Ride the Parkways Before Summer is Spent

August 19, 2015 by Marketing

Sunday Parkways this Sunday!

Heya Portland, I know you’re over the heat, but one of the last Sunday Parkways is this weekend, so grab your bike and get rolling. The SE Parkways ride is one of the larger rides of this series, circulating around Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers, Sewallcrest and Ivon Parks. In all the parks along the way there are opportunities to stop and grab some yummy eats, listen to tunes, and you can even jump into a dance or activity or two.

Last summer I rode the SE Parkways ride and it was a lovely cruise through the neighborhoods with cute kids selling lemonade along the way, lots of free stuff from promo booths, and some of my favorite food carts cooking up eats. We’re lucky to live in a town committed to free community events like this one.

Find us for free stuff and #DriveHope

The ride takes place this Sunday the 23rd, from 11am to 4pm, and the total route is 7 miles. Have a look at the handy Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways route map. Then take a moment to check out what activities, musical acts, and fun events await you at the event by checking out the brochure.

Portland Pedal Power will be out with our big bikes this day promoting the #DriveHope campaign. Our partner Point West Credit Union is donating $5 dollars per hashtag (#DriveHope) to raise awareness for Metropolitan Family Service’s “Ways to Work” program, helping families get to work (with purchasing a car, refinancing, repairs). We will be encouraging folks to share what drives them while handing out free goodies along the way. Find us to help the cause and grab some swag!

Also, you can end the Sunday Parkways season big by exploring the new Tilikum Crossing Bridge of the People and the Sellwood area on Sept 27th (11am-4pm – 7 miles). This new route will include the Tilikum Crossing and circle the Sellwood area introducing participants to the Westmoreland, Sellwood Parks plus Brooklyn School Park where music, food, and fun are waiting.

See you on the Parkways!

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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Delicious Mexican Food!

April 30, 2015 by Jon Elias

Some of the delicious items you will find at Mi Mero Mole

Next Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo! A great opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture with great music, dancing, and of course, delicious Mexican food!

In case history wasn’t your thing, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces invading Mexico in 1862. It was a significant victory over the French, and inspired unity and pride throughout the country. Since that war, no European force has ever successfully invaded a country in the Americas.

So how will you celebrate this coming Cinco de Mayo? We have some fantastic Mexican restaurants you and your office can enjoy while celebrating:

Aprisa Cuisine – Built out of recycled shipping containers, Aprisa is the newest revolution in fine Mexican Cuisine. By creating high quality food with a chef’s flare, we put a spin on the idea of fast food.

Burrito Bar – A small family-owned restaurant, Burrito Bar provides fresh & healthy options for the community in Portland’s Pearl District for the past seven years.

Cha Cha Cha Taqueria – Serving authentic Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on organic and local ingredients, Cha Cha Cha Taqueria strives to be modern yet traditional with an eclectic mix of dishes.

Mi Mero Mole – In Mexico City, where urban life doesn’t always allow for a home-cooked meal, guisados are one of the most popular street foods. Mi Mero Mole serves traditional dishes from Mexico City made from scratch with tortillas made fresh using ground nixtamal.

Qdoba Mexican Grill – Qdoba is an artisanal Mexican kitchen where anyone can go to enjoy a fast, handcrafted meal prepared with fresh ingredients and innovative flavors.

Ready to celebrate? Que Bueno! Visit our menu and start planing how your office will enjoy Cinco de Mayo this coming Tuesday.

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COBI: A New Way to Cycle

December 11, 2014 by Jon Elias

Today’s world is full of cycling accessories that help add to your riding experience. We have LED flashlights, accelerometers, smartphone mounts, bells… just about anything you might want or need on a bike. But square footage on your handlebars is a limited commodity, and having too many accessories is going to take up a lot of space. And besides, who can keep up with the odd dozen different tools you might keep up front?

COBI is the worlds smartest integrated biking system, streamlining your handlebar accessories and providing seamless integration of all your cycling needs. The founder of COBI, Andreas Gahlert, is a passionate biker who was tired of the clutter on his handlebar and decided to do something about it, creating the COBI. Check out just a few of the features that you can find on this unique system:

Smartphone Compatible – COBI is smartphone compatible, connecting you to over 100 different cycling apps, your music library, the ability to call your friends, and more. You also have access to a GPS system featuring popular routing, bike lanes, turn-by-turn directions, and even a “buddy radar” showing you the location of all your COBI friends.

Illumination – COBI provides a dynamic lighting system, including a stylish front light that responds to atmospheric illumination, and a back light that signifies sharp deceleration and changes in direction. That’s right, you get a turn signal!

Security – With the COBI hub securely attached, you get to decide who rides your bike, and sets off the motion-sensitive Theft Alarm for others with its light and sound alert. COBI only unlocks for you.

Fitness Finesse – COBI keeps track of calories burned, heart-rate, cadence, and other real-time statistics during your time on the road. As your bike improves, so should its rider.

Ease of Use – Rather than fiddle with the touchscreen while riding, COBI features an intuitive interface that displays the information you need. When navigating through apps, COBI sports an elegant ergonomic thumb controller that can be used with a single finger, meaning you get t0 keep your hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the road.

Based in Germany, Cobi started a kickstarter campaign to raise 100,000 US dollars. In less than four days, COBI reached their goal with over 800 backers. As of the date of this blog, COBI has raised 167,000 dollars, becoming one of the most successful German Kickstarters ever. Today, it is a Kickstarter Staff Pick and has won “The Kickstarter’s Choice” reward.

The Kickstarter for COBI has already reached their goal, but you can still contribute by visiting their Kickstarter page and helping them reach their stretch goal of $200,000. Be sure to sign up for this fantastic device before it’s too late!

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PPP Where Are They Now? Colin Wagner of Moonlit Wheat

May 20, 2014 by Jon Elias

Portland would be nothing without the artists. The city has played host to a plethora of artistic talent throughout the years, and it has only gotten better over the years. We have our own beautiful murals, film festivals, and our very own taste of music unique to the Pacific Northwest.

That’s why we’re very excited to promote Colin Wagner, one of the artists Portland is gifted to have residing within our city! Colin used to work for PPP, and now he’s launched a career in music. This coming week, Check out his most recent single, titled “I Don’t Miss You” available for immediate download (MP3, FLAC, and more).

To learn more about the story behind Moonlit Wheat, I asked Colin a few questions about his upcoming EP debut

PPP: Can you give a little background behind the name “Moonlit Wheat?”

CW: Moonlit Wheat came from me wanting to find a name that was simple, organic, and romantic. It represents the idea of seeing even something simple or plain in a romantic light. I feel like I look at life through this kind of lens and it seems to be a good metaphor for my approach to music.

PPP: What inspired you to start playing?

CW: I had been a bass player from 6th grade up until my first year of college and I found my passion for music wasn’t present in my bass playing any more. I heard a couple songs by The Mountain Goats on Pandora and I realized I wanted to do that. I wanted to write songs that had this warm ethereal glow that grasped for some kind of universal truth in unexpected ways.

I’ve been playing guitar since 2008. I’d say in that time I’ve become a competent guitarist and found ways to channel what I’m feeling through chords and accompanying myself. I’m excited about diving deeper and really approaching the guitar as a guitarist though. I have this book called Zen Guitar and I’ve decided it’s going to be my bible for the foreseeable future.

I’ve really only been playing out and trying to make a name for myself for the past year and a half. It’s been a really awesome whirlwind and I’m excited to see where it takes me next.

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Long Live Cargo Bikes!

July 9, 2013 by Brook

Cargo 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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