(Photo: J. Maus)
As you join family and friends to celebrate the season, here are a few bits of holiday cheer sure to warm your heart.
First, we’ve got a batch of bike-inspired Christmas carols. If you made it to BikeCraft earlier this month you might recall The Bike Chorale singing group. Made up of staff from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, The Bike Chorale served up a big helping of holiday spirit with their warm renditions of Christmas classics with a cycling spin.
The songs were written by Portland bike scene veterans Jim Waigand, Amy Stork, and Jeff Bernards and made popular by Timo, Ben, Wes and Ken of the Trash Mountain Boys.
Below is a short video of The Bike Chorale singing “Climate Change is Coming to Town” (we’ve got a full list of lyrics at the bottom of this post):
Our next bit of cheer comes from our friend Bryce, who we previously know as a member of the Unicycle Bastards. A few days ago, Bryce and his young daughter set out on the family tall-bike to deliver “Free Good Stuff” (tarps, toothbrushes, snacks, etc…) to Portland’s homeless under the Burnside Bridge. It’s a touching video. Way to go Bryce!:
And finally, if you are looking for something to do on a bike, check out the Joy of Sects on Christmas Eve ride hosted by Bike Temple. On Christmas Day (tomorrow), there’s the Ghost Christmas Ride and for you late-night freak bike lovers, North Freak hosts a holiday edition of their monthly Freak Friday ride.
Here’s a list of lyrics to other bikey carols for you and yours to enjoy. Click the titles to navigate down the page (here’s a PDF of the lyrics if you’d like to print them out and share!):
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Climate Change is Coming to Town
Ring Your Bells
Bicycle Rock
Bikes for the World
Deck the Road with Tons of Cyclists
Rudolph the Red-nosed Cyclist
O Come all ye cyclists
Twelve Days of Christmas
Climate Change is Coming to Town
(To the tune of Santa Claus is coming to town)
You better watch out, you better not drive
You better ride bikes I’m telling you why
Climate change is coming to town
We’re making it hot, we’re raising the sea
Gonna feel life at a hundred degrees
Climate change is coming to town
If people keep on driving
The poles will soon be lakes
The air will stink like petrol fumes
Ride your bike for goodness sake
We’re making a list, we’re checking it twice
We’re gonna find out who drove and who biked!
Climate change is coming to town
Back to Top
Ring Your Bells
(to the tune of Jingle Bells)
Dashing through the rain, on a pedaling machine
Over the streets we go, biking keeps us lean, oh ho ho
Horns on Hondas beep, testing our resolve
But oh what fun it is to ride, cutting down on smog!
Ring your bell, ring your bell, biking all the way!
Oh what fun, it is to ride a two-wheeled Chevrolet!
Hey!
Portland winter’s wet, with puddles everywhere
Splashing cars behind, but why do I care?
I’ve got fenders on, keeping my ass dry
Oh what fun it is to ride, it’s a natural high!
Ring your bell, ring your bell, biking all the way!
Oh what fun, it is to ride a two-wheeled Chevrolet!
People think we’re odd, riding on our bikes
But we know we’re cool, ‘cause this is what we like
Breathing clean and free, letting go of hate
We are riding bicycles because it feels so great!
Ring your bell, ring your bell, biking all the way!
Oh what fun, it is to ride a two-wheeled Chevrolet!
Bicycle Rock
(to the tune of Jingle Bell Rock)
Bicycle, bicycle, bicycles rock
Bicycles roll and bicycles go
Spinning and grinning, it’s baskets of fun
Now the biking age has begun
Bicycle, bicycle, bicycles rock
Cyclist whoop and Cyclists hoot
Pedal and revel in Courthouse Square
In the misty air
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To bike the night away
Bicycle time is a cool time
To go riding on a two-wheeled sleigh
Giddy up, iron horse, don’t be a poke
Bicycle round the clock
Mix and mingle with your jingling spokes
That’s the bicycle
That’s the bicycle
That’s the bicycle rock!
Bikes for the World
(to the tune of Joy to the World)
Bikes for the world! The time has come
Let earth receive clean air
Let every heart, beat steadily
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing
Bikes rule the road, with speed and grace
And make our nation free
From oil rigs and corporate greed
So ride your bicycle
So ride your bicycle
So ride, so ride your bicycle!
Deck the Road with Tons of Cyclists
(to the dune of Deck the Halls)
Deck the road with tons of cyclists
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Tis the season for idealists
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Don we now our rain apparel
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Call your friend his name is Harold
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Grab your helmet and your u-lock
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Join the sheep who’ve left the flock
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Hitch your trailer to your seat post
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
To the store to get some French Roast
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Pedal til the old year passes
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Cold air fogging up your glasses
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Summer soon will come again
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
Just keep riding with the wind
Fa la la la la la, la la la la
O Come all ye cyclists
(To the tune of o come all ye faithful)
O Come all ye cyclists,
joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye by bicycle
Come and behold them
See what fun they’re having
O come let us stop driving
O come let us start riding
O come let us start riding
Our bicycles
Rudolph the red-nosed cyclist
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it (saw it)
You would even say it glowed.
All of the silly drivers
Used to laugh and call him names (like a Masshole)
They never let poor Rudolph (Rudolph)
Take the center of the lane
Then one smoggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say
Rudolph with your healthy thighs
Won’t you pull my sleigh tonight?
Then all the children loved him
And they shouted out with glee (with glee)
Rudolph the red-nosed cyclist
Won’t you come and ride with me!
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
A tandem with a spare seat
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Two handlebars and
Etc…..
Three inner tubes
Four pedals shining
Five times the fun
Six pack (or six Pabsts) for drinking
Seven days of riding
Eight bells for ringing
Nine lights a blinking
Ten spokes a spinning
Eleven cables snaking
Twelve gears for shifting
…and a tandem with a spare seat.
We might have one more treat for you by tomorrow… but until then… season’s greetings!
I think the lines “Don we now our rain apparel” or else “Rudolph with your healthy thighs, Won’t you pull my sleigh tonight?” are my favorites!
I dunno. “Call your friend, his name is Harold” pretty much cracked me up.
One year I joined the Shifties bicycle bell choir led by Timo. I actually attended a practice or two at the Lucky Lab. Our debut was on Peacock Lane – and even though I was well prepared, my fingers, or bike bell froze up and I missed all my notes. My life as a musical performer has since ceased operation.
Happy biking out there. And who knows maybe Cycle Santa will leave you a gift!
Ps. Anyone can be a Cycle Santa.