The Portland bike community has lost a special character. Ali Al-Salman — who shared his love of bicycles and music with many — passed away at 7:30 AM on New Year’s Day while visiting family in Los Angeles.
Although I didn’t get to know him well, I remember Ali’s smile and guitar from several bike events over the past few years.
Ayleen Crotty has written a nice remembrance of Ali on the Midnight Mystery Ride website and on her ORBike Blog. Ali was a regular on the Midnight Mystery Rides and had attended more of them than anyone else. He even wrote a song about them — which you can hear on his MySpace page.
For more remembrances of Ali, see this message on the Shift email list.
Rest in peace Ali.
i remember meeting Ali on the summer solstice ride. a most vivid image is of him on powell butte standing on a dilapidated cart playing his guitar as the sun came up.
Ali’s passing is a great loss to the bike community & Portland. Ali supportted all of our rides. He faithfully particitpated in every ride that I either lead or attended. He came on the 1st Oxbow Bike Campout and every campout since. Playing his guitar around the fire and getting everyone in on the singing. I would see him at People’s Co-Op Farmers Market,every Wed., with loads of fresh veggies loaded in his bike crate. He joined us on The Rock & Roll ride, stopping occasionaly to do his translation work over his cell phone. Listening to his stories about how his sister, still living in Iraq, was surviving. He gave me some real insights into how the war war really going.
Recently Ali & my friend Jason have been playing guitar together and just recorded a song.
Ali will be greatly missed.
Ride On-Ali
Ali was a very nice person. always with a smile, always with some instrument to play(often a guitar) and, always with a snack to share – he made the times that I shared with him special.
life can be too short sometimes. I think that it could be said that Ali went too soon but he sang and danced and loved while he was around.
blessings.
Ali was a gentle soul, he will be sorely missed.
Team Midnight welcomes your remembrances of Ali on our website.
YeaBikes.net/midnight/ali.html
Ali is a reminder of what it means to live a graceful life. He was a kind and gentle man with alot of love to give to the world. I wish that there had been more time. Ali you will be missed
Indeed Ali will be missed. He was the quintessential “quiet, unassuming type”. Seeing him arrive for a ride was always a source of joy. It meant in this fast-paced world of change, visiting and riding along side Ali would be like it had always been. It is nice in life to have things that can always be counted upon, and Ali both his presence and his character were steady and dependable. And all the more comforting for it.
Peace Ali.
This is very sad news. I met Ali on my first midnight mystery ride. He loved midnight mystery rides and karaoke. He was kind and gentle. I was just visiting Portland (having moved overseas since) and Ali came on the holiday lights pub crawl, so I got one last chance to see him, which I’ll treasure always. If the world had more gentle kind people like Ali there would be less killing.
peace.
I met Ali some 15 or so years ago, playing soccer with a bunch of oldsters. He was always concerned about social justice and willing to help others although he and his family struggled each day to escape the troubles of his home country and to make it in America.
In a way, Ali was our conscience, reminding us in our play and our privilege that there was still work to be done to make the world a just and safe place for everyone.
Ali’s death is a great loss. Bye, Ali.