Russ Roca
The cycling culture Mecca of western US
It can be difficult to pick out specifically bike-friendly places in Portland because, well, that’s every place. The city boasts hundreds of miles of bike routes, over 70 on-street bike corrals, and business owners who go out of their way to accommodate patrons arriving on two wheels.
Meets
Pedalpalooza (all over Portland!) 2+ weeks of bike fun every June. Anyone at all can organize a ride – as a result, there’s a huge range, from wacky to nerdy to sporty to sexy. Literally something for everyone.
Powell's City of Books (1005 W Burnside St.) The vast stacks include a good selection of local travel guides, many bike-oriented. Check out their book-themed bike rack out front.
Vegan mini-mall (SE 12th and Stark) A vegan convenience store, vegan clothes & gift shop, and vegan bakery cafe with to die for doughnuts on Saturday and brunch on Sunday. All in one building, with ample bike parking.
BikeCraft (location varies; early December). A huge annual craft fair devoted to handmade bike-related goods. Drink beer, gaze in awe, shop, meet people. Worth a trip.
Eats
Hopworks BikeBar (3947 N Williams Ave.) Bike décor galore, but the best part is the massive bike traffic you'll experience on the way there.
Cartlandia (SE 82nd Ave. and Springwater Corridor Bike Trail) Portland's only food cart pod that's directly on an off road bike trail. Far from usual tourist spots, and well worth the detour.
Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St.) Ride up Ankeny or Couch to this independent theater for pizza, microbrews, and $4 movies (including lots of classics).
Courier Coffee (923 SW Oak) Sure, Stumptown is good. But Courier is better. And it's all done by bicycle. And it's a block from Powell's.
Sleeps
The Ace Hotel (1022 Southwest Stark St.) Hip boutique hotel with free custom bikes for guests to use and a Stumptown cafe in the lobby.
The Jupiter Hotel (800 E Burnside) Rents out city bikes.
The Hawthorne Hostel (3031 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) Staying here is the next best thing to crashing with your bikey know-it-all friend.
The Friendly Bike Guest House (4039 N Williams Ave.) A laid back, cozy hostel with a minimum three night stay. Doubles as a dorm for the nearby United Bicycle Institute.
The Mark Spencer (409 SW 11th Ave.) Fancypants digs with a bike tour package available, bike parking in the garage and an on-street corral out front.
Streets (Rentals)
Waterfront Bicycle Rentals (10 SW Ash St.) Reliable, friendly bike rentals and tours. Tandems and trailers for kids available. Centrally located.
Clever Cycles (908 Hawthorne Blvd.) Rent a folding bike, a cargo bike or a Dutch bike, or just peruse their selection of urban riding clothes and accessories. Hip inner southeast.
Streets (Shops)
CityBikes Annex (734 SE Ankeny St.) One of the oldest bike co-ops in the country. Good selection of sensible riding and rain gear and a loft full of used bike frames to choose from.
Bikeasaurus (1337 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) If you can't make it to BikeCraft, this tiny shop is the next best thing. Not a bike shop at all, but a perfectly curated selection of practical and beautiful bicycle lifestyle accessories.
Author Bio
Elly Blue is a writer living in Portland. She is also half of PDX by Bike, an information service for people who want to discover Portland by bicycle.
Latest Comments
visiting portland
Posted by jake April 03, 2012 09:08:02