neilfein

We've booked our flights, and we're heading to Portland, Oregon this summer. We're planning to rent bikes when we get there, and pootle around the city for a week, maybe getting a room downtown somewhere if we can swing the $$$.

What should we absolutely not miss in Portland? Any awesome bike shops or exceptional bike infrastructure? Fun places to bike to?

Dean7

My frequent bike shop haunts are: Abraham Fixes Bikes (https://abrahamfixesbikes.com/) and Bike Gallery (https://www.bikegallery.com/). Abraham is absolutely amazing, but not very touristy (though if you stop by I bet he would be incredibly nice to you and have way better advice on where to go in Portland for bikers than I do... tell him Dean sent you!). Bike Gallery is pretty fun to visit and depending on which one you visit you can check out awesome Co-Motion bikes, etc. Cyclepath (https://cyclepathnw.com/) is another shop that I like... they have some cool bikes there (moots, etc.).

In terms of bike infrastructure: I'd say you should check out the steel bridge (even though I hate it... it's dang slow) and the waterfront bike trail. Both are nice if you're in for a joy ride. I also REALLY enjoy biking Ladd's Addition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladd's_Addition). The wiki page for Ladd's doesn't do it justice... you need to check it out.

Anyway, other than that, I'd say you should just try to bike every neighborhood in PDX.

Dean7

Oh and check out the springwater corridor:

https://www.portlandonline.com/parks/...ction=ViewPark

Andy_K 

Depending on what kind of bike you rent, Forrest Park is a great place to bike. You can rent a hardtail mountain bike at Fat Tire Farm just for a half day and bike out and back from there. I don't think I'd want to do this ride on a skinny tired road bike or anything without low gears, but you don't need full knobbies.

neilfein

How about Mill Ends Park?


Mills End Park and me by yourFAVORITEmartian, on Flickr

PomPilot

I'm not a Portland resident. But every time I get in that town with a bike (about 4 time per year), I check in at Clever Cycles. Another, more specialized shop, is Splendid Cycles, just a few blocks away.

And who can forget about Voodoo Doughnut? Trust me, the 'Memphis Mafia' is good, but it is an all-day pastry. And do try the Bacon Maple Bar.

Jeff Wills

+1000 on Voodoo Donuts!

Don't go into Ladd's Addition! Tourists go in and never come out! It's the Bermuda Triangle of Portland.

Actually, my favorite bike shop (Coventry Cycle) is at the northeast corner of Ladd's Addition. If you like odd bikes (recumbents and folders), they're the people to see.

Plenty of maps are available here: https://www.portlandonline.com/transp...ex.cfm?c=39402

If you're hanging around for a week, check out the Hawthorne Bridge at commute time. I'm amazed at the bike traffic- and I've been here for years.

How can anyone not suggest the Lucky Lab Brew Pub?

Shifty

If you are in Portland in June there are two weeks of bike fun with the Pedalpaloza Celebration. Here's the schedule
https://shifttobikes.org/cal/viewpp2011.php

KRhea

Check the following:

Shops-

1. West End Bikes
2. Cyclepath
3. River City
4. Biketiresdirect
5. Universal Cycles

Rides:

1. Spring Water Corridor
2. Rocky Butte
3. Sauvie Island
4. Fairmount Blvd
5. Terwilliger Blvd
6. Mt Tabor
7. Washington Park


Food:

1. VooDoo
2. Any food cart, literally any
3. Justa Pasta
4. Escape From NY Pizza
5. Reos Ribs
6. Kenny&Zukes
7. Any brew pub, literally any
8. Coffee, try any place that isn't a "brand or household name"
9. Saint Cupcake
10. PokPok Thai food

Things to do:

1. Zoo
2. Ride the tram
3. Visit Saturday Market
4. Zoobomb
5. Rent a car and drive up to Johnson Ridge and see inside Mt St helens
6. Rent a car and drive the Gorge Scenic Hwy from Troutdale to Multnomah Falls, take a picnic lunch and be astounded
7. Rent a car, toss your rental bikes in the back and drive out to the Banks/Vernonia rails to trails. About 21miles of beautiful paved cycling 45minutes west of Portland
8. Attend Pedalpolooza events
9. Go watch the Thursday/Friday races at Alpenrose Velodrome in SW Portland
10. Walk around town and count how many fix geared bikes you see!!!!
11. Attend a movie at the "Living Room" theathre
12. Have lunch on the steps of Pioneer Sq in the exact center of the city
13. Visit Powell Books
14. Ride the downtown Jet Boats!!!!!!!!

And on and on and on...

Just have a great time and enjoy yourself, Portland is a great city with great people. We love living here.

KRhea

Dean7

Because their beer sucks.

[/elite]

Dean7

For coffee I have to say: Barista or Coava. Head and shoulders above anything else in this town.

PomPilot

While there is a Lucky Lab across the street from Clever Cycles, I'm more partial to the Widmer Brothers Gasthaus Pub.

There are also several food carts just a couple of blocks further from Clever Cycles on Hawthorne Blvd. One of them is a fairly good barbecue joint (but that may have had something to do with the rain that came down while I was eating there), a pizza stand, and Potato Champion (Belgian style fries).

Jaye

While we are being brew pub eliteists I will throw my hat in for Deschutes

jdgesus 

please please, please. PLEASE. go drink my fav beer right now:
hair of the dog: blue dot
https://www.hairofthedog.com/

so amazing.
on tap, i bet it would make me cry a little

Dean7

Re: Gasthaus: Food is OK. Beer is... well, it's Widmer Brothers. I feel like nothing else needs to be said.
[/Dean the elitist bastard]
Potato Champion rules and was started by somebody in a Portland band. That has to count for something. Right?
Deschutes is not my favorite. Their flagship location in Portland kind of has crap food. But, that could be my own opinion and it could be complete crap.
[/Dean the elitist bastard, who strikes again]
Yes. Blue Dot is farking awesome. This post is full of win.

LesterOfPuppets

I wouldn't call the Portland pub Deschutes' flagship. Gotta go to Bend for that action! Never had any food, but Mirror Pond is one of my favorite brews of all time!

Also hit up Hopworks Urban Brewery (the most bikey brewery in town) and Upright Brewing and Apex and Beer Mongers and Roadside Attraction.

Fun tourist action: Shanghai Tunnels walking tour.

jdgesus 

damn it, portland.
your beer (and food) is so much better then ours.....

but at least our buildings are taller then 3 stories

Greg_R

I would strongly recommend Mt.St.Helens, the Gorge, & the Coast to anyone visiting from out of town. These are really the three major jaw dropping things that have no parallel on the East coast. If you can swing the trip then Crater Lake (3 day trip) or Silver Falls (day trip from Portland) are also spectacular.

Besides the brewpubs and food carts Portland also has a TON of strip clubs (we're kind of known for them). If that's an option then we can provide recommendations.

Since you are coming from NJ, I think you would be disappointed with the majority of pizza places with the exception of Apizza Scholls and Ken's pizza. Be sure to try some of the local seafood, especially salmon (WAY better than on the east coast). There are a lot of exceptional restaurants around town; if you let us know your preferences we can provide suggestions. My personal favs are Nostrano, Andina, Pambiche, Pok Pok, & Syun (way out in Hillsboro).

LesterOfPuppets

Escape From NY on 23rd has pretty good pie also, but yeah I used to live in Jersey and if I was visiting here from there I wouldn't bother getting pizza.

jdgesus 

in the 80s, my friends dad (from nyc) would drive down to portland every weekend to pick us up some pizza from escape.

Wrek

For shops, definitely check out West End Bikes. AMAZING shop with really nice people.

Corner of SW 11th and Stark.


Also check out Voodoo Doughnuts!
22 Southwest 3rd Avenue

neilfein

Thanks, everyone! This is all great info!

Anyone want to do a pootle around town with us when we get there? PM me if so!

Dean7

I went in to west end bikes recently. Pretty nice people (the owner is pretty cool).

Jeff Wills

Hee-hnh... hee-hnh... he said "pootle"...