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We Are the Champions!

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Aidan and Brook are so happy!

Cue your favorite celebratory Queen song, because we won the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Bike More Challenge for our division this year! We were neck in neck with Shower’s Pass just about the whole month of May, still we managed to pull ahead in the final hour, beating them by a mere 200 miles and change.

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Courtney, Jenn, and Ken at the Reach the Beach ride, from Portland to the Coast, May 21st.

One of the things that helped us squash our friends at Shower’s Pass, is that we had four of our staff members in the Reach the Beach ride on May 21st — a 100 mile ride from Portland to Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon Coast. So that right there is a whopping 400 miles racked up in one weekend!

Of course, we were able to count all rides this year (unlike previous years of the challenge which only counted commute miles), meaning we racked up a good deal of miles on our standard delivery routes. Each of our riders averages approximately 10-15 miles per shift, which works out to about 1250-1500 delivery miles per month. Over the course of the year, we save approximately 10 metric tons of CO2 delivering food by bicycle.

Aside from the satisfying triumph of crushing our opponents in thundering defeat, we really enjoyed participating in the Bike More Challenge this year, which had record numbers of participants and was easier to use (with integrated apps like Moves and Strava to track mileage). As usual, the BTA does an awesome job of bicycle advocacy and community building.

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Donuts help soothe the sounds of deafening defeat.

So, like all gracious and triumphant champions should, we rode our bikes down to Shower’s Pass last Friday (National Donut Day) with a dozen Delicious Donuts especially for them. Hopefully this was some consolation.

We will be out at the Bike More Awards Street Party tomorrow evening with donated goodies from Delicious Donuts, Pearl Bakery, Sterling Catering and Cookies, Ruby Jewel, and Happy Sparrow. We’ll be right next to the Nossa Familia table (who we also deliver from). Come say hi, eat a donut, and ask to see our giant trophy!

Info about the party:
Link to invite: Here
Wednesday, June 8 from 5-7:30 p.m.
Where: SE 6th Ave between Showers Pass & Islabikes
Who: All Bike More Challenge participants!

Featuring:
Beer & Pizza! Ice cold Hopworks beer ($5 each or $10 for a refillable pint glass) and FREE Hotlips pizza. Plus a raffle where you can win a  REN Cycles WAYPOINT bike or a Sugar Wheel Works wheel set!

 

 


Happy Sparrow – Bringing the Kolache to the NW!

happysparrow1If there’s anything we love more than delicious food at Portland Pedal Power, it’s delicious unique food that you would struggle to find anywhere else. The kind of food that makes someone do a double take and say “Wow, where did you get THAT?”

That’s why we are very excited to be delivering for Happy Sparrow Café, who specialize in making the Kolache (kuhlah-chee)!

Now if you’re anything like me, you may have never heard of a kolache. But Happy Sparrow’s creations compete with bagels and donuts as the favorite breakfast meal in Texas. A pastry that competes with donuts? Color me surprised… and more than a little curious.

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So what is a kolache?  According to Mary and Danny Quach, the owners of Happy Sparrow,  it’s a “sweet soft bun filled with yummy fillings, then baked to a beautiful golden delight.” Like many things in life, it’s the insides that count! (But take it from me, the outside is just as tasty!) This special pastry was brought over to the States by Czech immigrants, and once the locals in Texas got a taste, they couldn’t get enough.

Today, Mary and Danny continue the tradition of creating delicious Texas-Style Kolaches like the ones they enjoyed growing up in Houston and Austin. But now, they get to use some of the best local Northwest ingredients resulting in a fresh and delicious treat. You will find Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, Zenner’s sausages, locally crafted fruit preserves, all fitting inside a hand-rolled, lovingly made treat.

On our menu, you will find kolaches for the sweet tooth, savory kolaches for those looking for a hearty breakfast, and even mini kolaches for those just looking for a quick snack before work. No matter how you’re feeling, there’s a kolache to compliment the mood.

So what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor: try a kolache, and change the way you look at breakfast!