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World Naked Bike Ride - Portland

The world naked bike ride, what can I say but, wow! I was not a hundred percent certain I would attend, but at 9:30 last night I wheeled out the door and headed to the industrial area north of downtown Portland. It was a bit chilly and windy out, but I met up with some other riders headed the same direction along the way. We could hear the music from about a quarter mile out and there was no turning back.

On arrival I was struck by the sheer volume of bikes locked up outside. There were people from every walk of life wandering around outside. Some were in costume, some were partially clothed, some were neither. Once inside, the scene was unbelievable. Great beer, live music, and a thousand sweaty dancing bodies to boot. About a half hour before the ride kickoff, the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers marched through the warehouse and definitely kicked things up another notch (if that were at all possible). That led to the mass exodus to the bikes.

Once I had my bike and "prepped" for the ride, I headed out to the street where I was simply awe struck by the number of people. The cue went on as far as I could see. It was truly inspiring. The ride took off and headed through NW Portland and then down Burnside. The further we went the more the crowds of spectators grew. There were cheers and high fives all around along with the occasional bit of ass slapping. The sound of bicycle bells ringing constantly. We cleared the Burnside bridge out to Sandy and down to the Hawthorn bridge. --Just a thought here, riding a bicycle naked over a steel grated bridge creates a very interesting sensation--. We turned and headed back up toward Old Town where the ride ground down to the naked bike walk (--note: I heard that the rear portion of the pack was cut off from the bridge loop and forced in with the rest which caused the jam up). Once through the jam it was a smooth roll back to the party.

The people were amazing, and not just the cyclists. Props to all the bystanders that decided to make a show of solidarity by losing there clothes while standing on the side of the road cheering. It should also be noted that there was a HUGE amount of appreciation for Portland's finest for blocking traffic at the major intersections. All in all it was an amazing experience which I will definitely repeat.

There is a great write up at Bike Portland (probably NSFW due to the pics).

See you there next year!

Pi(e) Ride! 3/14

Today was quite possibly the best themed ride ever. I ventured out for my first ride picked off the Shift calendar. The Pi(e) Ride in celebration of 3.14 was led by John and attended by Severt, Evan, Jenny, Dave, Angie, Sarah, and myself. It was a bit cold and rainy but warm coffee and good eats more than made up for it.



We started out at the Bipartisan Cafe where the first order of business was a damn fine slice of cherry pie and cup of coffee. Once the group had gathered, we rolled up to Random Order for the next slice, peach berry amaretto with some of the best crust ever.



The next stop was quite a pleasant surprise. County Cork for shepherds pie and a pint of Murphy's Irish Stout. Not the first thing I would have thought of but, hearty, warm, and savory was definitely a plus considering the weather.



The last stop forced me to throw away everything I thought I knew about Key lime pie. I have never been a fan of Key lime, but Half and Half changed that forever. This was not your typical day-glow green gelatin. It was simply amazing.



All in all it was a great ride. I think the crummy weather made the pie taste even better. Thanks John for leading! If you wanted to run a Pi(e)x2 ride on 9/28 to hit some fall flavors (pecan & pumpkin) I would definitely be there!

Worst day of the year ride!

Last Sunday was the 8th annual Worst Day of the Year Ride in Portland. Other than commuting I haven't done much riding over the last couple months so I needed something to get me going. There could not have been a more perfect venue. I opted for the 18 mile urban loop. Start and finish were at the Lucky Lab brewery (a purveyor of most excellent suds).

The route was diverse, though all through familiar territory. The pace was easy, with three manned stops. As to the weather, it was raining when I left the house, grey at the start, clear at the finish, and warm on the ride home.

With 3000 riders, there was an attempt to prevent large bottlenecks by staggering starting groups every few minutes. That turned out to be all in vain when the drawbridge went up at the first bridge crossing. Epic bicycle traffic jam, Portland style.


Traffic jam


The trophy

Oh yeah, cash poor at the post ride festivities, I asked one of the girls manning the kegs where I could locate an ATM. She thought about it for a second and said, "I remember seeing one at the strip club on the next block".

I love Portland.

Full gallery.

SSCXW08

Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships are this weekend! Events are on Saturday and Sunday. The race is on Sunday at PIR. I am going to try to make it out for the race (as a spectator). It should be a great time.

SSCXW via Bike Portland

Updated: Manifest Show Weekend

Update: Pics from the show posted here.

All in all, a spectacular weekend alternating between biking, drinking, and eating (all the PDX staples). Scott, Kav, and Ashley from Seattle, Kat from Eugene, and Anna from here in Portland made for a full house. I could not have asked for a better group to ride with.

Scott posted some great pics over at sweetbike.org. I am playing around with SmugMug. Once I get the account set up I will post the gallery of pics I shot at the show.

Special props to Dean for showing us a great time Saturday night.

We need to do this again sooner rather than later.

I blame Scott.

I used to ride a lot. I even used to work doing bike assembly. That was well over a decade ago. Last February I went up to see a great friend in Seattle. He had been doing a lot of biking and mentioned that a group he rides with did a weekly Slow Sunday ride. The hotel I was staying at had loaner bikes, so I went along. Note: Riding a poorly maintained hotel loaner bike 30 miles in Seattle after not cycling for 16 years is not generally recommended. It fucking hurts! But... I had a smile on my face the entire way. I was still smiling (though unable to walk) the next day. I missed being on a bike. Here is Scott's post on the ride.
Since that ride I have invested in a new bike and have been playing around with bits and pieces to make it my own. I ride as much as I can, usually with my son in tow on a ride along. This will be my outlet for all stuff bikey and otherwise. Enjoy.