Friday was a day that will live forever in Portland's bike-cultural history.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams
(in middle in white shirt) poses
with the crowd at the Zoobomb
Pyle public art unveiling event
on Friday.
(Photo: Dan Liu)

What started seven years ago as a fringe activity by a few fun-seeking mini-bike lovers, has blossomed into a civic and cultural institution with deep connections to our City; Zoobomb is now a tradition has been duly recognized by a public art monument on one of Portland's most highly-trafficked streets.

A pile of mini-bikes that is used as a loaner library for folks who want to partake in the weekly ride used to inhabit a standard, u-shaped staple rack. On Friday, Mayor Sam Adams and a host of community leaders helped commemorate a new, functional work of public art that will serve not just as a place to store Zoobomb bikes and equipment, but as a visual testimony to what makes Portland, Portland.

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The event began with a meet-up at the old "Holy Rack" at SW 10th and Oak. Zoobombers old and new rolled up in every manner of costume (most of them animal-themed for reasons I still can't figure out), joined by their more staid-looking, two-wheeled bretheren. As I worked my way around the crowd, I bumped into veteran Zoobomber, Solid Gold (a.k.a. Corey Sevigny).

Solid Gold told me he could remember riding down the hill from the Zoo and getting arrested and hassled by cops at every turn. Those legal run-ins will likely never completely subside (and they're nowhere near as bad as this KGW story would lead you to believe), and Zoobombers still get tickets now and then, but thanks to what Solid Gold called, "active diplomacy" over the years, Zoobomb has struck a workable truce with TriMet, the Police Bureau, and the City of Portland.

The parade featured an eclectic mix of bikes.
(Photo: Dan Liu)

Whether it's working with TriMet to extend their Washington Park MAX stop hours, or sitting down with the Police to share concerns and work through issues, Zoobomb has worked hard to become a recognized and respected Portland tradition.

Friday's event was a chance to celebrate that recognition.

At the start of the parade from the old rack to the new one, one person said, "It's like a wedding." A man who looked more bike commuter, than mini-bike bomber, rolled over to the event after seeing it promoted by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. He wanted to see something outside his normal commute. When asked what he thought of the scene, he said cautiously, "Ummm. It's a blast!"

Artist Vanessa Renwick helped envision
and create the work along with
Brian Borrello.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Co-creator of the rack monument, local artist Vanessa Renwick beamed. She said her favorite part of the rack was "The cherry on top!," a reference to the gold-plated mini-bike adorning a spiraling pillar that rises triumphantly two stories above the sidewalk.

After a parade that featured minis, talls, choppers, commuters, and even a homemade bakfiets, the crowd gathered at the foot of the new Pyle at 13th and W. Burnside. Shannon "Shantastic" Palermo, a longtime Zoobomber, Sprockette, and one of the people who worked long hours over the past several years to make this project a reality -- grabbed the megaphone.

Shantastic welcomed Kristin Calhoun, the public art manager for the Regional Arts and Culture Council (the RACC commissioned the $10,000 project) . With an enthusiastic, "Welcome Zoobomb!", Calhoun introduced everyone to the "People's Bike Library of Portland" and then passed the megaphone to the librarian of the past five years, "Handsome Dave."

Mayor Adams.
(Photo: Dan Liu)

Dave, who is one of Zoobomb's most active and effective diplomats, thanked the many people who help make Zoobomb and this new monument possible. Then, he introduced Mayor Sam Adams as "A friend of mine, possibly one of the best Mayors Portland has ever or will ever see." (Only a few people booed.)

Adams cut the ribbon After a countdown (just like they do each Sunday before careening down the hill), and spoke into a megaphone sporting a sticker that read, "Drink beer, ride bikes, go fuck yourself."

Adams recalled when Dave first approached him with the idea of a permanent rack. "It was three or four years ago that Mr. Handsome said, 'you know what, we need a place to catalog and store our bikes'... He said we want to do a sculpture... and he said, 'Oh and we want you to pay for it!'"

A few faces from the crowd.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Adams, a stalwart supporter of the arts, told the crowd, "Useful public art is what we need more of here in Portland." Here's the rest of his speech:

"Portland's bike culture is not only fun, it's absolutely necessary for the future success of this city, to reduce our footprint on the environment, to make ourselves a lot more healthy... and it's great, quirky stuff like this that makes Portland, Portland, and I was really proud be a little part of it."

Adams helped make this project happen through a new program he created called "Art on the Streets." The program is a collaboration between the RACC and the Bureau of Transportation to put art work in the public sphere. The RACC did not make a $10,000 grant for this project, it was funded through the City of Portland and RACC with tasked with coordinating it. The same program will help pay for upcoming artistic components of the Clinton Street Bicycle Boulevard demonstration project.

After Adams stepped off the monument, people lined up to create the first pile of mini-bikes on its specially-made base (metal loops act as hooks for the bikes). Eliza Strack currently lives in Austin and the Bay Area, but she is also one of the first women of Zoobomb and a founding member of The Sprockettes.

Here's how Eliza wrote about the experience:

"I pushed through the crowd and handed it forth, bowing in honor of the golden b(eye)cycle winking in the sun. As I retreated to the crowd, my whole body was shaking. My hands were in disbelief. I paced in a circle and half-sigh/half-laughed and this darn smile was holding me so tight, I felt like the kiln was burning it into my clay, smile-shaped cheeks forever."

I now pronounce you,
City and Zoobomb.
(Photo: Dan Liu)

As the bikes piled up, a long chain was wrapped through each one, and Mayor Adams returned to click the padlock into place. Zoobombers then jumped up and crawled all over the pile, about 18 bikes strong, then posed for a group picture with the Mayor.

Someone shook the stack -- the thing has some flex. The gold plated minibike swayed in the wind.

Then there was a short sing-along by a small, ad hoc chorus. The song, whose lyrics were printed in a program flyer at the event, was called 16" Rims. It's based on Janis Joplin's famous "Mercedes Benz" tune:

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me
Some 16 inch rims
My friends all have tall bikes
I must make amends
Ride hard all my lifetime
No luck at the bins
So Oh Lord! Won't you buy me
Some sixteen inch rims.

Oh Lord! Won't you help me
Kill my TV
That sweet blackedned pavement
Is calling out to me.
Threw a Molotov cocktail
I killed that SUV
So Oh Lord! Won't you help me
Kill my TV

Oh Lord! No need to buy me
A night on the town
I'm riding my bike Lord
So it's free to get around
Got some wine and some pizza
From a dumpster that I found
So there's no need to buy me
A night on the town!"

The crowd sang along with gusto. Dancing in the streets followed by The Sprockettes and then by everyone else.

It's important to remember that this is not just for Zoobomb. It's for all of us. It's from a City that encourages and recognizes the power of creative expression and activism embodied not just in a physical monument, but in the spirit of every Portlander.

-- See more of the action and faces from the crowd in our Photo Gallery.

[Reporting for this story was significantly aided by Managing Editor Elly Blue.]

Behold...

Artists Brian Borrello (L) and Vanessa Renwick (R) stand beside their work -- Portland's latest public art monument.
(Photo: Kristin Calhoun/Regional Arts and Culture Council)

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Yes, that is a gold mini-bike.

I am so proud.

This is something you've got to see in person... especially once it becomes complete with the adornment of a pile of mini-bikes. Details on tomorrow's official unveiling can be found here. (Animal costumes encouraged).

Mini Bike Winter is Zoobomb's answer to all of Portland's summer bicycle fun -- but less of it, and on small bikes.

The festivities go on for several days, and after missing the glorious Hamster Ball on Saturday night I determined to head out on Sunday to catch some of the action. I arrived at the Esplanade just in time to catch the Bicycle Belles, Seattle's answer to our own Sprockettes. I took some photos:

After that, the crowd moved on to the Cupcake Challenge, where mini-bike riders launch themselves from a dock into the Willamette. This year, someone had made a ramp (painted to read "One Less Horse"), and someone had dyed the river around the end of the dock a radioactive green, all to excellent effect.

The best part of the afternoon was checking out the crowds, and the bikes. Here's a sampling of what there was to see:

At an event that culminated Sunday in Maryhill, Washington, Portland's Team Zoobomb showed they can ride bikes downhill as fast as anyone in the world.

Team Zoobomb is now a force on
the gravity biking scene.
(L to R: Chuck Bridge, Aaron Truman, Gabe Tiller)

The trio of Chuck Bridge, Gabe Tiller, and Aaron Truman capped their quest to become the world's fastest gravity bikers by taking two of the top three spots: Tiller brought home the silver medal and Bridge followed him for bronze.

The event was run on Maryhill Loops Road, an historic, 1.9 mile stretch of serpentine road just a stone's-throw from the Columbia River Gorge and the first paved road in the Pacific Northwest. The road was built in 1909 -- but don't let it's age fool you. It's closed to cars for most of the year and it had just received a fresh coat of asphalt.

Tiller (in white) beat eventual-winner
Phillips in a qualifying heat.

At speeds nearing 40 mph and a time of just over three minutes, only Australian Brett Phillips proved faster than the two Zoobombers. Phillips came from Melbourne to compete with his custom-fabricated bike that was the envy of other competitors. During qualifying and practice runs, Phillips and Tiller ran neck and neck; Tiller even beat Phillips in the semifinal heat.

But in the final run, Phillips was just too fast. "I had him for the first third of the way down," recalled Tiller, "but then he just blazed past me on the inside." Tiller says he's more than happy with second; "It was way better than I thought I'd do, when I got here and saw the competition."

The man (Brett Phillips).

The bike.

Besides Phillips and his envy-inspiring, custom-fabricated bike, Team Zoobomb faced competition from perennial favorite and course record-holder Mike McIntyre. But McIntyre made an ill-timed mistake -- running off course during a semifinal heat -- and did not get a spot in the four-man final.

After his gold-medal winning run, I asked Phillips if victory might inspire more folks in Melbourne to take up the sport. "Heck yeah," he replied, "they'll be into it for sure... next year we'll hook up with the Zoobomb crew and hit the hills."

The Zoobomb crew.

The "Zoobomb crew" he referred to included not just the riders, but a large number of supporters who made the trip to Maryhill to cheer the team on. By far the largest contingent at the event, the Team Zoobomb supporters (who helped raise over $2,000 to get the team here) showed that Portland not only has some of the most talented downhill racers in the world, but we've got an entire community to back them up.

Chuck Bridge says he's not sure what's next for Team Zoobomb, but he's got his eyes on another gravity event this spring in California. "I'm going to ask and see if the guys feel like keeping this thing going."

I hope they do. Team Zoobomb now has a gravity-biking reputation to uphold.

Congratulations guys!

Check out my slideshow from all the action on Saturday and Sunday (72 images):

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Portland's Team Zoobomb will vie for the crown of fastest gravity bikers in the world at this weekend's Maryhill Festival of Speed. The event takes place on legendary Maryhill Loops Road in Goldendale, Washington and it's the official International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) World Championships.

After spending the last few days applying layers of duct tape to their racing leathers and ordering parts for their bikes, Team Zoobomb members Chuck Bridge, Aaron Truman, and Gabriel Tiller are already taking practice runs on the course. And, because of an outpouring of community support, they can focus solely on the task at hand.

Maryhill Loops Road.
(Photo: Jocelyn | McCaulifower/Flickr)

The trio has raised over $2,200 in recent weeks. The money has paid for their entry fees, modifications to their bikes, and safety gear. According to Gabe Tiller, a benefit party thrown on August 9th was "a smashing success". Gabe says the team has been, "floored by the outpouring of support from our community."

In addition to individual donors, the team is now sponsored by Portland-based Black Sheep Bakery, bike fun group Shift, New Belgium Brewing, BikePortland.org, and others.

And the support doesn't stop with financial contributions. A huge fan contingent (including hopefully myself if I can find a ride) will be joining Team Zoobomb on the slopes of Maryhill Road.

I stopped by Team Zoobomb headquarters just before they headed out yesterday to snap a few photos of their bikes. It was great to see them all tricked out with fairings and emblazoned with sponsorship logos:

Gabe's bike.

Chuck's bike.

The event will be shown on NBC Sports' Jeep World of Adventure Sports program on October 11th.

Three Portland men who honed their downhill biking skills while "Zoobombing" down the West Hills are taking their sport to the next level.

Team Zoobomb -- which consists of Chuck Bridge, Aaron Truman, and Gabriel Tiller -- are set to go up against the world's best "gravity-bikers" at the 2008 Maryhill Festival of Speed held in Goldendale Washington at the end of August. The event will be the World Championships of gravity sports (earning it a live broadcast on ABC Sports).

The members of Team Zoobomb were inspired by what they saw at the event last year, and since then, they've been training at Maryhill and other downhill courses in the region.

Back in April I joined them, along with several other mini-bike-riding-gravity-lovers, on a training session at a hill known as Dragontail (Bald Peak), about 25 miles west of downtown Portland. The hill was so steep most folks would think twice about riding down it on a regular bike, much less a bike with 16" wheels (or even 12"), fairings, handlebars just inches from the ground, and weights attached to the bottom bracket.

That day, the gravity bikers reached speeds close to 60 miles an hour.

The flying Dutch-man.

John "Dutch" Paglia, a Portland transplant from New York, towers over his tiny, 12" kids bike. But the fact that he's riding a cheap bike from a department store that you can barely see beneath him as he rides doesn't stop him from going all-out. After a run down Dragontail, his first, he told me, "I don't know if my heart can take much more of that. I've never gone that fast before."

A few of Portland's gravity bikers at the bottom of Dragtontail. From left to right: Top - Zane Fischer, Clif Middleton, Chuck Bridge, Gabriel Tiller; Bottom - Emily O'Connor, Jon "Dutch" Paglia

According to Chuck Bridge, gravity-bikes or "g-bikes" came onto the scene in Portland last October. He says they've been around since the 1980s but that interest in the sport -- which is officially recognized by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) -- has waned. Bridge says he hopes Zoobomb's participation at Maryhill will "help breathe life back into the sport.... I think our youthful exuberance, creativity, and enthusiasm will help the sport re-emerge."

To get a better handle on gravity-biking, I asked Chuck and Gabe a few questions:

Emily O'Connor gives it a go.

How is g-biking different from Zoobombing?

Gabe: Zoobombing is a weekly social event, racing fast is just one aspect of it. Nearly all g-bikes are 20" wheels which are clearly "Cheater Bikes" in zoobomb racer-class regulations. Gravity biking has been around since the 80's as a racing activity, zoobomb has been around 6 years.

What exactly is a "g-bike"?

Gabe: It's a stretched, 20" BMX bike frame modified with slick tires, small handlebars, foot pegs, knee rests added weight and small fairings, all to give the rider a more aerodynamic profile and increase the top speed.

Here's a photo of Gabe's bike (notice the low, dropped handlebars, "superman" positioning, and knee plates and weights at the bottom bracket):

What sort of training have you been doing?

Chuck: Aaron and I have been riding our Gravity Bikes on Zoobomb pretty much non-stop since we built them. They're highly addictive bikes, and the feeling of flying along, barely a foot off the ground at 50+ mph, with nothing but the wind and the hum of your wheels in your ears is incredible.

Gabe: We have been riding together as a team practicing our drafting techniques, which is where the competitive edge will really come into play on a windy 2 mile course with 8 riders abreast.

The view from Bald Peak.

Zane Fischer showing fine form.

What speeds do you expect to reach at the Maryhill event?

Gabe: It is very dependent on the wind direction and speed. At last year's race the wind was very strong and gusty, and for the most part in the right direction. With a good downhill wind near the top of the course the turns face you straight into the wind a few times. But the second half of the course you feel like you are in a vacuum. A vacuum that shoots you straight into the gnarliest corner of the course – Cowsers. If the wind works with us we'll be reaching speeds of 50+ mph.

Tiller says Team Zoobomb is "thrilled and honored" to compete at Maryhill but that they expect to rack up $2,000 in expenses. To help offset the costs, he's looking for sponsors (logo on their leather racing suits anyone?) and he's putting on a benefit party next weekend.

If you'd like to help Gabe, Aaron and Chuck in their quest to be crowned the World Champions of Gravity Biking, send an email to teamzoobomb [at] gmail [dot] com.

Good luck guys!

Last night, the Zoobombers were invited out to PIR to test their mettle on the course used by the Mountain Bike Short Track Race Series.

Race Organizer Kris Schamp said he wanted them to come out because he's always envisioned the event as a "different type of race".

"It's not just for the full lycra and carbon racer crowd, the short track course is really a blast for anyone," he says, "...it just seemed a natural to get the Zoobomb crowd out there to give it a shot and at the same time blend in another component of Portland's unique bike culture."

Emily "don't let her sweet smile fool you" O'Connor.

Gabe Tiller catching air on his mini-bike across the finish line.

Always ready for any type of bike fun, a healthy group of Zoobombers, aboard all manner of bikes, showed up for the one-lap, Le Mans-style start race.

Emily O'Connor and Chuck Bridge rode their custom built sidehack -- the same one they rode to victory at the Mini Bike Winter Chariot Wars back in February. Justa Philips tackled the dusty, technical course with an old-school Schwinn Sting-Ray-style rig with ape-hangers and a banana seat. Blake from Chain Reaction one-upped the spandex crowd with his tight boxer briefs.

I love it when bike cultures collide. See more of the action, and hear from a few of the competitors in the video below:

For some reason, I just can't get last weekend's Mini Bike Winter event out of my mind. By all accounts, it was just a massively fun and amazing weekend.

I took somewhere in the realm of 2,000+ images in two days and I'm still having fun looking through them. I especially like looking at photos of all the interesting people that were involved with the event. On that note, I've put together a little slideshow with some of the portraits I snapped.

Sit back and enjoy some of the faces of Mini Bike Winter V...

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

For more of my Mini Bike Winter photos, check out these image galleries:

• Saturday Brunch and Random Shots
• Sprockettes on the Esplanade
• The Olympic Games (and Cupcake Challenge)
• Ben Hurt II - Chariot Wars

Three full days of mini bikes, tall bikes, freak bikes, parties, and an international crowd of spectators and competitors helped make the fifth annual Mini Bike Winter (hosted by Zoobomb) a raging success.

The Cupcake Challenge: ride
your bike into the Willamette
(sans clothing of course).

Crews came from Vancouver (BC), Seattle, Santa Cruz and Australia to take part in what has become a two-wheeled spectacle without equal.

The action started on Friday with the Badass Challenge where competitors do a reverse-Zoobomb (from the Pyle at SW 10th and Oak to the top of The Hill in Washington Park). This is a five mile uphill race, and it's not for the faint of lung -- especially on 16" wheeled kids bikes!

Scott Nowicki came out on top for the second year in a row, but it was the pedaling prowess of veteran 'Bomber Solid Gold that wowed the crowd. He became the first rider to ever complete the course on a mini-mini 12" bike. In Solid Gold's words, "it’s the type of race that leaves you gasping and puking...pure badassness."

The other events of Friday night -- the Skate Bomb and the Gravity Bike Race -- were all about speed. In order to protect the innocent, I won't publish the top speeds I heard about; but trust me, it was faster than most of us have gone on our regular bikes.

With a reported 250 people up on The Hill, Friday was a great start to Mini Bike Winter V.

Saturday was Medieval Day and the event we'd all been waiting for: Ben Hurt II, the Chariot Wars.

It began with a convivial brunch in North Portland where steeds and gladiators showed off their chariots and came together to fuel up before their battles.

Doc and Thomas'
"Beef Cake Patty Wagon"
was made out of steel,
angle-iron bed rails.

The chariots ranged in quality from a converted shopping cart, to plywood and 2x4 fours, to fully welded and enclosed steel units (complete with protruding saw blades). The excitement grew as team after team assembled; the Pedalphiles, North Freak Cyclists, Laurelwood Dropouts, Team Dethwish, The Dead Babies.

As things got underway at an undisclosed former industrial site on the Willamette River, it was clear this would be an event to remember. This year there were more chariots, more competitors and the battle was one for the ages.

The rules were simple, there were no rules. The object was to survive. The last team standing would take home the coveted Ben Hurt Cup. To win it, you had to endure what must have seemed like an eternity of brutality. Implements of all types (padded of course) were swung, others were used to hook and pull gladiators from their chariots. Meanwhile, roving hordes of malicious spectators dumped oil on competitors, shot Roman Candles, bottle rockets, and smoke bombs and basically made life a living hell for those still mounted on their chariots.

Team Pedalphiles.

The sheer determination and unrelenting will of the gladiators and their steeds to maintain forward momentum was inspirational to all who witnessed it. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds and the wrath of crazed crowds hell-bent on destruction, the competitors survived, with valor, lap after lap.

In the end, there could only be one champion team, but everyone that did battle deserves high honors and a place among Ben Hurt Chariot War legends.

But even wounds and battle-weary bodies couldn't stop Saturday night's party from raging until sunrise.

From all accounts it was a special night. Attendees reveled in the debut of the Zoobomb Cover Band and Chain Reaction (Portland's new all-male bike dance troupe), and the Mini Bike Winter Fashion Show was a big hit.

But the fun wasn't over yet: Sunday was the all-important Mini Bike Winter Olympics.

The Sprockettes never disappoint.

The event took place on the Eastbank Esplanade amid huge crowds of sun-seeking Portlanders. Hundreds of people -- spectators and competitors alike -- shared in a picture-perfect Portland day.

The contests included bike derbys, a blind race, bike limbo a chicken race (racing on a mini with someone on your back), flatland race, and more. We were also treated to a Sprockettes performance and the traditional Cupcake Challenge, where a few brave souls launched bikes off the boat ramp into the frigid Willamette River just north of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Nature Boy bombs away!

After the Cupcake Challenge, it was time to warm up and then get back up on The Hill for more Zoobomb races and mini-bike shenanigans.

___

It was by all accounts a mind-blowing weekend (and I didn't even get to the parties). What I'll remember most -- besides all the fantastic exploits, crazy bikes and people -- is how the culture and community around Zoobomb seemed to flourish in all sorts of new and exciting directions right before my eyes.

I'm still uploading photos, but here are the galleries I've published so far:

• Ben Hurt Chariot Wars (65 images)
• Olympic Games (including Cupcake Challenge: 71 images)
• Sprockettes on the Esplanade (26 images)

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies of Mini Bike Winter V, and the beginning of three days of mini-bike mayhem that will include chariot races, mini-bike competition, gravity bombs (downhill races), a fashion show, dance parties, a Family Zoobomb, and a much more.

Tom Rolf in full regalia.

It's the biggest event of the year for the Zoobombers it's something you won't want to miss. With so many interesting events, there's bound to be something you can get excited about.

I'll be covering as much of it as I can and reporting back throughout the weekend.

Last year, my most memorable time was had at the Chariot Wars event. The atmosphere, the people, the sport -- it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Somehow I lived to tell the tale. Watch the slideshow below to see what I mean...

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Who'll be joining me and my girls for the Family Bomb tonight at 11:30!? Zoobomb!