 With a count of 1060 attendees, Portland more than doubled the record first set by Seattle for largest electric bicycle ride and party. Photo by Edwin Nunez.
(July 19, 2026) With 1060 counted attendees, the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) was awarded the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ (GWR) title for the largest electric bicycle ride, taking the crown from the previous record holders in Seattle. PBOT Director Millicent Williams accepted the honor on stage surrounded by leaders from Portland’s bike community as riders celebrated the achievement in Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
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 Celebratory e-bike riders with official adjudicator Susana Reyes from the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ after the announcement. Photo by PBOT.
Sunday morning’s bike ride began at Salmon Street Springs Fountain, with participants patiently filling the Better Naito bikeway northwards to the Burnside Bridge, before the official start. The 2-mile loop wound across the Hawthorne and Tilikum bridges in celebratory fashion as they attempted to break the GWR title for the largest electric bicycle party and ride. Together, PBOT and Portland e-bike riders broke Seattle’s record of 405 e-bikes and made Portland history together, while celebrating 10-years of BIKETOWN bike-share in Portland!
With 3.9 million rides since its inception, BIKETOWN bike-share plays a pivotal role in helping Portlanders get around the city. Today, Portlanders use e-bikes as a viable transportation mode to the store, work, and to drop off and pick up their kids at school. In PBOT's 2025 Bike Count, e-bikes made up 24% of bike trips, and we see more women using e-bikes than men.
Participants were encouraged to stay downtown after the record attempt and continue the celebration at Portland’s Pride Parade and Festival. Thanks to BIKETOWN's Title Sponsor, Nike, the first 1,000 participants received complimentary entry to the Portland Pride Festival. Additionally, BIKETOWN is free to ride citywide on Sunday, July 19 with code 10YRBKTN (to be used only on July 19 from 12 a.m. - 11:59pm).
Photos and video footage from the event is available for news media is available at this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCZpk9
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