Get ready for ‘Freak Bike Fall’

Freak Bike Fall poster
Larger version here
(Illustrated by Emily O’Connor)

Freak Bike Fall is Portland’s newest bike festival. Slated for October 17-19th, the event is being put together by Emily O’Connor, a Portland transplant who moved here from Michigan about a year ago.

Since coming to Portland, Emily has been active in the community. You might remember her as part of the victorious duo of “Team Dethwish” that won last February’s Ben Hurt Chariot Wars during Zoobomb’s Mini Bike Winter. She was also on the planning team for the recent Cycle Seen photo exhibitions.

For Freak Bike Fall, Emily has planned a slew of fun events including a Freak Bike Beauty Contest (to be judged by framebuilders Neal Fegan and Jordan Hufnagel), a bike building workshop, and lots more.

Below is an email interview I did with Emily for more about the event, freak bikes, and how she got involved in the bike scene:

BikePortland.org: What is Freak Bike Fall?

Emily:

Emily O’Connor after
victory in the Chariot Wars.
(Photo © J. Maus)

“FBF is mine and Portland’s answer to the question… what happened to chunkathon (a freak bike event put on by Chunk 666 that last happened in 2005)? All those guys are now grown-up men with babies and real jobs… sigh. But I digress. Freak Bike Fall is a 3 day fest modeled after Mini Bike Winter and dedicated to the bikes we make (but all kinds of bikes are invited to come have fun with the freak bikes!).”

Why do you love freak bikes?

E:

“They are the most DIY bikes. Period. They’re not mass manufactured, they’re recycled, and they’re a complete reflection of their owner. When I ride someone else’s tall bike, I get a feel for how they ride. They’re showboats too; you don’t go un-noticed on a tall bike, or other type of freak bike.”

What type of freak bikes do you own?

Emily’s “Monsieur Libertine”.
(Photo: Emily O’Connor)

“I’ve got my “Monsieur Libertine Tall ‘Danger’ Bike” and I have recently acquired two frames for my small tall-haul to be (hopefully) completed before the festival. I am also the warrior for Team Dethwish, the MBWV chariot wars champion side-hack, but now we just use it for fun, Zoobomb and groceries.”

What makes a bike a freak bike?

“Extra love, and welding! But sometimes not…they’re almost always made out of used frames, or ‘garbage’ as we like to put it. My tall bike cost me less than $50 to make, and that’s mostly paint & accessories…I also say they’re something your mom wouldn’t ride. I could not get my mom to hop on Libertine last time I was back home in Michigan, and she rides saddlebred horses!”

How’d you end up in Portland and get involved with all this?

Emily on a gravity bike.
(Photo © J. Maus)

“Bikes brought me to Portland in October of last year… I found Zoobomb a month later. I arrived here with my road bike, tall bike and a single-speed I made while working at Recycle-A-Bike in Providence, Rhode Island.

In December I got myself a mini-bike, and then a gravity bike in March. Zoobomb has been the best thing ever. I met my awesome boyfriend and a huge group of active, artistic, friendly, & supportive people who, like me, love bikes and fun!”

For a full schedule of events planned for Freak Bike Fall, check out the official website.