Sex, ‘Dreams’, and an extravaganza: Some mid-week events worth noting

Bicycle Dreams shows at Clinton
Street Theather on Wednesday.

Fridays and weekends aren’t the only time awesome bike events happen in and around Portland. I’ve come across three notables this week I felt were worth sharing…

Tomorrow, noted bike researcher and head of the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, Jennifer Dill, will give what might be her most exciting talk ever: From Spokes to Sprockettes: A History of Women and the Bicycle. The first line of the talk’s description — “Power. Sex. Fashion. Not typical bullet points for a transportation professor’s talk” — caught my eye.

Dill will share the story of how bikes have impacted women’s lives, touching on history, modern media, The Sprockettes, and more. Come hear how bikes have been portrayed as an object of “glamour, independence, social stability, sexual arousal, and health promotion”. This is an official Women’s Transportation Seminar event, registration is required and there’s a fee to attend ($20 for non-members, $10 for members, $5 for students). Details here.


Pedal Nation Events and BicyclingHub.com are hosting a special showing of Bicycle Dreams on Wednesday (5/26). The film chronicles the journey of competitors in the Race Across America. Here’s a blurb from the synopsis:

“But what begins as the adventure of a lifetime is transformed in an instant when tragedy strikes the race. These voyagers discover what is truly at stake as they pedal on, praying for the deliverance only the finish line can bring. By journey’s end, some are saved, others are lost, but all learn that the fuel that takes a soul toward its own true destiny is desire.”

Sounds powerful. Starts at 7:00pm at Clinton Street Theater. Tickets are $10. Details here.


Also on Wednesday night is Cycling Extravaganza: Biking for Everyone, an event organized by the Alberta Co-op Grocery that will take place at the Community Cycling Center (NE Alberta and 17th). I like the sound of this one too:

“It’ll be a veritable three-ring circus of bike activities, with something for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist, or have just been considering pulling your old bike out of the basement for the summer and getting back into it.”

There will be bike fitting, a prize raffle, demos of all sorts of bikes (including e-bikes from The eBike Store), and more. Check out the website for full details.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

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Dan Kaufman
14 years ago

Great stuff!

And I’d like to add the Dinosaurs Bite, People Ride. Oil Disaster Demonstration and Discussion starting at PSU noon Wednesday. You can also watch and participate live and get updates at http://www.crankmychain.com

Here is the public invite:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130332830314255