Justin Timberlake joins Portland Bike Bus as special guest

Justin Timberlake joins Portland Bike Bus as special guest

The Portland group that organizes chaperoned bike rides so kids can get to school in “bike buses” welcomed a special guest Sunday: Justin Timberlake.

The group went viral in October when it posted a plea on social media for the pop star to join them while in town for a concert at the Moda Center.

The response was overwhelming — the TikTok video has racked up over 6.9 million views, and the Instagram post has about 4.5 million views.

Timberlake joined about 200 people on bikes — mostly children and their families — for a half-mile ride down Northeast Klickitat Street to Alameda Elementary School.

Along the route, Timberlake’s team boomed hits like “Mirrors” from speakers on their bikes. The pop star posed briefly for photos with children before leaving from the school. Students, parents and volunteers normally take the route during the school week but made a special Sunday ride to be joined by the music artist. “It wasn’t a school-sanctioned thing,” said a Bike Bus dad and volunteer Ian Downard, “I mean it never is.” He said Timberlake’s team was impressed by the turnout.

Samuel Balto, who was at the time a Portland Public Schools physical education teacher, started the BikeBusPDX program on Earth Day 2022. Every Wednesday, Balto and his group of eager students and families hop on their bikes and pedal their way to school, rain or shine. Several other schools in Portland have followed suit.

Why did he want Timberlake to come? According to Balto, the answer is simple. “‘Cuz he’s awesome,” he said in October. “I grew up listening to him. He’s got a lot of generational reach — everyone knows who Justin Timberlake is.”

When asked about Timberlake’s conviction for impaired driving last fall, Balto steered clear of the topic, focusing instead on the positive impact the Bike Bus movement has on children and the community.

“I think that Justin Timberlake joining the Bike Bus would set a great example for how people can get around — on a bike — for everyday transportation,” he wrote in an email.

Timberlake is scheduled to perform The Forget Tomorrow World Tour at the Moda Center on Monday night.