in June of 2006.
(Photos © J. Maus)
For long-time readers of this site, my fondness for The Sprockettes is well known. I’ve covered them for over three years now, snapping hundreds (thousands?) of photos of them in action at performances around town.
Since the first time I saw them dance, I was captivated — not just by their grooves and moves, but by their energy, creativity, and by the way they chose to express their love of bikes.
I’m still one of their biggest fans — especially now that my wife Juli is a member of the crew.
This summer (for the second year in a row), The Sprockettes are touring with New Belgium’s Tour de Fat. Since Juli is going with them, we figured we’d make it a family road trip.
On Thursday morning, my two daughters (ages almost 3 and 5), my mom (she’s visiting from California), and I will pack into the mini-van and follow their Operation: Bike Nation Tour.
Our first stop will be a street performance in Ashland (southern Oregon), and from there we’ll head to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and then over to Davis (that other Platinum bike-friendly city) and we’ll finish the road trip in Truckee (check all the dates and details here).
I’m looking forward to sharing a bit of the bike scene in San Francisco and Davis. And of course, I’ll be taking lots of photos of The Sprockettes doing their thing.
As for what to expect on BikePortland.org for the next 10 days or so, I’m not quite sure how it will go. I’ve got several stories I need to write soon and I plan to address important issues if/when they arise.
One thing’s for sure, don’t expect the same volume of stories while I’m away. If things are quiet here, take the time you’d usually spend reading or commenting and go for a ride, attend a meeting, or volunteer for something.
It’s been a very busy few weeks and I’m overdue for a change in scenery.