(Photos © J. Maus)
They say that Portland’s Critical Mass is dead.
Now they’re saying that the days of bike fun are numbered.
If that’s true, Jacque Authier intends to send it out with a bang (and maybe resuscitate it in the process). She’s announced the Halloween Procession for Poor, Dead Bike Fun this Friday, October 30th meeting at 5:45pm under the west end of the Morrison Bridge.
Here’s how Authier describes the ride:
A tongue in cheek ride commemorating the recently reported death of bike fun!
- Meet under the Morrison Bridge, (west side of river).
- Wear your halloween costume, funeral attire, or your naked bum.
- We’ll place Bike Fun in the coffin bike, eulogize it, and if you’ve got something to say… come prepared.
The ride will head out east of SE 82nd in order to draw attention to the need for bike awareness and infrastructure in the eastern part of the city. The large, loosely organized ride (they used to call it Critical Mass…) on the final Friday of October has always been high spirited, well-attended, and followed by epic parties — this one should be no different.
This ride won’t be the only opportunity to rock your costume on two wheels this weekend. There’s also the (in)famous Halloween Cross Crusade races in Astoria that run all weekend, a costume party and contest at the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show, and even a Halloween day bike move.
Lots to do on a bike this weekend (stay tuned for the Weekend Guide), so get on a warm costume and and have fun!
goonies never say die
My GHOULfriend normally GHOST to the event WITCH has the most SPIRIT and doesn’t COSTUME much.
That way she isn’t COFFIN up a lot of money.
The toolbag that wrote that Mercury blog is just jealous that they have no friends who want to do fun things on a bike with them.
No, Hart, I think that the toolbag who wrote that Mercury blog is referring to the idea that when something becomes less of a special rebel type thing, those who participate in it will seek attention by finding something yet more extreme and exclusive. I mean, what self respecting modern punk rocker over the age of 13 still wears Sex Pistols shirts? I mean, if a bunch of soccer moms started showing up to zoobombs, maybe those hippies would start riding 16 inch Magnas through the MAX tunnel.
I’d have more respect for a young punk rocker wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt than a Casualties t-shirt…
I think “bike culture” would be more accurately referred to as Bike Counterculture, because that’s what it is and as we know, counterculture always exists in some form.
Dang! Ms. Mirk better come on this ride, and report how dead it is.
Ms Mirk is only the messenger. Why is it that these days, everyone wants to shoot the messenger?
But, the idea for this ride actually came from the very funny anti bike-fun rants on the shift list- provoked by the shenanigans of a certain rev phil, and his so-called band of funnists!
jsyk.
Due to rain, this ride probably won’t make it to far out SE. We’ll cut it shorter, and try to warm up/dry off at “memorial”.
And I’m really only instigating this ride… everyone that comes adds something and makes bike fun happen!