With 17 days and almost 120 events, last year's Pedalpalooza was the largest and most diverse festival of cycle-oriented events (less than a month long) anywhere on the planet.  Much more than a collection of workshops, competitions, and themed rides, Pedalpalooza 2005 started with a parade and free movie for cyclists and brought us the World Naked Ride and Dance Party, a singles party collaboration with the Portland Mercury, and not one but several bike-in movies.  There was also a musical ride to a mystery destination that was also a picnic, some Clownarchy, and a scavenger hunt.  There were events oriented to kids, to food, to transportation geeks, and to alcoholic beverages (responsibly!) not to mention that Vancouver represented mightily.  Rather than kick back with smug self-satisfaction about what a great job we did, how about making this year even more stunning?

Happening this year from June 8th - 24th, the content of the festival depends on YOU, the enthusiastic pedal-powered people who host events.  Have an idea for an event?  Tell us about it, ask for help, or just post it to the online calendar.  If you post your event on the calendar by April 10th, it will be on the printed calendar which goes all over town and is in an issue of the Portland Mercury.

You can enter your event directly into the totally slick Pedalpalooza calendar (yeah, some of us are computer geeks).

[Editor's Note: Hey All, Please remember to ALSO enter your events on The Dirt! web calendar! That IS where you found this note and it is a great opportunity to keep getting the word out about how fabulous fun biking is to wider Portland. :) Remember we have readers from all over the whole city and then some...LBN] 

To write with questions or suggestions email us: bikefun [at] shift2bikes dawt org (anti-SPAM, you can figure it out!)

Some history:  after the stunningly successful BikeSummer 2002 festival in Portland, an international festival which visits a different city each year, some cyclists got together to talk about how to make events happen all year, every year.  The result of this was the formation of a community of Bike Funnists, and every year since there has been a festival, though things happen every week otherwise.  Check it out, there's something just about every day of the year.

Other Links:

• If gravity-powered Bike Fun is your thing, become a Zoobomber
• Hub for Portland's cycling community
• To get help with or suggestions for your event, there is a whole community of Bike Funnists at Shift2Bikes that you can interface with (check out the email list).