(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
Are you ready for Mini Bike Winter?
ZooBomb’s annual event kicks off tomorrow night and continues through the weekend. If you can only make it out one day, I’d highly recommend Saturday. The MBW Olympics are sure to please and everyone’s welcome to join in the fun. The finale will be the infamous Ben Hurt Chariot Wars which pit teams against each other for an all-out duel. Last chariot standing takes home the trophy.
But of course that’s not all there is to do this weekend. Our calendar is full of great ideas and we’ve picked out a few highlights to share below…
Friday, February 16th
Mini Bike Winter Opening Ride – 9:30 pm at Colonel Summers Park
ZooBomb’s annual festival of skills, silliness and speed is upon us. It kicks off with the Torch Ride hosted by Dropout Bike Club. Scroll down for more MBW events all weekend. More info here.
Saturday, February 17th
Lunar New Year Ride (Friends on Bikes) – 9:45 am to 12:00 pm
FOB is welcoming all women of color and trans*/gender non-conforming people of color to celebrate the Year of the Dog. They’ll meet in north Portland and take a scenic route to the Lunar New Year Dragon Dance and Parade in Old Town/Chinatown.More info here.
The Two Bridges Ride – 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Expo Center MAX station
If you’ve been Columbia River curious this is the ride for you! Explore the bikeways on the I-5 and I-205 bridges between Portland and Vancouver while stopping at a few free museums along the way. Expect a leisurely-paced, 15-mile route. More info here.
Mini Bike Winter – Olympics/Cupcake Challenge/Chariot Wars – 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
This is my favorite day of MBW. Grab a few friends and enter the Olympics to test your mettle in a variety of fun and creative events. Then launch yourself and your bike into the Willamette at the Cupcake Challenge. The day comes to a glorious close with the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars — a ritual you’ve got to see to believe. More info here.
Advertisement
Sunday, February 18th
Group Riding 101 – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Elevator Café & Commons
OBRA’s Women’s Prestige Series is hosting this skills clinic that will tell you everything you need to know to do your first group ride — whether that’s a ride with friends, a fondo, or a race. It starts with a talk and ends with a group ride. More info here.
Mini Bike Winter – Dirty Dozen/Badass Challenge/Tour de Bomb – 5:30 pm at Washington Park MAX Elevators
Nurse your wounds and ready yourself for the final day. It all comes back to the hill: How many times can you ‘bomb and and how fast can you do it?! More info here.
Beginner/Intermediate Women’s Clinic – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at The Lumberyard
This class ($75) will help you gain confidence and build mountain biking skills. Taught at the awesome indoor facilities of the Lumberyard Bike Park, you will be under the wise counsel of Coach Elaine Bothe who will teach you proper body position on the bike, cornering skills, braking techniques, visual skills, line choice, pumping, jumping and much more. More info here.
Stay plugged into all the bike and transportation-related events around the region via our comprehensive event calendar and sign up here to get this Weekend Guide delivered to your inbox.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
Never miss a story. Sign-up for the daily BP Headlines email, or get the Weekend Guide delivered to your inbox.
BikePortland needs your support.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.