Bike Summer (Pedalpalooza)
Portland's annual Bike Summer festival fills the whole summer with hundreds of free, volunteer-organized rides and bike events for everyone.
The vibe
Portland's whole summer, on bikes
Every summer, Portland does something no other city does quite like this: hundreds of people organize their own free bike rides and invite strangers to join them. That’s Bike Summer — formerly known as Pedalpalooza — and it’s been happening every year since 2004, drawing together every kind of cyclist Portland has to offer. Costume rides, late-night rides, social rides, theme rides, rides that end at waterfalls, rides that end at taco carts. The calendar gets packed fast.
What started as a two-week festival has grown into a three-month citywide celebration. Anyone can host an event, which means the lineup reflects the full spectrum of Portland bike culture — from serious group rides to full-on rolling dance parties. The only real rule is that it’s free and open to the public. You’ll find first-timers riding alongside daily commuters alongside people who’ve shown up every year since 2005.
Check the Bike Summer calendar at Bike-Summer.org closer to summer for the full event listing — it typically goes live in late spring and fills up with dozens of rides per week at peak season. Follow @pedalpaloozapdx on Instagram for announcements, and if you’ve ever wanted to run your own community ride, this is the easiest on-ramp you’ll find anywhere.