Now for something completely different – Portland has many races/fun rides for bikers every year, all year long – but the big ones are both this up coming weekend – so if you want to drive downtown this weekend or cross any of our bridges – forget about it.
First the annual Naked Bike ride starts at sunset Aug 12th (roughly 8pm) starts in North Portland. Started years ago as a protest for bike safety and body positivity. Yes the majority of the riders will be nude – no its not mandatory. The music will be loud, there will be pit stops with bands, food, ect…
The start of the race is public, the route is secret – to protect the riders (some religious folks like to harass them). You don’t have to be on a bike, but it does have to be human powered. Saw a wipe out on a skateboard one year (yes he was nude) no it was not pretty. Technically public nudity in Portland is illegal, but our law says there is an exception for public protest – and this ride is considered a protest – to whatever you want to protest.
Even through the path is secret – we’ve always lived on a major street, most years they go by our house. The one year we had a Japanese Intern (for the Portland Public Schools Japanese immersion program) staying with us – she came running in the house and said there are hundreds of naked people outside are we ok? I went to look and told her its actually thousands, and yes its ok – she filmed it and sent it to her mom in Japan. Then we took her to a rivalry game Portland (Timbers) vs Seattle (Sounders) in Seattle on the official brewery busses, she sent videos of that trip to her mother as well…. Then her mother came to Portland on a trip to meet us, not sure we were giving the impression of an environment that she wanted her daughter in…
The other ride is the Bridge Pedal this coming Sunday. This one is great, we’ve even done it – very family friendly… they close down the bridges to cars and have varies routes – so if not in great shape take the shorter route and ride across bridges that are normally not bike friendly and look at the river from the top of these bridges. The longer rides go out to St. Johns – and hit almost all the bridges in the city… it will be hot, bright and blue this weekend – and there will be parties on the river.
So this year there are 5 routes – 23 miles 9 bridges starts 6am, 20 miles the main ride 8 bridges 7:30am start, Family ride 13 miles – 6 bridges 8:30 start. Stride 5 mile walk – 2 bridges (no bikes) starts at 10am, Kids Pedal – 3 miles for younger family’s – 2 easy bridges starts at 10 …..
No cars on bridges til after noon….
My neighborhood – is doing a block party Sunday afternoon – with a cover band, and street closings, lots of neighborhoods will be doing this after people return from the rides.
Sometimes, I just love living in Portland!