Four years ago, Sam Balto — or as he’s known to his students and followers, Coach Balto — started a “Bike Bus” for the students he was teaching as a physical education teacher in Northeast Portland.
His goal with the Bike Bus was to give children a safe, engaging way to get to school by riding together along a predetermined route. This allows them to have safety and numbers and raise awareness of safe cycling routes around schools.
Now, Balto leads a pack of hundreds of kids through the school’s neighborhood on their morning commute at least once weekly. They all ride bikes as Balto plays tunes from his Bluetooth speaker. It even inspired a global movement, with more than 520 Bike Bus groups around the world.
It’s also inspired celebrities to get in on the fun.
Balto and his group of students have welcomed artists like Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone into the fold, the singers riding along the neighborhood route while dozens of young people sing along to their favorite hits.
Last week, Balto posted a clip of his students biking in the rain, with Swedish pop star Zara Larsson’s song “Lush Life” blasting in the background.
“This weekend you start your tour in Portland,” Balto wrote to Larsson. “Zara Larsson, want to ride in the Bike Bus with us? The kids would go absolutely crazy with excitement!!”
Larsson commented on his video: “Oh I’ll be there! Check DM.”
And there she was.
Before taking the stage at the Crystal Ballroom on Saturday, February 28, Larsson and Balto organized a weekend ride with the students on their usual route.
Since the ride happened over the weekend, children from about 10 Portland schools were able to participate, Balto told Willamette Week.
And the singer’s appearance did not disappoint.
“Our ride with Zara Larsson felt like a Bike Bus music video,” Balto wrote on social media after the fact. “Smiles everywhere, joy nonstop, singing and dancing the whole way.”
Larsson herself seemed genuinely thrilled to be included, posting her own video from the scene, where she smiled at the camera while riding an e-bike, singing along to her new single, “Midnight Sun.”
Text over the video reads: “Portland Bike Bus I love youuuuu.”
According to another update from Balto, Larsson also took photos, signed autographs, and did a TikTok-viral “Lush Life” dance with students.
“I still can’t believe she said yes, and we pulled this off in three days,” Balto wrote on social media. “Zara Larsson is the kindest individual I’ve ever met.”
According to Balto, every time a public figure joins a ride, he notices a spike in interest, receiving messages about how to start new routes in new locations.
“Celebrity participation is a big accelerator,” Balto told Willamette Week. “It puts Bike Bus in front of people who would never see it otherwise because it breaks out of the usual algorithm bubbles.”
And Larsson just seemed happy to be along for the ride.
“Weeee!” she exclaimed in her TikTok.
“Thank you so much for having [me],” she wrote in the caption. “This was a big moment for me!!!”
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Header image by Ready Go Pictures for Bike Bus
