Portland Wheelers’ rides are about connection!

May through October, we create shared adventures on all weekdays, morning and afternoon. On frequent Saturdays, we expand our community reach with our Come To Us program.

Every Portland Wheelers outing is a shared experience, never a solo journey. We ride with at least two volunteers, forming a “pod”—a close-knit group of trikes and safeties that moves and stays together as a unit. We love it when wheeler families and friends bring their own bikes to ride alongside the pod, turning a standard ride into a memorable group outing.

Before the ride, the focus is on care and comfort. Wheelers are assisted by staff, family, or friends to settle into the trikes, ensuring they feel secure enough to fully relax. Safely buckled into a four-point safety belt with comfortable arm and foot rests, each wheeler is outfitted with a helmet and offered sunglasses and a blanket if appropriate. With water bottles and supplies on board, we focus on the experience ahead and set off!

The destination is less important than the companionship and conversation shared on the way. Whether on neighborhood streets or wooded trails, the ride is a partnership between the pilot and the wheeler. On warm days, we might share the cool breeze by Back Cove; on other days, we seek out lively surroundings to engage with the community. We often pause to chat with dog walkers, wave to children, or stop to smell the flowers in a garden. Pilots and wheelers may share stories and laughter for the entire ride, or simply share a companionable silence. Whether the ride lasts a few minutes or our usual forty-five, the therapy is found in the togetherness.

When the pod returns to our starting point, the joy is evident. Wheelers and pilots return joyfully, eager to share the sights, sounds, and feelings of a journey taken together.