Our mission
Shift’s mission is to promote inclusive bike fun.
As a loose-knit and informal bunch of bike-loving folks, we ask for no membership, nor dues, only a shared passion for the bicycle in all its glory: as toy, as transportation, as a tool for social and environmental change!
Shift, then, is open to everyone sharing in this passion.
And where would the fun be if we weren’t at least semi-organized?! Yes, Shift folks do plan, execute, publicize, and get involved in the celebration of bicycle events. We hope you’ll be inspired to join in on the bike fun too!
Our history
In August 2002, Portland hosted Bike Summer, a month-long celebration of bicycles and bike culture that drew more than 5,000 participants to events including bike-in movies, family rides, bike-repair workshops and more. A combination of the overwhelming Community response to the month’s activities and the strong feelings of comradery and energy among the primary Bike Summer organizers led to the formation of Shift in September 2002.
Bike Summer also provided an organizational model for Shift: a central committee creates a communications infrastructure for events designed and executed by anyone in the bicycle community. You have an idea for an event? Great! We will help you get the word out. For starters, you can submit your bike event to our calendar.
Our activities
Shift also facilitates lots of events. Examples of Shift-related activities include breakfast give-aways, social rides, educational bike tours, actions to raise awareness about cyclist injuries or deaths, information-sharing events, art-bike parades and more.