Bike commuting is a mental and physical challenge, and it’s also a great way to work exercise into your day, avoid the cost of commuting and reduce your CO2emissions. Many people’s top concerns about bike commuting are arriving wet and safety on the road — fortunately Portland is one of the best biking cities around, with advancements every year. We even have one of the nation’s only bike-thru windows at Black Sheep Bakery, so you can get your coffee and pastry without ‘parking’ your ride.
Bikes
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is a good place to get familiar with the biking community if you aren’t already. See their site for tips, maps, and classes as well as explanations of legislation and ways you can join and promote safe biking. They put on the Bike Commuter Challenge where you can register your workplace, track daily commutes, and be eligible for discounts if you ride more than seven days in September. For updates on biking culture, new local products, and local biking celebrities, see bikeportland.org.

If you are biking over the Hawthorne or Broadway bridge and someone tries to hand you a coffee, it’s Shift to Bikes, an organization that encourages biking and feeds commuters pastries and beverages for Breakfast on the Bridges from 7-9am on the last Friday of every month and hosts the annual Pedalpalooza, a great time to show off your new ride.