Weekend Guide: Chariot wars and rainy family fun

Friday (2/13)

The Zoobomb Badass Challenge
A signature event of Mini Bike Winter
A weekend-long festival of mini bike fun and carnage. You zoobomb until you can’t any more.
6pm at the Zoobomb Pile, SW 10th and Oak

Free Commuting Workshop at the Bike Farm
A one hour workshop to learn the rules of the road, traffic dynamics and essential bike handling techniques. A great first step towards bike commuting, as well as a way for intermediate commuters to learn more and share what they know. Led by Evan Ross, of Portland Bicycle Tours. Hosted by the Bike Farm, a local non-profit, bicycle tool library and learning resource. Free.
6:00pm Bike Farm, 305 NE Wygant St

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Midnight Mystery Ride
Meet at 11pm at NE 27th and Killingsworth. Ride leaves at midnight.

Saturday (2/14)

A charioteer prepares for battle
(Photo © J. Maus)

Ben Hurt Chariot Wars
“A Valentine’s Day massacre…on wheels.” Featuring teams on handmade chariots going into battle.
See Mini Bike Winter website for details.

Velotine’s
Velotine’s is a celebration of bicycle love. Every weekend in February, PBOT’s and BTA’s Safer Routes to School program will be hosting a free bicycle maintenance event. Come and show your bike some love
This month’s event is at Peninsula Park Community Center from 12-2.

Valentine’s Day Benefit Dance
In celebration of the almighty power of love, Nemo Design and Infinity Images will be hosting a Valentine’s Day dance and benefit on February 14, 2009 to raise money for our good friend and hit-and-run victim Eric Davidson.
1875 SE Belmont, 9:00pm – 1:00am

Sunday (2/15)

Worse Day of the Year Ride

Anita Kisee and her pooch
at the start line of the
Worst Day Ride in 2006.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Worst Day of the Year Ride
A record-setting 3,000 participants are expected to brave the weather to turn out for the Worst Day Ride this year. Mellow 18 mile or hilly 40 mile route options. Show up early and in costume and win a free set of fenders. A benefit for the Community Cycling Center.
8am – 4pm, Lucky Lab Brewpub at 915 SE Hawthorne

Mini Bike Winter Olympics
Events include:

    – Mini Bike Sprint
    – Mini Bike Long Jump
    – Tyke Toss
    – Ass Down Derby
    – Mini Bike Jousting
    – DeathJam
    – Cupcake Challenge

The Glorious Bicycle Belles are performing the half time show.
2:00pm, Eastbank of Esplanade right around the Hawthorne Bridge

Weekly events

Bike Polo (every Sunday)
It’s a Portland tradition. Bring your own beater bike (or ride one of their loaners) and learn bike polo from the Axles of Evil (some of the best polo players on the continent). Polo is also great for spectators, but be mindful of random profanity and other transgressions.
Winter hours are 1:00pm till dark at Alberta Park (NE 21st and Killingsworth)

Zoobomb (every Sunday)
Needs no introduction. Everyone welcome (mini bikes or not) See Zoobomb.net for more info.
9:00pm at the Zoobomb Pyle! (SW 10th Ave and Oak St)

Have fun out there…and if I forgot anything please feel free to shamelessly promote in the comments.

Photo of author

Elly Blue (Columnist)

Elly Blue has been writing about bicycling and carfree issues for BikePortland.org since 2006. Find her at http://takingthelane.com

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ggw
ggw
15 years ago

Gonna have to miss these great events this time ’round. We’re off to watch the first 4 days of the Tour of California.

Carl
Carl
15 years ago

If you’re new to Zoobomb events, plan on everything starting late and wearing warm clothes. Well-managed expectations make for better bike fun.

timtim
timtim
15 years ago

Hey Johnathan, Polo has been starting @ 1pm in the winter months and been going until dark, just FYI. Also this March seventh and eight we are hosting the first annual Oregon Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships! 3-2-1 GO!

Mr DeJerk
15 years ago

Man, I surely hope no punk “anarcho” biker ruins these fun events. Waitasecond! They’re the ones putting this up…! What’s gonna happen to our community!? AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!

reader
reader
15 years ago

Friday the 13th about 9:30pm, I’m driving home from dinner and I decide to take a little spin through Washington Park on the way home. I’m driving down SW Knight from Fairview down toward the Zoo when I see something crumpled in the middle of the road ahead. At first I think it’s a deer that’s been hit by a car, but then I realize it is a ZooBomber lying motionless (and I mean motionless) in a tangle with his mini-bike.

I get out of my car and try to ask the guy if he is okay. No response. So I call 911 because I cannot tell if the guy is dead or severely injured or just passed out from too much PBR. He’s wearing a metal helmet with a full metal face mask so it looks like he was prepared for some action on the bomb, but strangely he’s wiped out at the very top of the hill at the start of the run.

While I am on the phone with 911, the ZooBomber moves his leg and tries to raise himself up. I ask him again if he is okay or needs medical help. He says, “No”, but I don’t know which question he is answering, so I tell the dispatcher he better send someone up anyway.

A short while later, a police car arrives. The biker never raises himself to more than a slumped sitting position and says nothing more.

Does anybody know that dude or what happened to him?

I am sorry for involving the police (and probably fire) if it was not necessary or wanted, but this kid was dressed in all black and lying unconscious right in the middle of the street and I did not want to be responsible for someone coming along after me and driving over him.

Also, I thought ZooBombers usually ride in packs. If so, where were this dude’s comrades while their fellow rider was out cold in the middle of the travel lane?

I hope he is okay…

Michael
Michael
15 years ago

For a quick bike trip to Asia, head east on the SE Clinton/Woodward bike blvd to the end just across 82nd. The Fubonn Shopping center offers up several great cuisines in modestly priced restaurants. Follow up with samples of top quality teas in the Asian Arts shop, and a browse around the huge Fubonn grocery store. Other shops will tempt you, too.

Nicholas
Nicholas
15 years ago

Dear Reader,

I’m not sure, but I think the zoobomber you saw might have competed in the “Bad Ass Challenge”, which involves you starting at the beginning of the hill and riding your mini bike UP THE HILL. Which, to the untrained biker, might be enough to make one pass out, especially if there had been some PBR in the belly.

The Midnight Mystery Ride was really fun, except for the fact the ride stopped at two different places before we got to our mystery destination.