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A Day with Evening Land Vineyards

by Brandon Allwardt

The Willamette Valley has been carving a spot for itself in the world of wine for more than fifty years. We wanted to go experience it at its best. Enter Evening Land Vineyards. The vineyard was planted in 1984 and they’re one of the finest wineries in the Willamette Valley. They consistently earn praise and accolades, while using sustainable farming practices. Since we partner with them, we wanted to see the vineyards for ourselves. We packed up one of our bikes, grabbed some friends and headed out to Hopewell.

Taking in the View

We couldn’t have picked a better day. The sun was out in force (We definitely needed more sunscreen) and the view of the distant snow-capped mountains over the tops of the grape vines was breathtaking. We could see five peaks- including Hood, Adams and St. Helens. It was so exciting to see that Oregon’s wine industry has come so far and is so strong — and this spot was perhaps its penultimate vantage point. 

Sipping and Swirling

After taking in the view, it was time to drink the wine! Greeted by Evening Land’s Hospitality Manager AJ, we were showered with some of the best wines we could’ve asked for. Rosé (which is sadly already sold out), chardonnay, gamay noir, and pinot noir all tasted amazing. It’s hard not to like tasty wine when you have a great view. As we sipped and swirled, AJ educated us. Evening Land has been dry farmed since its inception and since 2007 the biodynamic practices lead to becoming LIVE certified.  

In between the Rows

After a couple of tastes, we needed to start the bike photoshoot.  The bike moved all over the place. For instance, it teetered on the edge of the hill for a moment. Then it was in the shade. And then we got down on the ground in the grapes to get the perfect photo. We wrapped it up with a fun group shot. 

It’s great to partner with companies that align with our goals of sustainability and that partnership came together for a fun day. All in all, it was a glimpse into an industry that’s so close to Portland. On your next day off, just hop in the car and go visit some of the best that Oregon has to offer. Make sure you stop at Evening Land and tell ‘em we sent you!

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PPP Prepares For Reach The Beach

by Marketing

On Saturday, May 18, Portland Pedal Power riders—along with three thousand Oregon cyclists—will take part in Reach The Beach, an annual bike ride to benefit the American Lung Association.

We’ll be riding to raise money to help those who suffer from lung disease today, and to stop the spread of lung disease tomorrow through education, community service, advocacy, and research. We want to ensure a future with clean air, healthy lungs and smoke-free workplaces for all.

It works like this: riders raise funds from their friends/family/colleagues/etc. to support the American Lung Association (every rider raises at least $150), and then we ride together from Portland or one of the other start locations all the way to The Pelican Brewery in Pacific City, where we’ll celebrate with a big beach party to mark the start of the 2019 summer cycling season.

(No pressure, but if you’d like to make a small tax-deductible donation to the cause you can do so here; just click the tab marked Search for a team and type in “Portland Pedal Power” and our team pop right up.)

It is 101 miles from the start of the ride to Pacific City. Of course, not every participant rides the whole way. Lots of folks form teams and complete the ride as a relay, while others begin from one of the three alternate starting points: Carlton (72 miles), Amity (55 miles), or Grand Ronde (26 miles).

The Portland Wheelmen Touring Club (PWTC) started conducting training rides starting on February 16, 2019, so if you’re interested in participating but want to get warmed up first you can jump onto those. You can get more info about that here.

Personally, we here at PPP will be training the same way we always do: by providing delicious catering by bicycle to our wonderful clients all over Portland.

We haven’t confirmed final numbers, but we are going to be putting at least 10 riders on the road this year. We’re super excited for the ride, and for the gourmet finish line dinner and beach party at the Pelican Pub.

Maybe we’ll see you there? Click here to register for the ride and let us know in the comments below if we should keep an eye out for you.

 

 

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The Portland Pedal Power Pack is Growing!

by Tech Crew

Thanks to your support, PPP is growing. Meet our newest members…and their pets!

We’re confident that these friendly folks will keep the gears at PPP running smoothly, so you continue to receive top-notch sustainable service, pollution free, and worry-free. Check out their stories below.

~Aaron~

Position: Chief Operating Officer

Where are you from, and how long have you been in Portland?

I’m from Palo Alto, in the Bay area. I’ve been in the Portland area for 2 1/2 years, and I’m not leaving!

Favorite hobbies/ things to do in Portland?

Eating at new restaurants, being outdoors, going to live shows of any kind.

Aaron’s dog, Meadow

Favorite restaurants in Portland?

Tasty and Alder, Renata, Irving St. Kitchen.

Favorite thing about working for PPP?

The incredibly nice, hard-working, committed people.  

Favorite place to bike in Oregon?

Bend

What are you riding now?

Frankenstein titanium hardtail mountain bike

 

~Shawna~

Position: Marketing Specialist

Where are you from, and how long have you been in Portland?

Originally from the Midwest, I moved to Portland three years ago, after my Peace Corps service in Lesotho. High five for anyone who knows where Lesotho is!

What do you do outside of PPP?

I’m an MBA Sustainable Systems candidate at Presidio Graduate School (Seattle). In my free time, I bike, practice yoga, adventure with my partner and our dog, fiddle around with the fiddle, and get myself lost in the woods.

Favorite restaurants in Portland?

Shawna’s dog, Happy Peanut

Ate-Oh-Ate, Boxer Ramen, Handsome Pizza, Tasty and Alder, & Wolf & Bear’s

Favorite thing about working for PPP?

The culture at PPP is refreshing, engaging and fun. Our leadership encourages everyone to contribute their unique skills to special projects so that it creates a thriving community of people bringing their whole selves to work. I also love that our company is majority woman-owned and that our company is built on sustainability.

Favorite place to bike in town?

In town, Marine Drive and the Springwater Corridor. When there’s time to venture out of the city, I’ll hit the Banks-Vernonia Trail.

What are you riding now?

Salsa Viya (more…)

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Welcome Scott and Shelly to the PPP team!

by Scott Wanhala

PPP is excited to welcome Scott and Shelly to the team. Here’s a little bit about the both of them.

Hello, everyone my name is Scott and I am the new Marketing Specialist here at Portland Pedal Power. I come to PPP with experience working with nonprofits, project management for advertising agencies, and brand strategy for startups. I look forward to growing the PPP brand to align with like minded organizations and businesses in Portland.

What did you have for breakfast? I love cereal. So cinnamon and honey oats along with almond milk for the ride.  

Most useful bike commuting item? Dynamo lighting set-up hands down to keep the lights bright and always shining without the use of having to charge batteries.  

Favorite food spot in East Industrial Portland? Nongs Khao Man Gai, the Ankeny St location!

What’s your favorite park in Portland? Peninsula Park in North Portland. The symmetrical grid layout of the rose garden is pretty unique. In the summer it cannot be beat!

What other interests do you have? Fly fishing, racing cyclocross, bike touring, and sleeping under the stars.

What made you want to work at PPP? The PPP model of a homegrown sustainable business is the right direction to position the future of our towns and cities. I want to educate other businesses that a innovative full circle sustainable model can save them money and help empower the community around them.

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Hello, my name is Shelly Proschold and I am the new Catering Manager / Dispatch here at Portland Pedal Power. My family and I moved to Portland in 2015 from Sonoma County, California. My previous role I was the Artistic Director for H-Town Youth Theatre. Here in Portland I have continued to express my creativity through Event Planning and Catering. I am so excited to be working with PPP to continue to provide excellent service and customer relations.

What did you have for breakfast? Oatmeal with blueberries.

Most useful bike commuting item? PPP rain jacket.

Favorite food spot in East Industrial Portland? Pacific Pie, and tea from Starbucks. 

What’s your favorite park in Portland? Forest Park.

What other interests do you have? Hiking, acting, and teaching.

What made you want to work at PPP? I wanted to move to Portland and find a job that is unique to Portland. PPP checks all those boxes.

The PPP team is thrilled to welcome Shelly and Scott to the bicycle powered catering crew!

 

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Building Beautiful Vintage Bikes

by Marketing

Rider Daniel shares his passion for building vintage bikes

_mg_0006_1Little known fact about the people behind Portland Pedal Power: we have a deep passion for bikes! Daniel Erle, one of our longtime Brand Ambassador Riders, recently shared with us some fascinating details about his devotion to building and procuring vintage bikes. These bikes are pieces of bicycle history!

It is always interesting to hear about the latest bike project he has been working on, and witness the final result. Below, Daniel Goes into serious detail about his process and passion.

 

Seven years ago I was browsing bikes on eBay and I stumbled across a very expensive, fully restored 1940s Bianchi with a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa derailleur. I had never seen one like it and was fascinated. A few years later I came across a late 1940s Fabrica Imola frame with Cambio Corsa derailleur and matching hub set on eBay. It was my size and for sale in my home town, 3,000 miles away, so I took that as a sign and purchased it. After that, I spent almost two years collecting parts, mostly from Italy, to complete the bike. I sourced as many period correct Italian parts as I could find and had the hubs laced to modern, vintage style rims.

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Late 1940s Fabrica Imola with Cambio Corsa derailleur

When the bike was finally built up I rode it through the summer and it’s a blast; the ride has a very vintage feel to it but it’s fast and surprisingly light at just over 24lbs. The Cambio Corsa derailleur takes a bit of courage to get used to but is a lot of fun to use. The dropouts on the rear of the frame are longer than normal and have teeth cut into their tops. These mesh with teeth in the rear axle which keeps the wheel straight when it’s in the frame. To shift you stop pedaling and reach back to open the extended quick release on the rear wheel. You then pedal backwards and use the second lever to move the chain on to your desired gear. You can then close the quick release and continue pedaling forward. An interesting part of the Cambio Corsa system is that since you are shifting with the rear wheel unhooked, the wheel travels forward and backward in the frame as you shift. That bike now hangs on my wall waiting for nicer weather and a replacement rear axel.

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1959 Phillips

My 1959 Phillips was given to me by a friend; it had sat untouched in his yard for several years so I stripped it to the frame and gave it a full overhaul. I put fresh grease and grade 25 bearings in the headset, bottom bracket, and wheel hubs. I also cleaned and polished all the chrome. The bike was originally a deep burgundy but has mostly faded to flat brown. An uncommon feature of this bike is that the brakes use rods, rather than cables, to pull the brakes against the inside of the rims, rather than squeezing them from the sides. It has a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub dated December 1958. Almost every other part on the bike, aside from the Dunlop rims, is stamped ‘Phillips Made in England’. In 1960 Phillips brand was sold to Raleigh.

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1983 Ross Mt. Whitney

I’ve only recently become interested in vintage mountain bikes. I found my 1983 Ross Mt. Whitney locally on craigslist. When I purchased it, it was set up as a touring bike with drop bars and vintage French fenders. It had the original wheels, cranks, pedals, and front derailleur. I stripped it to the frame and began collecting all the original parts.

The bike is a blast to ride, and it has been my savior this uncommonly snowy winter. At some point Ross began making primarily cheap department store bikes but they were pioneers in the early mountain bike market. In 1983 they had the first professional factory sponsored mountain bike team, the Ross Indians.

My current project (pictured below) is the gold frame 1950s Dutrion Super Luxe. I purchased this frame from France on eBay for $50 and had it shipped to the US for significantly more. The frame is made from rather heavy low end steel but it is in excellent condition and has mounts for fenders, front and rear racks, cantilever brakes, frame pump, and generator lights. It even still has the small loops under the down tube for routing wiring, which had a propensity to break off. I am building this bike with high end period correct French parts, with the intention of taking it touring and bike camping. I have a long way to go with this build but I have already collected a few interesting parts, such as a chainstay mounted Simplex Grand Prix Dural rear derailleur and the wheels, which are 1950s normandy hubs laced to 1950s Mavic 650b rims. This bike will also wear the vintage French aluminum fenders and Mafac cantilever brakes that were on my Ross when I purchased it.
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Works in progress: 1950s Dutrion Super Luxe (gold frame) and 1947 Paris Professional.

The other frame pictured above is a 1947 Paris Professional which, despite the name, was made in England by Harry Rensch. The frame is bronze brazed (or bronze welded as Harry Rensch called it) Reynolds 531 butted tubing with Cyclo dropouts. I had the frame sandblasted and clear powder coated to show off the brazing. This also shows the pitting in the surface of the steel that arose from years of rust and neglect, but perhaps scars add character. I have been slowly collecting parts for this bike for almost two years, doing my best to not cut corners and keep everything close to period correct. Some of the interesting parts I’ve accumulated for this build include 1940s Chater Lea pedals and cranks and 1950s GB brakes. The wheels will be Constrictor Conloy rims laced to Bayliss Wiley hubs with 15-17 gauge double butted spokes. The rear hub was purchased as new old stock from England in its original box. It is a 1940s Bayliss Wiley ‘freewheel hub unit’ which is interesting in that it does not accept a freewheel, but rather it is a freehub that accepts three fixed gear cogs of various sizes to make a geared three speed. I consider it very much ahead of its time.
We hope you all enjoyed the massive amount of detail and love that Daniel has put into his bikes! For more questions about his work, email Dan directly at [email protected]. 
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Pedal Powering the Workplace

by Marketing

unnamedPortland Pedal Power has just received the Sustainability at Work Silver Certification from the City of Portland, ending 2016 with yet another milestone in a record breaking year of growth and sustainable delivery.

Milestones this year include: winning the Bike More Challenge in our category, voted Best Delivery in Willamette Week’s Best of Portland issue, filming an awesome and epic brand anthem video, and scoring some great coverage on the KGW News about our company. PPP also delivered lunch for over 1,700 hungry office workers a week, resulting in over 16,000 miles traveled and over 12.5 tons of CO2 emissions saved using bikes instead of vehicles. The company has continued to grow in profitability year after year since 2009. We’ve been busy!

Offices who use bike delivery can add this to the list of their internal practices to achieve certification from Sustainability at Work. We encourage local businesses to get certified too.

We’ve had a great year and we look forward to working with you all in 2017. Here’s to a more sustainable future! Happy New Year!

holiday-card

Our holiday card for 2016

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Profiled in the Portland Business Journal

by Marketing

Read All About Us!

Our company was profiled recently by Pete Danko, contributing writer for the Portland Business Journal (PBJ). It is a great piece about our start-up roots and our continued growth. Read the full piece and check out the PBJ slideshow on us as well!

pbj-article09132016

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Pedal Power’s Street Serenade

by Marketing

We’ve recently produced a video anthem internally here at Portland Pedal Power with the vision and hard work of Timothy Wildgoose, a talented former rider who has since gone on to be a cinematographer.  He worked to capture the city of Portland and what we do here at PPP. We all absolutely love how this piece turned out and we hope you will give it a look.

I love what Tim had to say about this project as well:

“I used to do deliveries on bicycle, my first job in Portland and definitely a very Portland job to do. I loved being on the street, it allowed me to meet people of all kinds from kids selling Street Roots to CFOs of the largest tech firms, and lots and lots of restaurant and food cart owners. I got a real intimate impression of our city and loved spending my days outside in the air, in the seasons, and watch it all change. And I loved those moments where everything came together, it all lined up, the whole world was silent for those singular moments of pure beauty.

I always imagined how I could turn this into a video that other people could experience. After imagining this for a couple years I finally hit the road with Portland Pedal Power this spring with cameras on bikes. Yep, we managed to film this entire piece using only bikes – my camera car was a tricycle – no grip truck, no sprinter vans, just bikes. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. Thanks to the friends that came out for cameo appearances and to the folks at Pedal Power for pulling different roles from camera car pilot to rain makers.”

Music · Solo Mio by Mr. Moo

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SCOOOORE! PPP Voted Best Delivery in Portland

by Marketing

Best of WinThe people have spoken! Portland Pedal Power was voted Best Delivery last week in the Willamette Week Best of Portland issue. We beat out services like Postmates, Delivery Dudes, and Caviar for the win. Just goes to show that Portlanders like to keep it local. We are more than a sustainable homegrown company, we deliver from only the best local vendors and we pride ourselves on excellent, responsive customer service. We’ve built the service from the ground up, constantly improving, since 2009. We’re a startup that never stops!

Our win caught the eye of local newscaster Keely Chalmers of KGW News and she called us up Thursday morning for a news segment that came out AWESOME! Check it out. Producers snapped a GoPro on one of our delivery bikes and caught some great footage of us zipping around town during a busy lunch rush.

PPP News

Watch the video!

KGW was particularly interested in our commitment to sustainable delivery, picking up on the fact that our bike deliveries save approximately 11 metric tons of C02 every year.

Just today we delivered about 700 meals to hungry locals, featuring big orders from vendor favorites such as Tamale Boy, Pacific Pie Company, Garden Bar, Cha! Cha! Cha!, and Aprisa Mexican Cuisine.

We are proud to be appreciated for our delivery services in one of the best cities for food in the US. We are gonna keep riding, keep dishing up the goods, and making the best delivery even better.

Thanks, Portland, for the love!

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