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Ride the Parkways Before Summer is Spent

by Marketing
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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.

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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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Join Us at 2014 Providence Bridge Pedal!

by Jon Elias

Bridge Pedal ColinEach year on the second Sunday in August, Providence Bridge Pedal closes Portland’s Willamette River bridges to car traffic so they can be fully enjoyed by bike! From Sellwood to St. John’s, and even on the Fremont and Marquam highway bridges, it’s once-a-year opportunity to enjoy the views of Portland and the beautiful surrounding area without worrying about getting sideswiped by a minivan.

This year, the Portland Pedal Power team will be riding Bridge Pedal in full force, with nine riders hitting the Willamette River bridges on our delivery bikes decked out with active advertising for Bowery Bagels, Walz Caps, Point West Credit Union and more! We’re going to be offering all kinds of swag, so when you see our fleet, make sure you take a minute to say hello and we’ll make sure to send you on your way with something awesome.

If you need a quick carb recharge before the ride, we’ve got you covered. Our Bowery Bagels bike is going to be packed full of free bagel samples to fill you up at the starting line for the 6 Bridge Ride. We’ll also have free coffee cards from Bowery, who stock their shelves with some of Portland’s favorite grounds from Stumptown Coffee.

If you’re looking for some swag, ask us about our Walz Caps. We have some awesome caps we are itching to hand out, and you might find yourself with a custom designed PPP hat that can keep your head cool as you sweat on the Burnside.

We’ll also be promoting our partnership with Point West Credit Union and the Community Cycling Center, giving you a perfect opportunity to support the CCC and a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card from Point West! Check our previous blog and the Point West Facebook Page for more details and be sure to snap of a photo of yourself with a PPP rider at the top of the Fremont Bridge. Can you think of a better opportunity to capture the perfect Portland cycling shot? We’ll have the Point West Bikes riding up and down the bridges, and can you think of a better photo opportunity than at the top of the Fremont Bridge?

So make sure you look for us on the bridges at Bridge Pedal – our team of Pyxis-enabled cargo bikes should be easy to spot! We’ll be rocking Bridge Pedal with passion, chatting with everyone about Bowery, Walz and Point West, while enjoying rare, bridge-top views of our beautiful city. Get yourself some cool stuff and talk with some cool people! What more could you ask for?

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Come Meet the Best Local Credit Union at Sunday Parkways!

by Jon Elias

Bridge Pedal FitzLiving in Portland, we are very lucky to live in a cycling friendly environment. That’s one of the reasons we are very excited when Portland Sunday Parkways comes around!

Portland Pedal Power will be there representing Point West Credit Union with our Point West Bike, so be sure to swing by and say hello! Point West is proud to support Portland’s favorite means of alternative transportation as it recognizes our city’s growing bicycle community. In support, Point West offers bicycle loans with rates as low as 4.49% so you can finance that amazing piece of pedal powered machinery that you’ve been drooling over.

Be sure and take this chance to enter the Pedal Power Photo Contest with our Point West Bike! Come in costume, with props, family members, anything you think will help you stand out from the crowd. We will be happy to strike a pose along with you, getting you maximum votes on the Point West Facebook Page!

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Point West Credit Union Wants to See Your Photographic Skill!

by Jon Elias

You are the next Dorthea Lange set on documenting the trials of the modern era. Or maybe you are the next Steve McCurry, planning on capturing the next cover of National Geographic.

Or maybe you’re just another Portlander with a smartphone and a very handy knowledge of what button to press when you want to get a picture.

Either way, you have a photographic opportunity ahead of you! Portland Pedal Power and Point West Credit Union are hosting a photo contest to benefit the Community Cycling Center throughout July and August 2014. Both Point West and Portland Pedal Power are proud to support the CCC and their “Create a Commuter” program, which provides safety education and commuter bicycles to low-income adults striving to connect to workforce development. Learn more at communitycyclingcenter.org.

Entering the contest gets you the chance to win a $250 Visa Gift Card! To enter, all you have to do is follow four easy steps:

1. Like Point West Credit Union on Facebook. Look, we even linked to the Facebook page, saving you half the trouble! For every “Like” received, Point West will donate $1 to the Community Cycling Center (Up to $1,000).

2. Take a Bicycle Photo. Grab a selfie with your bike. Take a photo with the PPP Point West Credit Bike. Take a photo of you and your bike AND the Point West Credit Bike. Show a play-by-play montage of you finding us at a summer event, saying hello, and then leaning in for a selfie. Take a photo of… well, you get the idea.

3. Submit your Photo. Take that hard earned photo that you just took in the above step and show everyone your hard work on the Point West Facebook page! For every photo taken and posted, Point West will donate an additional dollar to the Community Cycling Center.

4. Vote! Get your friends to vote! Get your family to vote! Get your high school acquaintances to vote! Get that dude-you-met-at-a-party-and-sort-of-connected-with-but-later-discovered-you-just-weren’t-that-into-him to vote! The person with the most votes by August 31, 2014 will receive a $250 VISA gift card!

Yes, it’s that simple. No, I don’t know why you haven’t started yet. Yes, you should definitely wear that snorkel mask when you take your photo. What are you waiting for? Get out there and strike a pose!

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Bike Loans & Pedal Ads with Point West Credit Union

by Brook

Point West Credit Union has been serving Portland for the past 80 years. Hear what Co-CEO Nick Hodson has to say about Point West’s relationship with Portland Pedal Power and the amazing cycling community in the Rose City.

Bike Loans & Pedal Ads with Point West Credit Union from Portland Pedal Power on Vimeo.

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Breakfast on Bridges

by Brook
Breakfast on BridgesHave you ever biked across the Hawthorne or Steel Bridge at some point between 7am and 9am on the last Friday of the month? If so, you may have been greeted by a surprise – coffee and doughnuts from a handful of dedicated bicycle enthusiasts! If you’ve experienced this wonderful event, but missed out on the details while enjoying your treat, you were taking part in Breakfast on Bridges, served by the lovely people of Shift.

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Need a car? Let PPP tell you how Point West Credit Union can hook you up!

by stacy

Granted we’re a bicycle based company and believe cycling should take over the world and businesses, humbly we must admit that cars do have their uses. Family trips to Eugene or Seattle for instance, or nice little weekend getaways at the coast with you and your sweetheart. Cars are also apparently (reminder this is only speculation) quite helpful for toting bicycles and other heavy objects over large distances.

So now that we’ve established reasoning to have a car, lets talk about actually buying one. One unfortunate part about buying these metallic beasts is affordability, amIrite? Then the other downside is knowing what you’re in for when you’re shopping and whether or not you’re getting a decent rate. Really, auto buying can sometimes be a traumatic experience. Well our friends from Point West are back with a couple events to ease the stress and prevent the trauma!

As your trusted ear on the streets, we at Portland Pedal Power ( food delivery services and Portland knowers of knowledge) must say that Point West Credit Union is pretty kick awesome. We appreciate the fact that they are there for their the people, to keep the people properly informed, and help however they can. That being said, they are holding an event tomorrow, September 20th, from 12-1pm called the “Auto Buying Lunch & Learn“. Point West has teamed up with auto shopping service Auto Mentors in an effort to teach you the ins and outs of buying a new car as a means better prepare you for your next big investment. (to RSVP email [email protected] or call 503.546.5376)

After bestowing this knowledge upon the people, the partnered Point West and Auto Mentors will give you the opportunity to put your knowledge to use as they hold a new and used car sale Saturday, October 6th (See details below). Whether you purchase a car or not, Point West is offering free BBQ, kids events to keep the little velociraptors busy, and an opportunity to learn more about Point West Credit Union and the services they offer.

So if you’re in the market for a new (or used) car, we would highly recommend taking advantage of these great opportunities. To learn more about the events, see what Point West had to say below!

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Bicycle loans at awesome rates? Sign me up Point West!

by stacy

So you’ve had your eye on that beautiful bike in the window, you know, the window of that bike shop you walk by every day on your way to work. It’s a beautiful light weight Colnago M10 S road bike with carbon fiber frame. You’ve tortured yourself with day dreams of this bike for a little over a year, but this bike is upwards of $3,000 dollars. You may or may not have the money, but $3,000 dollars is a lot of money out of pocket!  Or perhaps you’re looking at the latest release from Portland Pedal Power, The Pyxis, for your start up business to transport items, but you just don’t have the expendable cash!  Well our friends at Point West Credit Union have a couple of perfect solutions for you!

Point West is proud to support Portland’s favorite means of alternative transportation as it recognizes our city’s growing bicycle community. In support, Point West offers bicycle loans with rates as low as 4.49% so you can finance that amazing piece of pedal powered machinery that you’ve been drooling over, not to mention all the fine accessories that set recreational cyclists apart from the hardcore!  Yet loans aren’t for everybody, and perhaps it’s not just a bicycle you’re looking at.

Its hard to find a good Visa card these days and a decent line of credit with a great APR. Once again, Point West comes to the rescue offering a very competitive rewards Platinum Visa with an 8.95% APR on purchases. There are no annual fees or international transaction fees on this bad boy either! (for you more worldly types) You earn a point for every piece of moola you distribute back into the economy which in turn, can be redeemed for brand name merchandise, travel, gift cards, and more. All Point West VISA cards earn ScoreCard Rewards Points.  For those of you who have high card balances at other banks or credit unions, with the Platinum VISA at Point West, you can transfer all those balances at 12.45% APR with only a $5.00 fee. Consolidate and spend less on interest, with no outrageous balance transfer percentages

This year will be their 80th year of serving the Portland Community under the motto of people helping people. When you become a member of Point West, you are becoming a member of a cooperative of credit unions which gives you access to better loan rates, competitive deposit products and a suite of services all under one roof provided by people who only have their member’s best interest at heart.

If you’d like to learn more about Point West and get some SCHWAG come visit PPP’ers this Thursday at First Thursday or next Tuesday at Portland Parks and Recreation’s National Night Out at Holladay Park off NE 11th and Holladay! We will be packing some goodies to give out to you who are so fortunate to happen upon us, and more information on Point West and how awesome they really are!

For more information on Point West Credit Union visit their website! For more information on PPP and all our happenings visit our website or blog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
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