(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Portland’s legendary Midnight Mystery Ride is ten years old! To celebrate, there will be a special edition tonight and you’re all invited.
Known as MMR, the Midnight Mystery Rides were created by Ayleen Crotty (yes the same Ayleen that spearheaded the Multnomah County Bike Fair, Filmed by Bike, and so on) in 2003. For many years, Ayleen led the rides and maintained a website chronicling each one. The idea behind the rides is simply to get out and explore the city with friends. And it happens at midnight of course, when the city sleeps, the streets are quiet, and mysterious locations wait to be explored and cherished with friends old and new.
An email to us from “Team Midnight” (anyone who has led or ridden in a ride is a member) this morning stated that, “Team Midnight has morphed throughout the years, but there continues to be a dedicated pack of midnight riders enthusiastic about following a leader to a mystery destination every second Friday (year round!) no matter the weather.”
In an effort to remember past rides and appreciate the bike fun history, organizers have put together a Google Map of destination locales.
Tonight’s ride meets at the Red Fox (5128 N Albina). Learn more about the ride and check the Facebook event page here. Show up a bit early to hang out, then get on your bike and ride at midnight.
I’ve been to a few of these over the years, and below are a few photos to give you a sense of what to expect:
