Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to The Night Ride last night. Luckily, BikePortland.org reader John Boyd did.
Here’s his report and photos:
A full moon followed us on a blast of a Night Ride which wound 15 miles through North Portland. Everything about the ride was incredibly well organized, pocket maps, free tuneups, snacks and water, many crossing guard volunteers and signage, but the best part was the route of course itself. It covered new territory for me and included miles of off-road paved trails.
The Columbia Slough and Peninsula Crossing Trails are downright thrilling in the pitchblack night at speed, I can’t wait to get back to them in the daylight. A costume show kicked off the start at Union Station, with fire dancers at the top of the climb up Mississippi. Disco balls and party mix marked the halfway point and tables upon tables of doughnuts rewarded the finishers.
Sounds like it was a fantastic ride, which isn’t surprising because it was organized by Ayleen Crotty and Good Sport Promotion. These folks are great at what they do. But don’t take my word for it, make sure you’re signed up for their Hottest Day of the Year Ride coming up on August 6th.
Everything about the ride was fantastic; sans the very angry woman in North Portland who kept yelling out obscenities at the bikers, telling them to “…get out of our neighborhood!”
Perfect night for a ride otherwise.
Thanks John and Jonathan for the great ride report! Indeed The Night Ride was a huge success. Those of you who are in the Nighttime Club will read (and see) all about it in our next club newsletter. Those of you who aren’t in the club (meaning you didn’t ride with us) should join us next year! See TheNightRide.com for a photo gallery.
Considering this was the first year for this ride and this route, I think it went over very, very well. I can’t report on numbers yet as we haven’t finished tallying ALL those night-of-ride registrants. Probably around 1,000 people.
Hooray for nighttime ride!
Ayleen
Just out of interest, how did this Night Ride come to replace the previous Night Ride that left from Oaks Park? Is it under different management? Was it time for a change? Did some entity become disgruntled, or differently gruntled? I guess I never heard the story.
Fun ride! Seemed like even more people than in years past to my untrained eye.
It looked like a smaller crowd to me, too. Some of NE PDX course was a little getto. Felt a little unsafe in some parts, especially when that crazy lady went postal on the riders.
Fewer fire dancers. Locating the dancers in a park last year was better as the crowd stopped in the street clogging traffic in the other direction.
Who ever made the doughnuts last year should be re-hired for next year.
In all, good job, hope to ride next year!
A little “getto”?
Poor spelling aside, what do you mean exactly? Too poor? Too black? Too poor AND black? Not enough up-to-standard doughnuts?
As a resident of NE (one who rides her bike in all sectors of the quadrant) and as a reader of this INCLUSIVELY-MINDED blog, I’d like to say that your stereotyping remark strikes me as a bit, uh, lame, lame, lame!
And the call for fewer fire dancers? Please Kata, what is NE without firedancers? Sure, they’re a hippie/pagan curiosity that most of the unindoctrinated tourists roll their eyes at, but just like clowns, they are part of our NE identity! They help define the social quantrant that is the N to the E!
First you dis our streets, then you dis our firedancers — you are so NOT invited to our quadrant next year (and you are so not excused for that initial remark, uh-uh).
Yep, great ride! If some thought it would be cool to not have a front light on their bikes were “surprised” in spots if they didn’t keep up with the crowds.
There were too many edible goodies at the half way spot . . . I couldn’t help but hog down. Paid the price while climbing up Vancouver Avenue. Had to recover by wolfing down two apple fritters at the end.
I enjoyed the music along the way . . . perhaps more locations next time.
ps: have more water available at the end . . . looking around in the dark and finding empty jugs was the only lowlight.
Wow, Shannon, your insults to another poster really demonstrates true character of NE. You must feel justified insulting people with other dificiencies including miss-spellings.
I too felt a bit unsafe with my daughter. The lady yelling ” I hate you!” seemed a bit threatening, especially to a 10-year old. NE has some of the worst cases of person on person crime, so I can see why people had concerns.
To clarify, I think it’s fairly obvious that I was not calling Kara out on her spelling error (’cause i make plenty of them myself), but rather on her characterization of NE as ghetto – or getto – which is usually a denigrating code for “black.” I think this is uncool. Perhaps others think it’s perfectly fine to use what is undeniably a slur in regards to NE, however I still object.
And John, if this objection to slurs shows the true character of my neighborhood, then I accept your slam with pleasure. Thanks for the input. Really.
Shannon does not represent NE as I know it. The NE folks I know are proud of the “Ghetto” image, tolerant of opinions and lifestyles.
Ghetto also refers to the state of the neighborhood you happen to live in.
It’s just as “uncool” to personally attack posters comments on a site that is supposed to be a blog. You attacked the poster on plenty of other points than just spelling.
I have never felt unsafe riding in N/NE Portland, but then again I’m from NYC, a big city. I’ve lived in North and NE Portland for 8 years and as far as I can tell, most crime there is related to people who have somehting out for other people, not violence against some random person.
Just because there was a drunk on the road doesn’t mean N is dangerous! I’ve seen plenty of drunks in SE (of the frat boy nature) who yell “hey nice bike” and lunge drunkenly at me making me think they’re going to knock me off y bike. so, yeah, it’s not just N, or NE Portland.
People who stereotype N Portland are perpetuating racism and classism. Such supposedly liberal people acting so closed minded is really sad.
By the way, that lady was attacking “random persons” and not people whom she knew.