Cycle Portland

2008 After waiting months for the 1st of the year to come around, I registered my business with the state like an afterthought and completed my first website. I had already started collecting bicycles and gear for a fleet and the 2007 garage sale season had rained bikes upon me. After taking some time to hone my mechanic skills, I bought liability insurance and completed my first “official” bike tour. I started volunteering for the Community Cycling Center and attended dozens of bike related events. I went to the Car Free Cities Conference, the National Handmade Bike Show, the Oregon Manifest Show, Cirque de Cycling, and raced my first Cyclocross season ( single speed YEah! ) under my own business name. I set up guerrilla style on the Eastbank Esplanade and talked with commuters and tourists about my Ideas. I was picked to show a custom bike in the greener homes and gardens expo. I checked out road races, attended BTA workshops on bike commuting and gave my own workshops wherever I could find a host with space for participants. I volunteered for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance Bicycle Safety Education Program and saw the next generation learn the rules of the road. I rented bikes out of my basement for a while, and ended up buying a short school bus to move bikes around and act as a support vehicle for longer distance bike tours. I got to be on the KBOO bike show and experienced my first Filmed By Bike Film Festival. A busy year for sure and my first whole business season of leading bike tours and showing off Portland’s bike infrastructure. Just the beginning.

In 2007 I learned about Shift a Portland based non-profit dedicated to helping facilitate bike fun. I started going on rides, attending events and experiencing bike fun in a way that made me feel better about myself and the community I live in. Most importantly, I made some great friends. One midnight mystery ride lead to another and soon enough I had experienced zoobomb. I joined the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, experienced my first Multnomah Co. Bike Fair, and let Pedalpalooza take advantage of me. Riding around with friends and sharing these experiences lead to the start of a business model – leading sightseeing and local culture tours -European style -here in Portland, Oregon.

I graduated the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington with a degree in Outdoor Leadership and Education. During my time in school I trained to become a wilderness first responder, took sustainable community design courses, and worked with the Wilderness Education Association of America. I earned my National Trail Guide Cert. – Specializing in group dynamics and guiding techniques. During this time I also completed several independent learning contracts including traveling as a photojournalist in Western and Central Europe, becoming a white water raft guide and whitewater rescue technician, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. This is one of my best achievements representing work towards a long term goal. After working as a freelance mountain and whitewater guide and earning my Oregon Stage Guide cert., I moved to Portland and started a guiding co-op called Intrepid Experience LLC, a place for outdoor educators to share resources.
Portland Bicycle was born from this project and has consumed my attention for the past three years. I needed a vehicle that would allow me to facilitate an equation that sums up my feelings about leading people. Safe Enjoyment + Education = inspiration and conservation.

This years pedalpalooza has been intense. Lots of logistics planning and event management. I’ve led three rides, went on 6 others and have some sort of event meeting everyday. Today’s meeting was about the Multnomah Co. Bike Fair. (MCBF) I’m volunteering as set-up coordinator and staging a bike rental booth. I will also be facilitating a table for the new Bicycle Business League. The Fair is next week on the 27th of June. The mobile bike shop project that was launched again at this year’s world naked bike ride was great and I will use a similar model for both the MCBF and Sunday Parkways. The bike rental shop has been performing well and I’m making lots of friends downtown. More updates and ride reports from pedalpalooza to come.

Rentals, Tours & Bike Shop in Downtown PDX

2008 – Kaboom

history continued

a slice of the past

pedalpalooza – in the thick of it

Stay Tuned Everyone! Its on the way.

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