Sprockettes ‘Bash’ will put exclamation point on Pedalpalooza

Poster for the Sprockettes Bicycle Bash.

Portland’s Sprockettes — an all-female mini-bike dance crew — are all set to host bike dance troupes from all over the West Coast at their upcoming “Bicycle Bash”.

The big party will follow the Multnomah County Bike Fair this Saturday (6/28) and will feature a prize giveaway, a silent auction (items include a custom, pink-and-black Chris King headset), an art show, bike films and photos on projectors, beer, a DJ’d dance party, and a bunch of live performances.

The event has been granted a street closure on SE 6th between Madison and Hawthorne and the Cyclecide Heavy Pedal Bike Rodeo will be coming up from San Francisco with their pedal-powered ferris wheel and other contraptions for your bikey amusement.

Among the performers are four bike dance groups; the B:C:Clettes, The Brakes (both from Vancouver, Canada), Chain Reaction (from Portland), and The Derailleurs (from Oakland, CA).

The B:C:Clettes are a “bicycle-inspired performance group” from Vancouver, BC. These lovely ladies in black-and-red started dancing after they saw the Sprockettes perform in 2005. Now the B:C:Clettes are “bringing sexy back” as they gear up for their ‘Wheely Fun’ bike tour of Canada that kicks off in late July.

The B:C:Clettes during a performance on
NE Alberta St. last summer.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Brakes are another dance crew from Vancouver. These guys wowed audiences at last year’s Multnomah County Bike Fair (see photo below) with their fun mix of energetic moves and bike stunts.

The Brakes during a performance
in Vancouver last summer.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Chain Reaction is Portland’s answer to The Brakes. I introduced you to them a few weeks ago and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next. Word on the street is that they’ll be debuting some new routines and tricks on Saturday.

Members of Chain Reaction during a
performance near PSU a few weeks ago.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Derailleurs were sparked by former Sprockette Eliza Sprack. She moved to Oakland last fall and wasted no time in bringing together a hot group of talented ladies.

The Derailleurs performing in San Francisco.
(Photo courtesy of The Derailleurs)

This is one party you will not want to miss!

The Sprockettes Bicycle Bash
Saturday, 6/28
Doors at 8pm, events from 9pm – 2:30am
606 SE Madison (Organics to You)
Tickets are $5 and can be pre-ordered here.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Matt Picio
15 years ago

Most awesome! Looking forward to this one!

bahueh
bahueh
15 years ago

whatever happened to just…riding a bike?

shawn.
shawn.
15 years ago

Bahueh, no one is stopping you from \”just…riding a bike.\” Sometimes people want to do other things with bikes. I\’m finding it difficult to understand where your negativity is coming from.

SkidMark
SkidMark
15 years ago

What ever happened to enjoying bike related fun?

Still, dissappointed…no Stripped Nipples performance.

a.O
a.O
15 years ago

Yeah, bahueh has issues … fun-challenged. Maybe Grumpy Gus needs to win the custom pink-and-black headset to lose that widdle case of the Mondays.

BURR
BURR
15 years ago

It\’s gonna be awesome! anyone know why the velo vixens aren\’t on the bill too???

bahueh
bahueh
15 years ago

guess I have a different definition of what \”fun\” is.

as for my negativity, Shawn, not sure where you\’re interpretting that…I just asked a question.
you should check your sensitivity meter.

this whole Stripped Nipples thing intrigues though..

SkidMark
SkidMark
15 years ago

Too bad you didn\’t go to the bike-in movie, Dead Baby Bikes International Independent Film Festival or you would know about the Stripped Nipples. Out having fun on your bike?

I think you may have a less inclusive definition of what fun is. Fine by me, but no point peeing in someone else\’s Cheerios.

shawn.
shawn.
15 years ago

\”as for my negativity, Shawn, not sure where you\’re interpreting that…I just asked a question. you should check your sensitivity meter.\”

bahueh, I\’m interpreting negativity because of the way you said what you were saying. (Not that the internet is the best place to convey emotion effectively.) Plus your reaction to some of the positive posts on bikeportland come off as, \”Well, WHY are they doing this?\” That implies negativity.

Yeah, I guess my sensitivity meter is…more sensitive than yours, because I\’ve stopped myself from posting things like you have more than once. As mom said, \”If you have nothing nice to say, then don\’t say anything.\” I mean, this isn\’t a post about another bicycle death or injury. This is a post about a fun event put on by the Sprockettes where folks from hundreds of miles (and across international boundaries) are coming to town for. And you felt the need to throw your two cents in to show your disapproval.

Alright, enough of that. There\’s still too much of Pedalpalooza going on to get into back-and-forths on the internets.

And to answer BURR\’s question, the reason why the Velo Vixens aren\’t coming down is because they have a conflicting event in Victoria. They are bummed that they can\’t make it because they had so much fun last year!

erin g.
erin g.
15 years ago

This is nothing short of fabulous!

Long live fun, high-spirited, creative people. They make life grand!

Keep up the good stuff, you all, and thanks for another great piece of community news, Jonathan.

Tamara
15 years ago

Hey Jonathan,

I saw you snapping some pics of our Vegan Baked Goods Ride on Tuesday. Any good ones? I did a brief recap on my website.

sh
sh
15 years ago

That poster is fantabulous. Like a lowrider show exploding into pink. Awesomeness.

Moo
Moo
15 years ago

Are all the activities inside- it may get a bit heated?…in the 90\’s. And better have the PBR\’s flowin\’.

april
april
15 years ago

Woo! I\’ll be there for sure.

For Baheuh: Personally, I find that going to so many bike-related fun events, helps inspire me to enjoy my daily rides a wee bit more. Instead of: \”Sigh, time to bike to work,\” it\’s \”Yaaay! an excuse to be on my bike!\”

Also, *anything* that shows that bikes are fun, gets more people on their bikes. And more people on their bikes is good for everyone!

maxadders
maxadders
15 years ago

I cringe a bit whenever I see these \”bike dance teams\”. I mean, good god, can Portland get any more precious? Oh wait…I think I hear the bike culture mavens distributing Flavor-Aide over at the Jonestown booth…bring your best forced smile.

shawn.
shawn.
15 years ago

Re #15: Good grief. I give up with you people.

Don\’t want to cringe? Don\’t go to MCBF or the Sprockettes invitational. Simple.

But I\’ll give you credit, maxadders, at least you got the Flavor-Aide detail right.

Icarus Falling
Icarus Falling
15 years ago

Peeing in Cheerios is one of the most difficult things to do.

Just when you get it all lined up, and the stream is flowing through an \”O\”, the damn thing floats away on the milk…..

Brad
Brad
15 years ago

When a city doesn\’t have a world class arts scene, a top notch culinary community, a thriving business climate, or championship sports teams, it clings to whatever it can. For Portland, its inked hipsters in Goodwill togs watching girls dance with second hand kid\’s BMX bikes whilst swilling crappy mass produced corporate suds.

If you like Pedalpalooza and bike fun then have at it. It\’s a free country (sort of). But let\’s not get caught up in the notion that hyping bad fashion rides, nude pelotons, and the least arousing porn ever filmed somehow makes bikes so appealing that Mr. Beaverton and Mrs. Gresham suddenly decide to sell their Tahoes, build a fixie from second hand parts and a vintage Nishiki frame and go car free forever. If anything, it convinces them that \”edgy, arty, funster\” bike riders are the adult version of high school drama club nerds: Strange, probably harmless, and sort of pathetic.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
15 years ago

\”…it clings to whatever it can…\”

wow Brad, that\’s quite a tirade.

hard to know what to say, other than I think if you spent more time participating in Pedalpalooza and portland\’s bike fun movement, I think you\’d come to realize that it\’s a lot more diverse than you think.

and by the way, the goal of bike fun is just bike fun… no one is trying to convince anyone to do anything other than to get outside, experience the city, and have a good time (which sometimes requires dancing, nudity, and wearing silly costumes).

leonard maltin
leonard maltin
15 years ago

Brad and maxadders – that was pretty funny. I was starting to fall asleep until I got to your comments. More please.

Careful though, ironically the Sprockettes are one of the many things we are not allowed to have a little fun with here. This multi-wheeled creature adorned in black and pink livery is not to be trifled with… Like a puppy in a drain pipe, the bike community will pedal quickly to its aid (naked, with funny looking helmets and socks, amid much fanfare).

By the way, dancing, nudity and wearing silly costumes never got me interested in having a good time with the Renaissance Fair types either.

You may direct your flame throwers at me now.

Dan Kaufman
15 years ago

To get us in the spirit I posted a video from the 2007 Sprockettes Dance Party ride.
http://www.crankmychain.com/2008/06/sprockettes-dance-party.html

I hope to see you at the bash!

BURR
BURR
15 years ago

@ #18. what a killjoy. plus your premise is all wrong, Portland does have a top notch culinary community (for starters). I figure you actually ate some of the aforementioned the pissed-on cheerios before posting.

SkidMark
SkidMark
15 years ago

Wow Brad, why do live here if it sucks so bad? I was under the impression that we had some decent restaurants, some great art schools and galleries, and judging by all the construction and the bike businesses moving here a decent business climate. But what do I know? I\’ve only lived in San Diego, LA Minneapolis, and Boston.

And speaking as Mr. Aloha, you would surprised to find out how many people out here are heavily tattooed, how many ride bikes, and how many vote Democrat. I live out here because it is cheaper.

And I really don\’t understand how \”bike culture\” is any different than mainstream sports as far as ridiculous costuming goes, check out baseball, football, and soccer fans. Oh I know what the difference is, they are watching, we are participating.

wsbob
wsbob
15 years ago

Speaking of Beaverton (Brad, comment #18), the town could use some zany, creative energy like this. It could be a little shocking to the prevailing mind-think, but help us please!(yeah, I live out here…).

I\’m sure these revues would turn heads at the Beaverton Saturday Farmer\’s Market. On second thought, they\’d probably be run out of town.

revphil
15 years ago

i started a sort of \”hater thread\” on the zoobomb forum not long ago just to practice in this behavior.

ahem

wtf is up with all the sexy people biking around looking healthy and shit?!? Gawd that sucks! If only we could be spoon fed some decent bike culture from a big city… then we could just sit back and watch it on tv instead of participating.

PS Jonathan has been seen mingling with at least one Sprockette! Where is the journalistic integrity?

PPS Brad was right about something though, that porn did need to be more arousing… so here is your chance:

Bikexploitation Redux
Submit by July 21st
http://www.bikesmut.com

Alter Ego
Alter Ego
15 years ago

Better chime in since I am dabbling in both Sprockettes and BikePortland….WOW! I can\’t believe how riled up people get about an invitation to an awesome dance party!? I didn\’t really understand how political our mission was. I\’ve just been tickled to dance in front of a crowd living out my crazy dream to be a Laker girl. Before I leave my family (again) to work all day setting up this thang, I\’ll leave you all with this: Come if you want to have fun, dance, be inspired and support a totally rad group of ladies that have inspired all the other dance teams of the world to form; and if you are a \”hater\” then come to give the scene another chance, perhaps you WILL have fun and be inspired to get a little silly on your own bike. OR, stay home and sweat alone in your house.

There will be fans and the street will be closed so you can go out for air, but most of the haps will be inside. Come early, we will likely sell out.

As for the fancy food scene in PDX, don\’t know much about that since all these silly bikey antics don\’t pay for going out or sitters……..

april
april
15 years ago

\”By the way, dancing, nudity and wearing silly costumes never got me interested in having a good time with the Renaissance Fair types either.\”

See, there it is, that\’s why I got into the bike scene: I got bored with the Renn Faire/SCA scene. *LOL*

Apparently, for me, dancing, nudity, and funny costumes are just my way of life.

….I got no problem with that.

I\’m having fun, personally. Dunno why people gotta get so cranky. Don\’t like the scene? Don\’t participate! Why whine about it?