I recently traveled to Portland, Oregon, for the first time. There’s one piece of advice I’d give every visitor.

When I told friends I was visiting Portland, Oregon, for the first time with my partner, they all gave me similar suggestions: Visit the Japanese Garden, try the food-cart pods, grab a doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut, and browse Powell’s Books.

One thing no one mentioned, though, was renting a bike. Our hotel offered us free bicycles to use during our trip, and exploring the city in this way completely transformed our experience.

Not only did we end up saving time and money, but we saw parts of Portland that wouldn’t have otherwise been on our itinerary.

Portland’s bike infrastructure surprised me more than any other city where I’ve cycled

We decided to make cycling our primary transportation for all five days, motivated by three goals: saving money, getting off the beaten path, and working up an appetite for all the amazing food we planned to eat.

As an Australian used to driving on the left, I’m always nervous about biking in the US. I’ve cycled in American cities that have a reputation for being biker-friendly, like San Francisco, but still had challenges.

This trip was different, though. San Francisco’s brutal hills left me gasping, but Portland’s flat terrain and thoughtfully designed bike lanes made cycling fun. (The perfect summer weather didn’t hurt, either.)

What struck me most was how genuinely cyclist-focused Portland felt. The protected bike lanes, crystal-clear signage, and remarkably respectful drivers had me feeling confident from day one.

We biked over several bridges and had a progressive food tour across the city

Portland is known as the “Bridge City,” and cycling over its many bridges offered completely different city perspectives.

The Tilikum Crossing became our favorite route. This car-free bridge, designed exclusively for cyclists, pedestrians, and public transit, felt like having our own private pathway across the river.

We also designed our own Portland dining experience around the city’s famous food-cart pods. On our first night, we started at the Lil’ America pod, cycled to the Hawthorne Asylum carts, grabbed drinks at Revolution Hall’s rooftop, and finished at Midtown Beer Garden.

This self-guided tour let us sample great food carts I’d seen on social media while discovering neighborhoods like Southeast Portland.

We experienced Portland’s incredible food diversity, trying things like Tokyo-style sandwiches, Korean fried chicken, Ukrainian dumplings, and crunchy jianbing.

Our biking never felt overly strenuous, but we did cover some serious miles during our stay. All the exercise helped the decadent doughnuts, ice cream, and local brews taste even better.

All in all, we saved money without even trying

One of the unexpected bonuses was how much money we saved on transportation. Apart from airport transfers, we didn’t need a single Uber.

We’d planned to spend around $40 a day for transportation, and instead, we were able to put that toward Portland’s incredible food scene and local breweries.

In many cases, cycling saved us time, too. While others sat in traffic or waited for rideshares, we pedaled past congestion. I was initially concerned about bike theft, but we always found secure bike racks exactly where we needed them.

Portland is made for cycling, and that’s the one thing I’ll tell everyone planning a trip there. Even if your hotel doesn’t offer free bikes, Portland has rental stations throughout the city that make this approach affordable and accessible.

There are also lots of bike-related events, including the annual World Naked Bike Ride. Probably for the best I missed that one, though!

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