“There is concern this [ride] might provide confusion.”
– Adam Zucker, Umbrella board president
Back in June, organizers of Portland’s version of the World Naked Bike Ride decided to take the year off. Making this massive event safe and enjoyable is a major undertaking, and the leadership team behind the ride didn’t feel like they had the personnel to pull it off in 2024. So the decision was made to retrench, put out a call for volunteers and leaders, and bring it back better in 2025.
Then a few weeks later, on July 9th, Nakedhearts:PDX posted a surprise announcement on Instagram: “The World Naked Bike Ride Portland is on. We have a constitutional right to gather and protest and we are doing just that.”
The post seemed odd since I had recently spoken directly with Meghan Sinnott, one of the lead organizers of many previous WNBR rides (and the person who runs Bike Summer/Pedalpalooza), about how it was cancelled this year.
I soon learned that World Naked Bike Ride Portland (WNBR PDX) is completely separate from the traditional Portland World Naked Bike Ride (PDX WNBR), even though the names are nearly identical. Not only that, but the person who initially spearheaded the ride planned for this Saturday, Moorland Moss of Nakedhearts:PDX, was explicitly urged to not organize a ride that might confuse some in the community who aren’t aware of the split between the two groups.
The original PDX WNBR, the one that’s happened in Portland since 2004, is an official project of Umbrella, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides financial and legal support to a host of cool things in our community — from the naked ride to Shift (host of the Bike Summer calendar), Breakfast on the Bridges, The Ladd’s 500, and so on. As the legal entity (a.k.a. fiscal sponsor) behind PDX WNBR, they are concerned people will assume the upstart WNBR PDX is their event. The legal concerns are amplified because the organizers of this year’s ride — the one unrelated to Umbrella and the traditional naked ride — are asking for financial donations.
Put another way, if something goes awry with the WNBR PDX — is a real possibility given the inherent complexities of an immense naked protest event with thousands of people that takes place on public streets — PDX WNBR could be negatively impacted. At the least, the creation of a ride with a very similar name, with similar plans and goals, in the same community, seems in poor taste — especially since the leader of it was explicitly asked to clearly differentiate their ride from the original one.
On June 12th, Umbrella Board President Adam Zucker sent an email to Moss of Nakedhearts. The message was sent by request of Sinnott, an Umbrella board member, and the PDX WNBR leadership team.
Here’s an excerpt from that email:
“WNBR requests that other rides refrain from using ‘world naked bike ride,’ ‘WNBR,’ or similar to describe or promote their Bike Summer, aka Pedalpalooza ride. This is in order to avoid confusion for participants that may mistakenly think a similarly named ride is associated with WNBR, Umbrella Project, or otherwise connected to Umbrella’s, 501c3, nonprofit status.”
Umbrella and organizers of the original PDX WNBR have no problem with another naked ride happening in Portland (there are dozens of them every year that are unrelated to PDX WNBR), they just want Moss to take their concerns seriously.
As of this morning, there’s nothing on the @worldnakedbikerideportland or @nakedhearts.pdx Instagram profiles (above) that makes it clear the 2024 naked ride is unrelated to the original ride, and someone would have to read to the final line of an official press release sent out yesterday to learn, “This ride is unaffiliated with PDX WNBR, Pedalpalooza or Umbrella.”
During a phone call Tuesday, I asked Zucker if Umbrella remains concerned about how the upstart naked ride is being promoted. “There is concern. Yes. There is concern this [ride] might provide confusion.”
In their press release, organizers of the newly launched WNBR PDX say their event, which will start this Saturday (September 21st) at Colonel Summers Park at 3:30 pm, “Celebrates 20 years of joyful protest and body positivity.” The ride will host opposition to the Zenith Oil project and participants will stage a die-in to symbolize, “the devastating impacts of oil dependency on the environment and communities.”
The ride was initially organized by Moss, the person behind Nakedearts:PDX. Since late 2022, Moss has created a large and loyal following as a ride leader. Moss — often in an all-white pantsuit or colorful, mis-matched tights — has led hundreds of group rides under the Nakedhearts moniker while pulling the ubiquitous, heart-shaped mobile sound system named “Gertrude” behind them in a bike trailer. Moss is revered by many in our community for their dedication and creativity. Just three days ago, friends of Moss hosted a Nakedhearts:PDX Appreciation Potluck Picnic & Ride. “Moorland has managed to create an inclusive space where people from all walks of life feel welcome and connected. So many of us would have never imagined having these sort of spaces and friendships,” the description read. “Moorland is a beacon of positivity and brings us all together through these shared adventures.”
Because of this track record, Moss was welcomed onto the PDX WNBR planning team in 2023 and was named official ride leader. Moss was poised to lead the ride again in 2024, but as time passed, the PDX WNBR leadership team grew uncomfortable with Moss’s plans for the ride and their organizational style. When it became clear some members of the leadership team wouldn’t return in 2024 if Moss was involved (or if he didn’t agree to bring on additional volunteers, which apparently was a sticking point), the decision was made to cancel the ride.
Asked for their perspective on all this, Moss said they’re not the leader of the 2024 ride and deferred my questions to other ride leaders they’re working with. When I said my questions are directed at them personally, Moss declined to comment.
When asked if they were honoring concerns about confusion expressed by Umbrella, 2024 World Naked Bike Ride Press Liaison Máximo Castro said via email this morning, “We are not affiliated with PDXWNBR, Pedalpalooza or Umbrella and we clarify any confusion of that when asked. Our website and social media page also state that as well.” “WNBR is not owned by any one person or entity… it is a movement that belongs to everyone,” he continued. “Here in the Portland area, our World Naked Bike Rides have gone through many ride leaders and groups at the helm.”
The World Naked Bike Ride is definitely a global movement. And Portland’s bike community thrives because of people who take initiative and organize big, awesome, fun things. We can all agree on that. So for now, Portland has two World Naked Bike Rides. One on hold for a year, the other marching full steam ahead.
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This is nonsense. This nonprofit corporation does not hold a copyright/trademark for “world naked bike ride” and, therefore, another group does not have to obtain their permission to hold a world naked bike ride. The fact that they think they somehow control this anarchist influenced protest ride is ridiculous.
This seems like the real story, not the fact that there is a different WNBR. What was the disagreement about and why did they boot Moss out of their cozy nonprofit club?
To be clear, they made a request. It wasn’t a cease and desist order. My sense is they are not trying to control anything, they just don’t want folks to be confused about the ride and just assume it’s the original one.
And yes I agree with you that there’s more to that story, but a lot of people did not want to speak on the record about that stuff due to various sensitivities and concerns. And from what I’ve gathered, Moss wasn’t “booted” out of anything. Then again, without being able to hear Moss’s side of the story, I only have one perspective on what went down.
“The original one” was in Spain however
We will answer questions like these in the future. So people are aware of the lies being spread.
Moorland of NakedHearts
So Moss wa the “Ride Leader” but he wasn’t part of “The Leadership Team” and ultimately wasn’t the decision maker.
Change can be messy but change can be good too. Anyone close to the WNBR has realized for a while that a change of leadership is necessary to keep the event in good shape. The most recent organizers have struggled to keep the event in good shape and haven’t been successful in attracting talent to the leadership.
Let’s be clear, the WNBR is owned by the community. Meghan Sinnot and Adam Zucker and Umbrella are the stewards of the event, and their leadership should be appreciated. But if they are not able to carry on the tradition then nobody should be surprised when the community decides to try to fill the hole that’s left.
SO GLAD this is happening!
Not sure about all the drama and how the ball got dropped but the fact that we are having a World Naked Bike Ride on the 20th Anniversary is reason to celebrate and to come ride!
20 YEARS!
(Hoping we don’t have to Protest for another 20!)
Your article reeks with jealousy.
WNBR is a movement that belongs to everyone. If one can host, then support the one who can. Duh!
umm ok. “jealousy” that’s a weird claim. But OK. Also, I do support this ride… even though I do harbor some concerns about the context around it. It’s sort of messy!
Mooreland has always ***portion of comment deleted by mods. -JM***, IMO. I really don’t like that he asks for “donations” to his go fund me. Why should we help him service his toys? I lead rides and pull heavy speakers, I’ve never created a go fund me.
Honestly, he generally doesn’t ask, people have to remind him to ask because it’s clear he doesn’t want to ask if at all possible. Putting on a service for his community (HUNDREDS of rides, ride leader support creating more ride leaders and more rides, and the big speaker) costs money, and the way he does it, only people who have the money to contribute are the ones funding the venture. It’s not like he’s turning people away if they don’t put money in the jar. Not everybody leading rides has a day job that pays enough to fund group ride stuff, and with the number of rides he puts on, it takes a decent amount of money to support that. It’s not a go fund me, it’s a Venmo lol. I really take issue with saying he ***deleting this because I deleted it from OP’s comment – JM***, try to remember that he’s a person too with feelings before you disrespect a pillar of the community. Moorland has done nothing but create a safe 3rd place for any and all who want to join him.
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
Complaints against Moorland specifically or some of the people who go to his rides? I know of people who are banned from certain Portland social bike events, and a few others who either should be or maybe need some education. This, however, is not the space for inflating hearsay and baseless rumors.
I’m not a blind follower of anything or anyone but I am an active member of the Portland bike community (note my real, actual name). Moorland is a regular person with a dayjob and real world responsibilities, they’re imperfect but put in a genuine effort to do good and have some fun.
I was on the organizing committee for last year’s WNBR. Even my small contribution took a lot of time. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort and resources to organize events like WNBR, or even just laying a framework like Shift does. It’s not much different from Burning Man where I’m a communications team staff member. It takes a mind-blowing amount of resources to organize “nothing,” the basic framework for Black Rock City.
Moorland sheepishly asks for a little financial help, via Venmo, if people can. After attending hundreds (?) of rides over a few years I thought maybe I should chip in. Mellow Mondays rides aren’t about Moorland — I barely talk to them — they’re about the community and having some fun, often with a solid playlist.
This is a total lie and slander.
Jonathan you’re letting one of my stalkers and harassers go to town here. This person has been at this for over a year.
Hi Moorland. Thanks for flagging this. I have moderated that person’s comment.
Use your real name if you’re going to talk about people people like that
I’m an artist involved in this ride. I was offered to be reimbursed for all my material costs, which many organizers would not have done. Too many people treat art/music/planning/emotional labor/etc as a throwaway that should be done for free.
I’m glad you’re capable of going it alone with those heavy speakers, but you should really try to mentally reframe the value of community labor and ask yourself why you’re so resentful of the concept of people donating money to a cause they care about.
I had created a long post about what as I see as very problematic behavior by Moorland but ended up deleting it mainly because I felt like it would fall on deaf ears. Because at this point his followers are very devoted to him, almost in a pseudo cultish way.
I’m not a follower. I don’t even know them. But I support and prefer DIY stuff, especially in bike spaces, over non-profits. That’s what this is mostly about imo. And territoriality related to the name. The gripers are pretty sparse on specific worries that they might have related to confusion the name might cause — like, is there anything seriously at risk for them if people mix them up? If so, it would have been better to be more clear about their specific concerns.
Did you include a playlist and a long story about your aunt?
Besides the poster, people should know there is a small crew of harassers all somewhat obsessed and deluded. I think this is the one who likes surf music.
Hi Stay behind the ride leader….I was on your Onesie ride in August 2021, the one you abandoned us all after telling some lie about coming back and leaving 40
Confused and hot people stood around. I’ve also attended other rides you’ve lead.
Please remember you are seen for what you are.
Which rides do you lead?
The Ska bike ride. I built the speaker I pull. And have ordered stickers and others things out of my own pocket. They have gotten their ebike motor donated and asked the community buy their speaker, I’m sure other donations. Putting a venmo out on top of asking for donations just feels wrong in my opinion. You’re welcome to your own, just voicing mine.
Asking that everyone pay for things out of their own pocket is deeply classist and excludes many otherwise willing volunteers. The fact that you can afford to do so doesn’t mean that everyone can; the majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. It’s troubling to me that in bike spaces that are deeply community-oriented we still see attitudes like yours.
They lead the Prince ride (Not Diablo’s) , The glam rock ride , The Onesie ride in 2021 that they abandoned and the same people who were a huge safety risk on WNBR 2023.
This is one of the ride leaders who has spent the last year or so trolling NakedHearts and was also instrumental in why PDXWNBR cancelled their involvement.
Feels like a Monty Python bit …
We all know that PDX WNBR can’t “cancel” the World Naked Bike Ride.
Meghan Sinnott merely decided to—somewhat single-handedly—abdicate her leadership of the event, and now they’re all worried this will cut into lucrative merch sales. Sadly, this is not unlike how she unilaterally renamed Pedalpalooza without meaningful community input, despite the confusion it would cause to rename it after a different traveling bike festival that once came to Portland in 2002.
You can’t spell “Bike Summer” without BS, yet you find the BS “20th anniversary” claim on 2022 Pedalpalooza pennants, while Pedalpalooza didn’t spring out of 2002’s Bike Summer until 2004.
The total lack of transparency is particularly concerning once you follow the money and put together the real reasons behind all of the recent changes. I’m sure the folks at Travel Portland find this rebranding particularly convenient when trying to sell tourists on the idea of bringing their bike to town to roll around in our BS for three whole months.
The World Naked Bike Ride will happen this year just like it has for the past two decades, just without all of the BS. Thanks to everyone for daring to go bare!
Agreed. IIUC Meghan spun PP out of Shift as it’s own Umbrella project pretty much on her own authority. She promptly changed the name and extended the festival to be all summer. As part of shift she refused to share social media logins with anyone else. She’s done some good but she keeps on acting like it’s her festival that she gets to run however she cares. This dishonors the spirit of community that all those who gathered to form a committee and build Shift and PP out of the original Bike Summer and keep it going. IMHO Shift should run PP instead of just being the maintainers of the calendar.
I remember when folks would travel to Portland for Pedal Palooza, enjoying the Multnomah County Bike Fair the first weekend, staying two weeks and riding all over town (MMR, Loud and Lit) and then riding the final weekend in the WNBR. That felt like a festival worthy of taking time off from everything else to go have much Bike Fun. Perhaps those days are gone but I just wish it wasn’t one benevolent dictator’s choices that have changed PP into BS. Shift and PP should be by and of the people.
I understand the concerns from folks and have heard a lot of criticisms of Meghan similar to this one. But your comment is just a bummer to me on a lot of levels. And I just don’t buy the “follow the money” framing… as if Meghan or anyone is getting rich off this stuff! Seriously?
I think a lot of folks don’t fully appreciate what it takes to keep a DIY thing like this going and in good standing on a broader level. We are all proud of the 20th anniversary, but I’m not sure it’d be so strong and healthy still if not for Meghan stepping up. Obviously, in a perfect world, these type of traditions could continue forever without any dedicated leadership and with a DIY, grassroots ethic. But I’ve seen stuff fizzle out and die because of that… So Meghan and others have worked to find a fiscal sponsor (Umbrella) in order to bring some stability and legal protection to this huge massive thing everyone loves. I think that’s a good thing. Are their perils to this approach? Yes! Is it difficult to step up and be a leader in a community like this? Hell yes! Just look at the shit Meghan is taking right now. She’s done a hell of a lot for our community and it’s very sad to me to see how folks are treating her and the stuff she’s worked to build for so many years.
We should all take a step back and look at what’s happening here and see the impacts our words and actions are having on each other. Disagreements and cracks in the facade are always going to happen in a community this big and diverse and passionate. But we shouldn’t let that turn us against each other… especially in the absence of facts and evidence about all this stuff being thrown around.
And no, I’m not perfect either. I have opinions and biases and I don’t know everyone or everything that’s going on to the level that I’d prefer. Just remember, I’m not just some robot journalist with a news business, I’m a part of this community too. OK sorry for the rant. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
The Multnomah County Bike Fair is also a project of Umbrella. There hasn’t been any leadership for this project for the past several years but Umbrella has maintained its project status as well as its modest account balance hoping someone would step up and take a renewed interest in organizing this beloved event again.
If you are interested please contact us at:
https://www.umbrellapdx.org/contact
Get any five bicyclists together to make decisions and you’ll get at least six sharply-defined strong opinions. This happens everywhere, not just in Portland. IMO, it seems to be more common among cyclists than the general population.
On the plus side, our insurance agent once told us that as a group, cyclists tend to sue less often and for less money than most other groups, particularly car drivers, and that insurance rates for community rides were thus often very low, since the point of insurance is to spread risk as widely as possible, and community rides were generally seen as low-risk insurance-wise.
I know this event is supposed to be fun, but I can’t help thinking about the story of Terrence Hayes, the candidate who basically said that people of color don’t have time to bike and that biking interferes with working people’s ability to get around.
Is he thinking of events like WNBR when he forms his view of cycling in Portland? I wonder.
Nope. I’m calling racist stereotype on that one.
I’m often faster to get to places on a bike than my car driving peers when factoring in parking, especially during rush hour so…
If someone wants to save time, cars don’t come across as the most efficient form of transportation in a dense city.
It’s a protest about ending oil dependence, getting in the way of cars is the point. Also what do you even mean by this comment?
And he’d be correct. In 2022 I got written up for being late to my 2nd job due to WNBR blocking my bus. There was nothing I could do.
Can’t even plan around it because they refuse to publish the route. Always comes off like a bunch of privileged people with 9-5 jobs with no regard for anyone else. Sadly typical of gentrified Portland.
We tried our best to avoid interfering specifically with people going to work on Trimet in our planning of WNBR in 2023. It’s a terrible aspect of this ride that it affects people using public transport. Knowing it will affect people on Saturday pains me as a working class born and raised person.
For a place that hates the Portlandia cliches, this just can’t be made up. Dueling Naked Bike Rides, this whole article is hilarious.
And in a month, no one will remember one way or the other. Much to do about nothing.
Moorland and NakedHearts have earned their right to hast rides, large and small. NakedHearts rides are well run, well organized, lots of fun. They’ve been the highlight of my Portland bike riding in the last two years. Bringing back a lot of the group enthusiasm and camaraderie that existed 15 years ago.
It would have been nice to simply choose a different name for the September daytime naked ride that didn’t blur lines with the internationally coordinated ride that usually occurs in June (but has migrated later in the calendar in Portland in recent years), or with the ride historically hosted by tireless volunteers at Shift2Bikes. Also nice to not disregard the stated, reasonable requests of this historic WNBR organizing group.
Hopefully this ride will go well, and next year there can be multiple large organized naked rides, if organizers and riders so desire. With distinctive titles.
Ted Buehler
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
Is that you colorful socks person or is it insecure guy with a big bright sound bike? You all sound the same. Just create and let’s others create, nobodies stopping you.
I think this is the harasser who was just banned from FNR and smashed my car window back in February. I think it’s that one. Hard to know because they all sound similar.
woe is me
Also, Israel is committing a genocide of the Palestinians using our tax dollars. The real protest is against the military-industrial complex, of which cars and car cultural are a massive part. It would be useful to use at least some of the energy spent in comments and this article to mention this stuff. Do you notice that the colors of the flyer are white, red, green and black, the colors of the Palestinian flag?
As I see it, Portland’s so-called progressivism has been co-opted by neoliberal corporatists. This happens when any one person or group of people are idealized and put on a pedestal. We should always be weary not to create vertical platforms. Impermanence is Natural Law.
This, given the lack of any specifics from critics, is the vibe I’m getting from this drama.
When JM wrote “the PDX WNBR leadership team grew uncomfortable with Moss’s plans for the ride and their organizational style.”, my suspicion is that they don’t like that Moss’ plans seem to be a little bit more explicitly political, instead of the “oh yeah, WNBR is about oil dependence, but really we just want to party” that it has been in recent years.
Yeah, that sounds like an actual protest!
And I like the argument that the WNBR is owned by the community, not Umbrella organizers. They don’t get to unilaterally decide it isn’t happening.
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
Sounds like you have an axe to grind. Anything specific to go with it other than just noise and insinuation scattered randomly around in many comments?
Pretty sure the WNBR cannot possibly be run by and certainly not attended exclusively by exactly one person. So yeah, it belongs to the community.
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
It was wise to separate from such a divisive and ill conceived idea such as……
That you think this might be orthodoxy in your own bubble of friends/information does not make make it a truism or even a belief that others share. Why would anyone want to distort the WNBR to focus solely on the Gazan’s battle with Hamas?? I had always thought that the WNBR was protesting ICE vehicles and celebrating the power and beauty of human transportation. Why cheapen it with views that are not actually factual and does not offer the possibility of inclusion?
“That you think this might be orthodoxy in your own bubble of friends/information does not make make it a truism or even a belief that others share.”
Agree, Jake9. The ride is a protest about oil and Zenith’s issues, and also highlights the vulnerability of cyclists and champions body positivity. There have been numerous rides since October 2023 about what Hami is grandstanding about.
It’s all connected. And, that is the point. This is not a situation that can be neatly compartmentalized so it can be easily ignored most of the time. The reason people on bikes – and especially people walking and rolling about – are vulnerable is the sociopathic behavior of many drivers. This behavior does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it is in a milieu potentiated and enabled by the larger societal norms which have clearly crept and are now speeding toward reckless nihilism, apathy and hedonism. I do not know who you are, Lauren93 and Jake9 (or maybe I do…but you are hiding behind aliases), and I know you have no idea who I am.
We all exist on land taken through genocide of the indigenous Peoples of the Americas. So, it is no surprise that so many in this country are numb to the attempt to eradicate indigenous Peoples of other Lands.
Who are some of the indigenous Peoples of other Lands that are in danger of eradication? I imagine you won’t include the Jewish and Muslim Arabs of Israel in your list.
There’s a national week of action against Chevron coming up re: their offshore drilling contracts in Gaza & their fueling of Israeli war machines. Oil plays (and has LONG played) a HUGE role in genocide, war, strife etc around the globe; oil money corrupts politicians and funds propaganda, and people die in huge numbers because of it. You can’t possibly disconnect what’s happening in Gaza from fossil fuels. When we protest big oil, we also protest the pain it causes all over the world.
So why focus on Gaza at the expense of all these other places you mention that are actually experiencing genocide?? There is no genocide in Gaza. Why is all the energy focused there? I never seem to get a straight answer, even though some here have tried. Why Gaza for so long such as the BDS movement when Darfur, Syria, Amhara, Rohingya and all the others were and are dying in mass numbers. Where is the passion for them?
We are directly supplying weapons and funds to Israel. And, it’s not just Gaza, it’s all of Palestine. Also, of course we should be focused on all oppression around the world and in our backyard. We ought to always be cognizant of the fact that this land that we stand and bike on was stolen through genocide of the indigenous Peoples of the Americas. Our collective voice and effort is needed so that we can begin to fix the wrongs of the past – one person or a few people can’t possibly adequately speak up for all the problems we face; as long we don’t face these wrongs together we will continue to allow governments and corporations to oppress and kill.
Guessing it’s the ongoing genocide we are directly funding and have (ostensible) democratic control over. Maybe it could be that’s why there is a focus there.
Just because you unilaterally say “it isn’t a genocide” doesn’t make it so. Clearly some people want to deny it, so you could say that’s up for debate (it isn’t really, but you could say that).
This isn’t even a fringe opinion anymore. The appalling images and unimaginable levels of carnage and suffering happening there, funded and facilitated by our government, have actually made it into a pretty mainstream belief that this is a genocide and/or that the US needs to put an end to our support for it.
You can ramble on and on about all the bad things that are happening in the world. And there are many, including many that we are partially or wholly responsible for I’m sure. But this genocide in Gaza is blatant and obviously something we’re quite responsible for. That’s why there is a focus on it.
With all due respect, modern progessivism has always sought to make neoliberal capitalism more palatable to the working class without addressing the root causes of socioeconomic injustice.
Hell yes let it all hang out,if you don’t like it stay home some people do
Glad this is happening, and I totally agree that WNBR, name confusion or not, is not owned by Umbrella. If they want to abdicate their role leading the ride, I’m glad someone like Moss stepped up to keep it going. And the weather looks like it’s going to be perfect (knock on wood).
I’m requesting a correction on the sub-title of this article:
“Despite its name, the WNBR Portland happening Saturday has nothing to do with the original Portland WNBR”
That is not true. The ride being organized this Saturday is being led by members of the Portland bike community who helped to lead and organize the 2023 World Naked Bike Ride in Portland. It is being done for the same reasons as the 20 years of prior WNBR events in Portland.
It is true that this edition of the WNBR in Portland is not being sponsored by the non-profit Umbrella and is not happening during Bike Summer / Pedalpalooza, but many of the same people are involved as during the last 2 years.
I would recommend a correction to “Despite its name, the WNBR Portland happening Saturday is not sponsored by the same organizing committee as previous Portland WNBR events” or something similar.
(I know some of the people organizing this time, including Moorland and Maximo who are mentioned in the article and press release, but I am not personally involved in leading this ride and I am not attending, because Kidical Mass already had a ride scheduled)
Yes that’s really good feedback Joseph. Thank you. I agree. Here’s the change to the story excerpt I’ve just made: “A new organizing crew has launched a different but very similar ride.”
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
I’ve attended the world naked ride, and Pedalpalooza rides, since I moved here from Seattle in 2014. The 2023 ride was the safest and best I’ve ever experienced. For example riders departing different directions helped the flow better than previous years where it took 30-45mins to leave the start location. And ending with bands performing near the opera, not along the Springwater Corridor and its dark path framed by shrubs (as previous years), made it super safe to get home as a woman on her own. Moorland, Maximo and the other 2023 ride leaders and the dedicated safety folks made it the safest its ever been. Clearly, there are those who are annoyed by this and resort to ad hominem attacks. This happens a lot in communities in this town; those who like to appear to do good for social media ‘likes’ enjoy bringing down people who are doing actual good. I’ve been on numerous rides led by Moorland and Maximo and they’ve always been safe, inclusive and fun, often with many kids riding too. Sounds like you’re an unhappy biker, ‘happybiker80’.
You keep repeating the same baseless accusations over and over without citing supporting information.
It’s a shame you have so much anger and no way to work it out. I have no idea what your grudge with Moorland is, and it’s none of my business, but I hope you can work it out in a healthy manner to find some peace.
I was on the organizing committee for 2023 and I’m not in the LGTBQ+ community. I don’t think Maximo was on the committee last year.
What is your source for information about last year? How was it unsafe? That turns counter to my experience and what I heard from others.
Brian, I’ll let you know who they are privately. After Saturday I’ll be more open about who they are and their involvement in disrupting WNBR with PDXWNBR who for some reason believe them.
This is lot of misinformation and falsehoods you’re touting here. It’s a shame you can’t find something better to occupy yourself with.
My guess it’s colorful socks dude from Iowa or one of the sound bikes that caused safety issues on WNBR 2023.
You all sound the same.
the interpersonal conflict withstanding. I do find it kind of odd that Umbrella (who have done awesome work) are trying to stake claim of the name World Naked Bike Ride, something they didn’t invent and isn’t really anybody’s intellectual property. Bringing in this legalistic language really is counter to any natural bottom up organizing and the wrong way to think about something like a bike ride or protest. Especially one that the group unilaterally decided to cancel.
I know Umbrella helped organize it in years past but I think most Portlanders 1) don’t know who Umbrella is 2) come to see WNBR as an annual occurrence. Just because you have non-profit status doesn’t mean you get to stake ownership over social movements much bigger than you.
Now I won’t be going to the ride cause there’s way to many people for my taste, but that’s proof enough that the ride doesn’t really belong to anyone.
Let me try to help clarify some of your points.
Umbrella came into being an organization based on the observed need for a fiscal agent/legal entity that could help support street-based projects/events. As it turns out, some form of legal entity is needed to secure an insurance policy that would satisfy the city’s requirement for obtaining a park permit. Multnomah County Bike Fair and the World Naked Bike Ride were two of Umbrella’s earliest projects.
As an all-volunteer organization, Umbrella is not here to dictate how a project operates on a day-to-day basis. We are merely the fiscal sponsor that helps a project obtain insurance when needed, collect tax-deductible donations, provide reimbursement, file taxes, and a bunch of other mundane stuff. We do develop “contracts” with projects that general outlines what they can and can’t do as part of a non-profit organization, but once again Umbrella is not here to influence how a project operates, as long as they are following the rules that won’t disrupt our non-profit status.
With that said, the choice to forego the world naked bike ride associated with Umbrella was solely the decision of PDXWNBR’s current leadership team. Umbrella proactively chose to publicly support this decision to let the community know that any large naked bike ride this year would not be affiliated with Umbrella.
J Maus reported that you sent a message on June 12th to Moss asking him….
Here’s Umbrella’s registration of “PDX WNBR” with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office for an ABN (an Assumed Business Name aka a DBA or Doing Business As name).
https://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.show_detl?p_be_rsn=1896397&p_srce=BR_INQ&p_print=FALSE
On the technicalities, any other name than “PDX WNBR” is fair game.
But leaving the technicalities aside, let’s acknowledge that all these folks have worked together before and somehow have ended up here, with a split in leadership and a group trying to head out on their own to form a new ride. Umbrella as an institution seems ill equipped to handle that kind of split, which is a structural problem with the way it’s fiscal sponsorship model anoints one person (Meghan Sinnot) as the “owner” of PDX WNBR in the eyes of Umbrella and by proxy the State of Oregon. She gets to call all the shots. It’s her way or the highway, fellow cyclist.
If Umbrella wants to be the legal representative of so many important institutions in our community (see https://www.umbrellapdx.org/projects), I’d hope that it would work to broker the mending of fences, help the community to grow in a new direction in the spirit of support and love that the WNBR has come to represent for so many and just generally help grease the skids of change.
OR, if you are merely technocrats checking boxes and pushing paper then you should work harder to not care what other do beyond the extent of “PDX WNBR” which is what you own.
Lead, follow or please get out of the way.
This should be a new episode of Portlandia.
I hope that the two different rides happen on the same night and the routes intersect.
Maybe some bike jousting over who is the most naked.
This article seems very biased. I don’t know why the reporter feels the need to discuss and shade Moorland’s appearance: “often in an all-white pantsuit or colorful, mis-matched tights”.
This is a worldwide event, it does not belong to Megan. It’s about community and people coming together to protest car/oil dependency and the vulnerability of cyclists. The fact she wanted to cancel it in its 20th year speaks more about her than anyone else. The ride last year was the best and safest I’ve ever attended since I began attending the world naked rides (and Pedalpalooza) in 2014, as safe and celebrated as the ones in Europe. Moorland, Maximo and others who led the 2023 ride are a credit to the cycling community, their rides are safe, inclusive and fun.
***This person requested all their comments on this thread to be deleted. So that’s what I’ll do. Sorry for any confusion. – Jonathan***
How does one steal a ride? This all sounds like there are some strange social currencies being traded and some folks are *really* attached to specific outcomes.
Ride your bike (or don’t). Wear clothes (or don’t).
Scott calm down.
I did not read that as shade at all. It’s interesting that you did, though. To me, it just a visual description of them to illustrate the vibe.
Go ride and quit the partisan political nonsense.
Hi.
I see a few comments like this. I feel like this framing dismisses the need for community dialogue and for us to work issues out together. “just go ride” is a nice sentiment but the reality is this is a mature community with a lot of different people, opinions, and so on. I personally feel like when issues arise, it’s important that we hash them out together in a respectful way. So I don’t think it’s “nonsense” or a portlandia episode or whatever.
Wow, there are a lot of conspiracy theories on this thread. This part of the article struck me especially:
It’s impossible to know without being there what the specific aspects of planning and organizational style were so concerning that leaders would distance themselves, but I’m going to take an educated guess: it was something involving safety. WNBR brings together thousands of naked humans of all ages, many of them drunk off their asses, many of them who don’t bike much and aren’t skilled at navigating tightly packed groups. Aside from the formidable logistics of making sure that many people have a route, a bathroom, and somewhere to gather at the start and end, ride leaders need to do their best to keep them safe from onlookers, cars, cops, each other, and themselves. This requires smart planning, strong partnerships and boundaries, skilled communication, and a ton of volunteers. If any of those things go wrong, best case scenario is chaos and bad vibes, worst case scenario is tragedy… and personal liability for the ride’s organizers. This is a huge task and if organizers weren’t comfortable with leadership decisions, it’s not surprising they’d step down. If there’s brand confusion between the two rides, and if something happens on the new one, the original ride organizers could still have reputational or legal trouble as a result. No wonder they want clear separation.
Also: I’ve known Meghan for years, we’ve organized events together, I was a founding board member of Umbrella, and trust me, these are thankless jobs – none of these folks are in it for the money or the glory. They’re all experienced, skilled organizers volunteering hundreds of hours a year to provide a public good, their public-facing roles are limited to promoting their projects rather than promoting themselves, and they’re all well aware that most of the feedback they will ever get (in the BikePortland comments and on the Shift list serve at least) for this work will be overwhelmingly negative. Sometimes there are missteps and miscommunications, but these individuals are not drunk with power. They may be too classy (or legally bound in some way, I don’t know) to say what’s actually going on, but it’s hard to believe it’s anything petty or political.
Thanks for reading and considering this perspective. You may have a different one, and that’s fine.
I’ve organized community rides since 2007 including municipal-sanctioned rides, nonprofit-rides, and even spontaneous CM rides, and I agree with everything you’ve written. Such conflicts exist in every community (from the makers of The Office and Parks & Recreation is the latest comedy soap opera, The Community Bike Shop…) and the drama I’ve seen locally here in NC certainly rivals anything that Portland has to offer.
I think the threat of lawsuits is pretty minimal – if I was going to organize a ride for tomorrow that had 10,000 clothes-optional participants and didn’t already have insurance, I’d simply announce that helmets and a waiver form are required, then make up a really simple form and hope a majority of the participants are aware of it (and maybe even have a select few sign a really simple version) – knowing full well that even the basic going-through-the-motions of wearing a helmet and signing any form (or consciously refusing to do so) immediately gets riders on the defensive and more likely to make sure other riders “play nice” and enforce the rules without volunteers needing to police everyone.
I agree with JM that ongoing dialog is the best way, ultimately, of resolving differences of opinion or at least dealing with differences of opinion, but that all parties need to agree on non-closure, that not everything can actually be resolved to the satisfaction of every party all the time – and learn to work with each other in a spirit of mutual distrust.
This is a mildly fascinating look into the intersection of climate/left activism and “the bike community.” Neither community is particularly organized or focused!
Umbrella felt it needed energetic new volunteers to take over the organizing, but the new volunteer who stepped up to the plate was somehow a poison pill to the whole project. I’ve been involved in not-for-profit boards long enough to have seen this happen before, and it’s always a bummer.
On the other hand, I hadn’t even realized the WNBR was a climate protest. It seems to me the most obvious utility in the ride now is simply the enjoyment people get from the event, rather than any measurable reduction in carbon pollution.
“I hadn’t even realized the WNBR was a climate protest”
Is a protest really a protest if most of the protestors don’t know they’re protesting?
Unless you were part of the WNBR leadership committee, it seems you are just speculating here.
This is because Umbrella and Shift were so terrified of politics due to the nonprofit-corporation status that they eliminated the climate crisis protest elements of WNBR and turned WNBR into a mega-nude party with a long history of people being harassed and abused.
I’m not speculating at all! According to this very article on which I’m commenting, the fact that Moorland Moss stepped up to lead the bike is exactly the reason that the ride was cancelled. The relevant quote from the article:
“Moss was welcomed onto the PDX WNBR planning team in 2023 and was named official ride leader. Moss was poised to lead the ride again in 2024, but as time passed, the PDX WNBR leadership team grew uncomfortable with Moss’s plans for the ride and their organizational style. When it became clear some members of the leadership team wouldn’t return in 2024 if Moss was involved (or if he didn’t agree to bring on additional volunteers, which apparently was a sticking point), the decision was made to cancel the ride.”
The thing is that you are assuming that Moss was the bad actor while I’m reserving judgment until there is more information. Given that everyone is staying mum about this it’s quite possible that this was not a case of one person being a “poison pill” (an incredibly pejorative term).
Ah, I see. I didn’t assume anything about Moss and the intent of his volunteering. I don’t know anything about him!
All I know is that Umbrella’s leadership considered him unacceptable as a ride leader, and in the absence of anyone else stepping up to lead the ride, they cancelled it.
It’s like if someone told you that you could have a free meal, you’d probably yes. If they then told you that the free meal consisted entirely of green bean/canned cream of mushroom casserole (yuck), you might say “no thanks, I’ll find dinner somewhere else.” That’s a poison pill.
It’s not the casserole’s fault that it was used as a poison pill, and I make no assumptions about its bad or good acts when describing it as such.
At least, that’s how *I* use the term.
While i can understand the concerns of those in the nonprofit, that’s kindof the problem with non-profit orgs taking over protests. It is a global protest and Umbrella has not been doing a great job with it for a while. I don’t remember what year was the last one I went but there were so many people it felt too crowded and we started off going uphill, so people were crashing into each other or walking their bikes. I thought about going again in 2022 because it was leaving from my neighborhood but as I was coming home from work, my neighborhood was jammed full of cars hauling bikes to the ride, and i decided it’s not really a protest and it’s heart’s not in the place MINE is.
In 2023, I left Oregon after 20 years for Chicago, and attended what was the best world naked bike ride I’d ever been on. None of this starting under the cover of darkness nonsense that Portland had been doing. It was huge and fun and relaxing and people were thrilled to see it and it did get dark eventually but we weren’t hiding in the shadows.
I’m excited to see this new group try some things out. I wanted to go on some of their previous years’ daytime naked rides but had never been able to make it work with my work schedule. As cars get bigger and the climate crisis literally claims more lives every day, now is not the time to give up on joyful direct action.
I read just now much of this, it’s second half of October, a month after a comment argued in such time NOBODY WILL CARE.
I am glad you note the daytime ride in Chicago improves your experience but for me “light heartedness” is absolutely the problem and a couple I met argued offensively and counterfactually that what I mentioned was far in the future in terms of tech. They represented the EVIL this ride protests, and attend not just to be naked, but to destroy the power of the ride, as have by and large attendees now for decades.
I ask- is TIbet a bigger deal for Buddhists than the totality of life on Earth for the rest of us? If 150 immolated themselves for that cause- how can we not being doing the same in far larger numbers, the best, brightest, most promising and of course court upheld as competent TOTALLY so as to have this right, to choose, how, why, when, we make this sacrifice if our demands, consummately reasonable- ARE NOT MET.
So stay tuned to news about this ‘protest.’ I glibbly said to myself I would so join the others if I didn’t accomplish the alternative myself I still have not given up on.
Stay tuned. But it needs repeating- most of the attendee’s would not meet the muster of the court, to be approved, to have injunctions barring interference from any entity, to have the cops protecting us so authorized to by our sacrifice save life on earth, which is worth it?
I know ONE who pioneered it- who would of been approved, only that lawyer, of greatest distinction, who died alone, tragically, relatively impotently, AGAINST POLLUTION.
I also know of another recently who so perished for the victims of war in the mideast. Victims we aid and abet the perpetration of in his eyes- to an extent, that has him no longer with us.
The thing about those doing the EVIL on this planet- they care about those willing to die in order to stop them. That’s the KEY. NOT all of course care- some care about nothing, basically no nothing, but we must make them NOT MATTER. Those who will not ignore there favorite child, or to die for themselves spouse, parent, whoever, that’s who we have to motivate, as our final act- as this is such an emergency, or may soon be in my eyes.
And the writing, the work we will do prior to the day we know no more shall follow from us directly- that is what matters. The focus, sacrificing perhaps a century or more- to ACT NOW WITH ALL STOPS OUT.
Big Oil- it’s real- it’s Houston, redacting an eight figure investment in micromobility as integral percent demand is already lost by it, it’s California denying it’s people assistance buying such tools for nearly two years after the legislature committed it.
Again, I work many decades and have many decades left but will not just run out the clock. I will step it up- and lead the sufficiently many to join in solemn, grave, naked but for the home made ‘Nam like weapon turned consummately nonviolent as applied to our own skin. Us going, will make the old cover of the girl running, or even the Buddhists sitting calmly as they burn or running in clear agony- Quaint in comparison.
Our strange roasting fruit may soon be our best prospect for a safe Earth for all. Such is the TIde of June. Such is a year sabbatical perhaps atoned for given cooperation.
We need the power of the force more powerful- it is this.
Somewhat amazing to see the chorus of disparagement toward Meghan Sinott here. This woman has dedicated literally COUNTLESS hours of her personal time and talent over at least one decade and perhaps two toward the absolutely THANKLESS task of creating bike community-oriented events in this city.
The initiative and work that was required from founders and other volunteers around creating and maintaining Umbrella alone is monumental. (I have directly benefitted from Umbrella’s event coverage and remain grateful.)
When you’re the engine crafting, birthing, or enabling something to happen, a lot of the decisions rest on your POV. Sometimes your POV is different than what other people want….in fact, there’s never a shortage of sideline commentators dissing your efforts when it doesn’t align with their outlook or tendencies (rather especially and consistenty from those who aren’t putting in the work).
The vitriol pointed at Meghan is really unjust and honestly upsetting. My reaction to some of these commenters hidden behind anonymous handles….”Yeah, say this shit on the record, with your REAL name, coward.”
Hi, folks!
I live in Northern California, and I have been following bicycle-related events in Portland for a while, intending to come up there and participate in various ways, including clothing-free rides. I even have friends in Salem to stay with. Oh, and I’m a bicycle mechanic.
But after reading this puke-o-rama exchange of vitriol — “never mind”.
Most cordially,
Elliot Naess