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Pedal Power’s Street Serenade

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


Cargo Bikes to Save the Day!

Disaster (517x800) (414x640)Imagine this: It’s two days after the big earthquake… roads are broken, fuel is unavailable, but your family and neighbors need supplies. Think you are out of options? Think again! Use your cargo bike!

Portland cyclists are called to test their navigation, problem solving and load hauling mettle on October 17th, 2015 in a disaster drill designed to showcase the relevance of cargo bikes in disaster relief.

Portland’s 4th annual Disaster Relief Trials (DRT) is a cargo bike competition that makes a visual display of the potential of bikes as a key component of disaster response and recovery. In a friendly competition between human-powered vehicles, self-supported riders will carry up to 100lbs. of cargo while navigating a course of 10 predetermined checkpoints throughout North Portland. At each checkpoint, riders will overcome obstacles (e.g. concrete barriers, deep water, rough terrain, etc.) or complete tasks designed to simulate providing disaster assistance to their community.

The 2015 DRT will have a “hub-and-spoke” checkpoint arrangement, centered at the University of Portland. Riders will begin on campus and return periodically to the “hub” at the University of Portland to complete disaster relief challenges, making this year’s event especially spectator friendly. The LeMans start, barrier crossing, flood fording, awkward load lashing, and harried relief cargo delivery will all be located at the campus hub. All are welcome to come to the University of Portland to watch the riders accomplish their challenges and for a resilience fair with information and activities to get you prepared for any disaster.

In addition to being a challenge for riders, the DRT will serve as an exercise for other aspects of community disaster response such as Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams (NET), local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), and the newly developed Oregon Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST).

2015 DRT Sponsors include: University of PortlandPortland Bureau of Emergency ManagementMultnomah County Emergency ManagementCascade Regional Earthquake Workgroup

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Portland Pedal Power will be participating in this exciting and important upcoming event and we hope you’ll join us!

 


Long Live Cargo Bikes!

Disaster Relief TrialsCargo Bikes will be in the spotlight at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry this Saturday, July 13th, as the second annual Disaster Relief Trials and the inaugural Cascadia Cargo Bike Fair star at OMSI’s Sustainable Transportation Expo.

The Disaster Relief Trials (DRT) puts cargo bikes and their riders through a simulation of a major natural disaster during which fuel is in short supply and emergency vehicles are unable to access major roads and bridges. Last year, 30 competitors took part in the DRT, which used Velo Cult Bicycles in NE Portland as its command center, but the scope is much bigger in 2013. The field has been increased to 40 riders, with the addition of a category for electric-assist bikes, who will set out on a 30-mile course that will “demonstrate and challenge the cargo bike’s capabilities in a disaster response situation.”

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Delivery. The New Portland Pedal Power Video!

Yup, I left the title straight forward because that’s all it should take! Get the Portland Pedal Power experience! Your favorite sustainable company for food delivery in Portland has a new promotional video that will give you some deeper insight into our business operations. Starring PPP rider Colin, we follow him in this video through a daily routine heading from the garage to the pick up site (Zupan’s), and all the way through to delivery. We like to think we’re a fun bunch, and Colin looks mighty handsome in that rider shirt!

Check it out and leave us a comment letting us know, “What a day in your life looks like”.

Delivery from Portland Pedal Power on Vimeo.


Holy cow, why is bicyclinghub.com is riding a PPP bike in STP?

Coming this weekend (July 14th & 15th), as you may or may not know, is one of the largest bicycle events of the year, and possibly ever.  This is the weekend of Seattle to Portland (STP).  When I say big, I mean 10,000 strong big, including a couple of our very own Portland Pedal Power peeps!  Yet when you see our PPP bicycle enclosures, it won’t be Pedal Power riders on there, but Douglas Duguay from Bicyclinghub.com!

So at this point, you’re bewildered I know.  “How did bicyclinghub.com get a PPP cargo bicycle enclosure?” one may ask.  Well that’s simple, first and foremost bicyclinghub.com ROCKS our socks (quite literally) and Doug is our friend.  Secondly, he paid us.  Yes, that means what you think it does, we are now making our bicycles available to the masses!  Starting a couple weeks ago, Portland Pedal Power began a new service, “PPP Bicycle Rentals.”  This is a service where you may rent one of our fabulous hybrid marketing/ cargo bikes for any event of your choosing and have it for your promotional and cargo needs.  And what better way to spread the word and kick off the bicycle rentals than with Bicyclinghub.com during STP?

“…they’re doing giveaways out of the rented PPP bike”

Whats more, if you’re one of the 10,000 riders participating in STP, keep an eye out for the PPP bike with the bicyclinghub.com logo on the back (as seen above) towards the beginning and end of the race, because they’re doing giveaways out of the rented PPP bike.  You could get bicyclinghub.com coupons, Chamois Butt’r and perhaps even some swag from one of many bicycling hub vendors.  Bicyclinghub wants to reach out to their current and possibly new customers and give you a warm and friendly “sup”.  Just make sure that if you make that awkward eye contact, you give the friendly nod hello just like you would if you were walking down the street. So don’t let your skin get all agitated mid-race because you didn’t you find Doug on the PPP bike for some Butt’r!  Stop by, say hi, friendly nod, Butt’r.

Now just because we won’t be riding the cargo bikes, doesn’t mean that we won’t be there as well.  Keep an eye out for select PPP people who decided to partake in the ride and be sure to give a friendly “Howdy do” as you pass on by!  We love to chat and say hello!

Extras:
Course Map
Event website

For more information about events around Portland and the NW, and other PPP news, stay tuned and subscribe to our blog!  Or follow us and keep in touch on Facebook!


Meet PPP’s founder; Ken Wetherell

Hello all you wonderful PPP followers!  I hope you all have been enjoying such wonderful weather and the sunshiney spring that we’ve been having lately!   I know we’re a couple shades darker!  So as much as we want to know you, our customers/ fans/ partners/ clients/ and readers, we want you to know us to!  Where did we come from?  How did we start?  What does Ken do in his normal life setting when he’s not building wicked crazy things like rockets?  So at the beginning of the season of the sun on May 6th, 2012 I sat down at a Starbucks in Sellwood to chat with Ken a little bit more about his life, and dig a bit into the beginnings of Portland Pedal Power!

Ken Wetherell is probably one of the most brilliant easy going people I’ve ever met.  Almost like the mad genius in television shows that are fun, funny, and also solve all the problems that have occurred throughout the duration of the series as well.  Ken is the mad genius of Portland Pedal Power, so keep reading and get into the mind of a genius. (more…)