The video created by Stay Wild Magazine and Alin Draguilin for this Saturday’s World Naked Bike Ride is terrific. It’s also slightly (though not extremely) unsafe for the workplace.
As for this year’s ride itself, here’s what you need to know:
Bring your stuff on the ride. The ride meets at Normandale Park, 5700 NE Halsey, at 8 pm on Saturday, June 7, but it won’t finish at the same location. (The route is, as always, top secret … but it’s a safe bet that it won’t be too far from the Portland Mercury’s official afterparty at 2410 N. Mississippi Ave.)
By bike, the best approaches to Normandale Park are Cully/57th Avenue from the north; the 53rd and 60th Avenue bridges across Interstate 84 from the south; and the Tillamook/Hancock neighborhood greenway from east and west. (Turn south at 57th or 53rd to reach the park.) By public transit, your best bets are the Red/Blue/Green MAX lines, all of which stop at the nearby 60th Avenue station, and the #77 and #71 buses (neither of which are frequent service).
Don’t arrive in a car. That’s just not cool in this situation.
However you get there, the ride will start rolling around 9 pm but will probably take quite a while to roll out. Last year’s record-settingly huge ride got off to a slow start from the middle of downtown, and this year’s will be starting in an area with narrower streets.
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Bring a few bucks to support the ride. The WNBR is the largest organized pay-what-you-will ride in Oregon and probably one of the largest such in the world. But it costs the volunteer organizers money: for event permits, port-a-potties and so on. Bring a little cash and give it to one of the sash-wearing volunteers. For a donation of $5 to $10, you can take home an official WNBR saddle cover:
You can also order these online for $10 each.
(Photo by J.Maus/BikePortland)
The weather is looking fantastic so far. Here’s the extended forecast for the area — at this writing, 60 to 70 degrees between 9 p.m. and midnight, with a gentle breeze and only a 10 percent chance of rain.
More questions? Check out the WNBR’s excellent official FAQ page.
I’ll see you there with balls on!
We checked with the OLCC and the health department first, and since we can serve naked riders, we will! Don’t forget your ID and have a blast! The WNBR coincides with our 4th anniversary, so there will be extra delicious beer to drink.
So the health department has no problem with nude people sitting on your benches and chairs? Hmmm. May have to double check that one.
No shoes, no shirt, no problem?
Just wipe them off. You think there’s not already bacteria on everything everywhere?
time to clean the old crank shaft!
and do some bike maintenance too!
Excited for it! I’m curios what the neighbours at ND Park will make of this. I’m assuming the ride organizers have been liaising with the houses that front the park about this. In previous years the ride has always started in more urban/industrial areas. Should be interesting!!!
There’s already been multiple news articles and even tv news coverage of one person freaking out over it.
It doesn’t seem to matter what the residents of that neighborhood think. Do you or any of the other participants really give a crap what they think anyway?
It matters enough to warrant some news, and I watched the news, so I guess I was interested in what they thought, yeah.
OK, now you… go!
I live less than a mile to the south. The neighbors at Normandale may have a few freaking out, but the majority seem to be OK with it all. There does not seem to be any blow back from the south side of the gulch. We are actually hoping the ride heads south to experience the new 50’s bikeway through our hood FINALLY getting built as we speak.
Not particularly.
Even if you’re not riding, go to the pdxwnbr.org web site and buy a saddle cover and a couple of stickers!
We’re not riding on their lawns. What’s the issue?
With a few vocal exceptions, neighbors have been impressively supportive. Many are even excited about going on the ride!
Yes we are!!! I am even having a small pre-party!
PS – totally bringing dough for that awesome saddle cover!!
Also, don’t be an idiot and ride drunk. Save getting your drink on for after the ride….
And wear shoes….
Heh just noticed the “Ballfields” label on the Normandale Park map.
“Those People” just never seem to be able to spell……
i love that video!