Here’s what you should know ahead of tonight’s Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride

A scene from last year’s Kickoff Ride. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

It’s June 1, the sun is shining, and we have finally arrived at Bike Summer 2022. Tonight (6/1) is the Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride, and organizers have shared some important info with us about what to expect at the start location and on the ride itself.

Here’s what will be going on from 5:00-5:45 pm at the Kickoff Ride start location (Laurelhurst Park, Cesar Chavez Blvd and Stark St):

Official Pedalpalooza – Bike Summer 2022 poster by Molly Mendoza.

• Mask Bloc will be handing out hundreds of N95 masks to anyone who needs them, including ride leaders, and Dusana (@pdxnonbinary) will set up just north of the pond to give immunocompromised community members a place to gather.

• Portland Community College Active Transportation will be fixing flats for free.

• All ride leaders will get a Ride Leader pennant designed by Lisa Congdon. New ride leaders will get a complimentary copy of the Group Ride Guide by Radical Adventure Riders (RAR).

• Molly Sugar of RAR will be on site selling merch and sharing information about Friends on Bikes.

• Vida Maté will be handing out maté to attendees from a custom B-line trike that features the Pedalpalooza poster.

• Organizers will be be selling a limited number of merch made by locally owned brands: commemorative posters printed by Morel Ink, pennants made by rendered.co, and stickers printed by Sticker Ninja.

• There will be stacks of Willamette Week print calendars available.

• This will be the only chance to try on t-shirts (available in kids and adult sizes) to determine size before the June 5th order deadline. Check them out here.

Here’s how the Kickoff Ride itself will go:

• The Kickoff Ride will depart from Laurelhurst Park at 6:00 pm and head to The Fields Park in the Pearl District before returning to Southeast Portland and settling at Colonel Summers park for a dance party hosted by DJ Lo. Ride leaders created full maps of the Kickoff Rides, which you can find on Ride With GPS.

• Kickoff Ride leaders will hold space for immunocompromised cyclists at the front of the ride.

• Organizers encourage riders from west Portland or the western suburbs to join the Westside Wednesday Ride from Beaverton to Colonel Summers. If you want a challenge, you can join the fast ride from The Fields to Beaverton to meet up with the west crew and ride with them back to Colonel Summers.

Organizers want to remind attendees there are over 500 rides currently listed on the Pedalpalooza calendar, 100 of which are family friendly. And if you have an idea for a ride you want to lead, it’s not too late! You can post that here.

Most importantly, have fun! (And bring sunscreen and water!)