A rad Plaid Century

On Sunday, nearly 300 people pedaled across Portland for the first ever Plaid Pantry Century — a 102.7-mile route that took riders (and a few rollers) to 53 store locations. It was the type of ridiculous, free, fun event that Bike Summer is beloved for.

I was part of a relay team that split the route into five legs. My 22-mile leg began at the Plaid Pantry on SW 45th and Multnomah. Once I took a selfie with my teammate (a step organizers required as proof of hand-off), my mission was to follow the route eastward into Sellwood and ultimately to SE 104th and Holgate. That Plaid location was one of six control points on the route. In order to officially finish the ride, participants needed to make a purchase and keep the receipt.

I found the route to be unexpectedly fun. I’ve done a lot of centuries and typically the majority of the miles are on quiet backroads where I put my head down and contemplate life’s big questions as my brain ticks off the miles. There was hardly a dull moment on Sunday’s route. It forced me to experience new roads, destinations, and connections between neighborhoods. Along the way I reveled in quintessential Portland landscapes like bustling cafes, parks buzzing with activity, and city views that reminded me of why I love this city.

As much as I enjoyed riding, it was the few hours I spent loitering in front of the “last Plaid” on the route (at NE 67th and Glisan) that provided my sharpest memories. I met all types of tired and happy people as they rolled into the ceremonial final stop. Some rode fixed-gears, some rode city bikes or gravel bikes, and others were fully kitted-out on high-end road bikes. Their final purchases were just as diverse and included everything from ice cream sandwiches and microwave burritos, to candy and highly questionable adult beverages.

At the end of the day everyone gathered at Laurelhurst Park where receipts were tallied, prizes were distributed, and the silliness continued into the night. One of the special guests was Plaid Pantry CEO Jonathan Polonsky.

“You guys are crazy,” Polonsky said as he climbed onto a picnic bench and took a mic from ride organizer Lilian Karabaic. Once chants of “Plaid! Plaid! Plaid!,” died down, Polonsky, dressed in full Plaid Pantry lycra team kit, continued. “Thank you for doing this. I truly appreciate you all. We are local and we need support like this to stay in business. Without you folks, we don’t have reason to exist.”

Karabaic, who said she took inspiration for the “stupid” event from Portlander Simon Xu who visited 54 Plaid locations in eight hours back in January, only expected a few dozen people to take on the challenge. She and other organizers (her partner Aaron Parecki handled all the tech and Brad Reber and Nate Sjol did the painstaking work to build the route) were blown away at how many people wanted to spend their Sunday visiting convenience stores.

Similar to the Ladds 500, this absurd ride seems destined to become a classic and I won’t be surprised to see it come back next year.

— Plaid Pantry Century