circle, it merges onto the sidewalk and the cyclist proceeds around the circle until choosing their direction, whereupon the path reappears. This kind of thought and, more importantly, expense is awfully impressive and almost unheard of. Combine this infrastructure with the restaurants, parks and brewpubs in town and great riding outside of town and you have bicycle nirvana. Good for you Bend!

Oregon Tours

1 (503) 243-2453 info@pedalbiketours.com
133 sw 2nd avenue portland, or, 97204