The Portland Pedal Power Pack is Growing!

January 23, 2018 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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Maximize Your Weekend, PDX

July 23, 2015 by Marketing

Hope to see you this weekend at Sunday Parkways!

Summer in Portland means patios, rivers, bikes, and beer. It means: get busy and get outside. This weekend Portland Pedal Power will be out in maximum, cruising our big bikes round a handful of hot summer happenings. On Saturday we will be hitting the Saturday Market and the Oregon Brewer’s Festival riverside at Waterfront Park. You can easily do both on Saturday and still have time to hit the PSU Farmers Market to shop for dinner (if you’re not too sauced!).

On Sunday, we’ll be riding the Sunday Parkways NE route in style with our Point West bikes. Sunday Parkways is an excellent event for the family or a daytime date and you’ll score lots of free stuff from vendors along the way. We will be stopping occasionally to hand out sunglasses and blinky bike lights to spread the word about the #DriveHope Campaign. There’s always a good smattering of yummy food cart options too.

ppp-is-teeing-off-the-portlandclassic-with-our-newly-outfitted-delivery-bikes-local-food-and-friendly-service-is-par-for-the-course-lpgaportlandclassic_19539236936_o

Get your golf on at the Portland Classic, coming up

Summer in Portland also means planning ahead. Weekends fill up quick! We will be cruising all these events to help promote the upcoming Cambia Portland Classic, the longest-running non-major tournament on the LPGA tour, returning to Columbia Edgewater Country Club August 13-16. This will be the 44th year that the LPGA has come to Portland, and it’s getting better every year.

Last year some of Portland’s most iconic food carts were added, including KOi Fusion and Retrolicious, returning this year. The Craft Beer center will also return this year, featuring some of the Northwest’s best microbrews. The tournament promises to feature many of the worlds best golfers.

This year they’ve added the Portland Classic Sprint to the Green 5K, a race on the golf course prior to the final round on Sunday, August 16. Tickets for the event are available online at portlandclassic.com. Weekly passes are $25 and daily tickets are $10, and children 17 and under are free. All ticket proceeds go to charity.

Get crackin’ Portland! Summer doesn’t last forever!

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We’re Hitting the Streets with A Taste of Greek!

July 21, 2015 by Marketing

Photo Credit to Erik L. from Yelp

Portland Pedal Power is now delivering food from the long running and much-loved food cart, A Taste of Greek. Dishing up great food and welcoming smiles, the owner Jota and his right-hand/manager/marketing strategist Rodrigo, have consistently been rated best gyro in town. Check it out: visitors and locals alike praise the 5-star Super Lamb Gyro like crazy on Yelp.

The secret is simple: the best quality ingredients prepared by hand and from scratch by two Brazilian guys with giant smiles. The friendly customer service is highly valued by regulars, so we recommend you stop by the next chance you get, or even better, have a Super Gyro delivered direct to your office. What better way to wow your coworkers than organizing the next office lunch with authentic and savory lamb gyros, crispy falafel, stuffed grapes leaves, and smoky baba ghannoug?

Greek food is always best in summer, something about the combination of flavorful meat or falafel topped with cool minty yogurt sauce, lemony hummus, and crisp salads.

Check out the menu online, our favorites include:

Gyros – The main event at A Taste of Greek, marinated chunks of lamb or chicken serviced in pita bread with tiziki sauce, onion, parsley, and loaded with fresh lettuce and tomatoes.

Chicken Plate – Grilled chicken with rice, greek salad, and tiziki sauce. Served with pita bread.

Baba Ghannoug w/pita – Grilled eggplant with garlic, lemon and tahini sauce. On of my favorites: smoky eggplant and lemon, so much yum.

Kafta Plate – Ground Lamb with rice, greek salad, and tiziki sauce. Served with pita bread.

Ready to treat yourself? Make sure you drop by our menu and see what strikes your fancy.

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Introducing…New People at PPP!

July 17, 2015 by Marketing

Howdy folks! I just joined Portland Pedal Power as the new Marketing Specialist, and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the fabulous team here. So far I’ve toured the town on the big bikes, attended a Sundown Concert with Ecotrust, visited the new exhibit at the Portland Art Museum with some of our team, and have met with several of our great sponsors and partners. I’m excited to help grow social media, strengthen partnerships, and further develop our marketing strategy. The amazing Peter Wang also just joined the team as the new Vendor Relations Manager, and we took a moment to interview each other. This is the magic that happened:

Peter being techy in the shop.

MD: So Peter, tell me why you are an amazing person.
PW: I am not so much an amazing person. I am just amazed a lot.

MD: Are you excited about joining the PPP team?
PW: Yeah, I mean, I get to ride bikes and get paid for it. It’s like a reverse gym membership.

MD: What background do you bring to Portland Pedal Power?
PW: I graduated from Oregon State University with a business degree, but I am also interested in tech stuff like the cloud and user experience. I’m halfway between computer nerd and business bro.

MD: So you call yourself a nerd. What’s the nerdiest thing about you?
PW: I play StarCraft. I know the characters and I am sad that they are concluding the story after 17 years this winter. On the other hand, I did get into beta fairly quickly. I have that going for me, I guess. One thing to be sure, though, is that a part of me will never be the same once the Legacy of the Void (the final part of the story) ends. That’s the day I will have to carry on my own journey without the Protoss fighting along with me. En taro Tassadar!
(Maria blinks uncomprehendingly)

Don’t worry, I always wear a helmet.

PW: Maria, let’s start with a story. What was it like riding the big bike in high heels?
MD: Well here’s the thing, biking in heels is easier than walking in heels, and even though the guys in the office raised their eyebrows, I did take the big bike out the first time with a new pair of wood heeled wedge pumps, and I looked FANTASTIC. Or at least, I felt like I did.

PW: I know the words wood, heeled, wedge, and pumps on their own, but I have no idea what they mean when they come together.
MD: That is the number one reason I am needed here at PPP.
(Peter blinks uncomprehendingly)

PW: What did you study and why did you choose your major?
MD: I was a Literature major at UC Santa Cruz and I chose it because I like to read and write things. I then went on to get a graduate MFA degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Then somehow I ended up working in Marketing (which I dig). I still write stuff; I am working to finish a novel.

PW: What made you want to work for PPP?
MD: I come from a recent longtime marketing job working with urban planners and transportation nerds. I was a bikey person already but I got even more bikey working with them. I really like the idea of working for a bike-based business, I love the food in Portland, and I’m excited to engage more with the community. There are so many awesome partners and sponsors and restaurants and food carts working with Portland Pedal Power. So, this job really rests at the intersection of several of my passions.
(Peter and Maria end the interview abruptly to eat pizza)

***

Both of us are super excited to join the excellent group here at PPP. Say hi if you see us on the bikes or at the food carts!

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Golden Horse Chinese, Brought Directly to Your Door

July 7, 2015 by Jon Elias

Image taken from user Ayla C. on Yelp

Chinese Food has a way of tying some delicious, unique flavors together into a cohesive meal. It can be hard to get quite right, but when you do, it can make your taste buds dance!

Thats why Portland Pedal Power is very excited to be delivering for Golden Horse Chinese, a delicious Chinese restaurant specializing in providing customers with fast & delicious Chinese and Asian cuisine.

Now. you will be able to enjoy some delicious, authentic Chinese meals without having to travel across the Pacific. Take a look at our menu, where you will find some great meals like:

Peking Duck – a famous dish dating back to the Imperial era of China. Traditionally served w/ scallions, cucumbers, & sweet bean sauce.

Fried Pork with Sweet & Sour Sauce – Popular both in & out of China! Prepared w/ tender pork and the traditional sweet & sour sauce.

Shrimp Fried Rice – Traditional fried rice prepared with a helping of shrimp mixed in.

Vegetable Buddhist Delight – An assortment of vegetables cooked in soy sauce and prepared to your liking.

Ready to enjoy some delicious, authentic Chinese food? Take a look at Golden Horse Chinese on our menu!

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Vendors

Summer Cycling: Enjoying the Outdoors on Two Wheels

July 2, 2015 by Jon Elias

As summer rolls around, many people in Portland look for ways to enjoy themselves outdoors. Some take to hiking, others to swimming. We like to recommend cycling as a great way to get some exercise and burn off some energy, especially when it gets so nice outdoors.

Here are five reasons why you should consider taking up cycling during this summer and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we get to enjoy for the next few months:

Cycling is good for your muscles: If you’ve been on a bike for more than a few minutes, you should be familiar with a burning sensation in your legs. This is, of course, a good thing. Cycling is great for improving the muscles in your thighs, calves, and rear.

Cycling can help with joint conditions: Because cycling is considered a low-impact form of exercise, it can be especially beneficial for those who can’t take part in other higher impact exercises (jogging for example).

Cycling increases lifespan: Cycling has been linked to improving cardiovascular health, and drastically decreases your risk of heart disease. According to the British Medical Association,cycling just 20 miles a week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50%. Discovery Magazine even writes cycling can improve your immune system, and has even shown evidence of fighting cancer. Even when adjusted for risk of injury, cycling has associate with increasing “life-years.”

Cycling improves the waistline: On an average ride, a cyclist will burn approximately 300 calories per hour. An average person will burn approximately 11 pounds of unhealthy fat per year, while building muscle mass and increasing metabolic rate.

Cycling improves mental health: While the physical health benefits are usually very apparent, few consider the mental benefits behind riding a bike. Bicycling has been proven to reduce stress and increase hand-eye coordination among those who choose to cycle a mere 30 minutes a day. The Journal of Occupational Health published an article showing cycling significantly improved mental health among those who choose to commute daily to work.

Some of these benefits may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember you can only take advantage of them if you choose to climb on the bike. The most important thing to remember is that this is an enjoyable experience! Get out and explore some of the fantastic bike trails Portland has to offer!

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Water Avenue Coffee – The Unsurpassed Standard of Coffee

June 25, 2015 by Jon Elias

Miguel Menendez, owner of 9 coffee farms in El Salvador

There’s nothing like handcrafted coffee to help you start the day. Portland Pedal Power is proud to deliver for coffee roaster Water Avenue Coffee, a local coffee pioneering the unseen frontier of micro-roasted craft coffee from countries around the world. Check out how Water Avenue Coffee got its start, and how it’s become a Portland Phenomenon.

Water Avenue Coffee (WAC) was founded in the early days of 2010 with the goal of becoming Portland’s neighborhood coffee roaster and offering the best handcrafted coffees from around the world. They purchased a 1974 Samiac coffee roaster from its Swiss owner and set to work providing Portland with fresh roasted fresh crop coffees.

WAC’s father and son ownership team of Bruce and Matt Milletto have a wealth of experience in the coffee industry. Bruce began his coffee career in the 1980’s by opening his own espresso carts, but quickly moved into education, founding Bellissimo Coffee Infogroup in 1991 and the American Barista and Coffee School in 2004 to help others follow in his footsteps and pursue their dreams of owning their own coffee business. In the ensuing decades he and Bellissimo have published books, DVD’s, and educated thousands of budding entrepreneurs.

With a father recognized as an industry luminary, Matt started his career with a wealth of coffee knowledge already at his disposal. Beginning in Eugene and Corvallis in the early 90’s, Matt started as a barista, café manager, and barista trainer before joining his father at ABCS, and later opening WAC. Together they have assembled a team with further years of experience and passion for coffee to help produce the best coffees. WAC’s goal is to share the best of the world’s coffee crop, working as closely with coffee producers in countries of origin as possible. Through careful roasting and extensive research it is their goal to offer these coffees at their freshest and best, celebrating the seasonality and diversity that is inherent with any agricultural product.

Finca Las Delicias in El Salvador

WAC’s menu has something for just about every coffee drinker. It features many seasonal single origin coffees for the more adventurous, changing regularly as coffee producing countries begin exporting their produce. For those looking for a coffee that is consistent month in and month out Water Ave also offers two blends, the El Toro Espresso and No 7 House, designed to appeal to the more traditional coffee drinker.

Education is also key to WAC’s mission. They strive to provide as much information and traceability about their coffees as possible. Their roastery crew posts about new offerings on the company blog full of information, and the friendly staff in their café are always happy to help with brewing tips!

Ready to get some Water Avenue Coffee? Take a look at our menu, where you can order coffees from distant locations and delivered right to your office!

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The GenZe – How eBikes should perform

June 23, 2015 by Jon Elias

MVA2897 You’ve got to love electric bikes. You’re staying away from the use of petroleum, but you’re not killing your legs while you’re going uphill. It’s a nice compromise between getting around on your own power and accepting some assistance when necessary.

But sometimes,that compromise is a bit more apparent when you use an electric bike. Sometimes you have a very limited range. Other times, it might not give you the power you need when you’re really tackling those hills during your commute. And while the bike runs well while the batteries last, that extra bulk can add a lot of extra weight when you are in need of a recharge. So is there really a happy medium between electric assist and leg power?

There is now. The creative minds over at Mahindra have created the newest revolution in the eBike community, called the GenZe. When the creators first sat down to design this bike, they had one thing in mind: Relentless Practicality. They wanted to create a bike that fit to your needs, not something that you would have to adjust your own riding style to use.

The result was a bike that doesn’t compromise performance just to boast about its electric assist. Instead of a clunky electric motorcycle that happens to have pedals, the GenZe is first and foremost a bicycle. Only better.

ebike2 I actually had a chance to ride a GenZe bike during the Eco Lloyd Fair a few months ago, and let me tell you – it was a blast! When I first got on the bike, I was told to take it for a spin around the walkway a bit, just to get a feel for the ride. I did the loop on what felt like a perfectly average bike – It wasn’t incredibly heavy, and it didn’t feel like a chore to get up to speed.

Then I was told to crank up the assist and start pedaling, and all of a sudden, I was moving.

I had control over my speed like any other regular bike, and that electric assist gave me that extra umph that really gets you rolling. While I was moving at a pretty good clip beforehand, I felt like I was flying with the extra power behind me. And best of all? The transition from my legs to the electric assist was so smooth, I could barely tell where the pedaling stopped and the assist began.

I wasn’t riding a clunky electric bike – I was riding a bike that just happened to have electric assist.

Check out GenZe eBike when you’re ready to see what an electric bicycle should really feel like.

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So Long, and thanks for the bike legs!

June 19, 2015 by Jon Elias

Well folks, this is the end of the road for me. Unfortunately, I must take my leave of Portland Pedal Power as the marketing specialist and move onward in my new profession as a raptor wrangler. As much as I enjoyed this position, Jurassic World has inspired me to pursue my dreams of joining the dinosaurs.

For those who have been reading, Hi Mom and Dad! And if there happen to be others of you out there, well, thanks for checking in from time to time. I hope I’ve kept it interesting enough to draw your attention, link you to some of our partners, and increase the Return on Investment on our website. Oh, and also informed you on the happenings at PPP. 😉

But seriously, folks, one of the most enjoyable things that came with this job was keeping the blog fresh for our readers. I’ve been blogging for PPP for about two years now, which have gone by faster than a bike barreling down Cornell (as one of our founders Ken might know). Every time we published an entry, it was a new chance to learn about something new in the Portland Area – bike trails, new food carts serving dishes I could barely pronounce, events in the area that would draw hundreds of people, bicycle news that could only happen in Portland… It’s been a blast.

Throughout my time here, I had the opportunity to get to know everyone in the PPP family. Everyone here has been the most warm, welcoming, and impressively bearded cyclists I have had the pleasure of knowing. From action packed days where the entire fleet was on the road, the quiet after the storm that was lunch hour, the strategic and tactical commands of dispatch crew, to the shop talk of how the fleet of cargo bikes was running… there was always something happening. I never grew tired of the hustle and bustle, and I’ll miss the team.

Especially you, Buddy. Lets meet up for some milk bones sometime.

jonpic But most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to work here. I had a chance to work for a premier bicycle delivery company in the Bicycle Capital of the world! I had a chance to try some of the best food in the city, visit the biggest offices home to the best innovators, and learn the streets of Portland by way of a cargo bike (which includes a LOT more hills than I originally thought.) How many people have that kind of opportunity?

So thank you Portland! It’s been a pleasure writing about you, and I hope I can continue to learn more and more about this amazing city.

See you on the streets,

Jon Elias
Senior Raptor Wrangler
Former Marketing Specialist at Portland Pedal Power

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Let it Roll at Bike MS Willamette Valley 2015: July 31-August 2

June 16, 2015 by Jon Elias

Portland Pedal Power is proud to be partnered with Bike MS, a great program dedicated to creating a world free of Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a great ride for a great cause, and we’re telling everyone about it. Read on to learn more:

At Bike MS, the ride is just icing on the cake. You’ll also kick back and relax with old friends while you eat mouth-watering BBQ, down ice cold brews, watch a classic movie on our big outdoor screen, and share your adventures from the road.

Our weekend escape in gorgeous Monmouth, Oregon is for every kind of rider. From the “I haven’t been on a bike since uncle Merton repossessed my Schwinn” to “Sure, I can ride 100x faster than the speed of light, can’t you?”

Don’t feel like riding? No problem. You can volunteer, make a donation, or even sponsor the event.

And here’s the best part: The dollars you raise for Bike MS fund critical research, programs, and services that help people who live with multiple sclerosis right here in our neighborhood. How sweet is that?

Bike MS is more than an escape–it’s something you believe in.

People who love Portland Pedal Power love Bike MS. You will, too. So register, volunteer or make a donation today.

Bike MS Willamette Valley 2015
Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, Oregon

Or contact [email protected] or 503.445.8361 for more info.

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~Aaron~

~Shawna~