The 7th First Annual Ladds 500 took place in southeast Portland today and it was absolutely amazing. Well over 500 people (estimated!) pedaled circles around Ladd Circle Park until they hit 100 miles. They began at 10:00 am and some of them are probably still pedaling as I type this.
Fears of the event becoming too big were calmed a bit as organizers realized within minutes of the green flag being waved that the sheer volume of riders created slower traffic overall — which means less likelihood of crashes; but also that it might be dark before some teams finish.
Today’s turnout was by far the most the event had ever seen since the first year in 2016 when about 40 people attended. The perfect weather and an eagerness to emerge from winter and dive head-first into cycling season brought out all of Portland’s vaunted bike clubs and bike lovers. The riders, fans and friends packed nearly every inch of the circular park, every inch of the street around it, and every inch of the sidewalk and median along the edge.
A mobile feast for the eyes on an unending loop was available to everyone lucky enough to be there. Folks wore costumes and makeup and rode every type of bicycle imaginable. There were unicycles, skateboards, scooters, runners, roller-skaters, and even a karaoke bike or two. Local radio station X-Ray FM boomed music from the east while they broadcasted live from the middle of the street. Clubs and teams set up elaborate picnics on the infield. There were too many BBQs to count, and some of the items they cooked were being offered as free hand-ups to any rider who rolled by.
And the teams! They were so creative and fun. There was Lamps 500 (they wore lampshades on their head), Friends of Steve Irwin (in honor of the late Australian zookeeper and conservationist), Team Mario Kart, The Lefty Lucys (all men who dressed up as well-known Lucys), and even Cruising to City Council — a team made up of Portland City Council candidates.
I’ve got interviews with fun folks, lots of riding and other great footage in a video I’m working on. Stay tuned!
I focused mostly on video this year, but also managed some stills. Check out the photo gallery below. See if you can find yourself or your friends!
UPDATE, 11:05 on Sunday April 14th: Video is now up! Features interviews with riders (thanks to Shawne Martinez and BikeLoud PDX for pulling me in his trailer), including: the West Side Cycle Cats, Team Florida, Friends of Steve Irwin, Lefty Lucys, Bored Torus, Beth Hamon, Team Tie Dye, and many more. Also don’t miss the chat with the team made up of six Portland City Council candidates, Team Cruising to City Council, that featured: Timur Ender (D1), David Linn (D1), Elana Pirtle-Guiney (D2), Nat West (D2), Rex Burkholder (D3), and Jesse Cornett (D3). (HD version still uploading so might look lower-quality for a few more minutes.)
