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The Monday Roundup

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Yes, there is non-Pedalpalooza related news in the world. Here’s a quick list of stories that caught our eye this week:

– Among other bike-ish content in the Portland Mercury’s annual Bike Issue, Sarah Mirk exposes various pernicious Bike Myths.

– 200 French prison inmates are participating in a character-building Tour de France of their own.

– Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the controversially re-elected president of Iran is a former traffic engineer. Tom Vanderbilt at How We Drive reflects on the implications of this background.

– In the New York Times Magazine, Deborah Solomon needles Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on the Obama administration’s efforts to promote non-car transportation.

Read more

Report: Hands-Free Derby

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[This report was brought to you by Hand-Free Derby organizer Chris “Fool” McCraw, via the Shift list.]

this was a strange sort of ride—bring yourself on your bike to
overlook park and then spend the rest of the evening going nowhere, or
more precisely in a small circle. but the catch, of course, is that
you cannot touch your handlebars.

12 intrepid competitors and at least as many spectators came out to
test their mettle in riding or sitting in the path of potential harm.
it was like roller derby, only friendlier! a total lack of hipster
posturing and some of that team spirit brought fun to the hearts of
girls, boys, and an occasional dog as we did our loops.

team shift represented really well, with daniel “teknotus” j taking
the majority of the prizes for the night, but surprise competitor carl
doing two laps in record time to take the fast lap purse.

we had 3 events, the time trial, the slowest lap (think mcbf’s slow
race, but in a circle and without handlebar interaction), and the
endurance laps. we started off with a slow lap with an unexpected #
of DQ’s, with style points going to aurelia, our youngest competitor
whose dad was there to cheer her on. Daniel took it in fine time,
trumping all competitors who finished (only 2!) by more than 20
seconds.

then came the fast lap, with a lot of finishers in the sub-30-second
range, but Carl came out ahead with his mad aero skills (have you ever
seen someone get into the drops, only, not touching their handlebars?
you’d be amazed at his style!) with not just one but 2 fast finishes
as the drunken judge had failed to accurately record initial finishing
times. mea culpa!

then on to the main event, the endurance race, which i believed daniel
had in the bag from second one, but there were several strong
competitors! lillian (also of team shift), sole inspirer of this
event, would have kept up with him for quite some time were it not for
two mechanical failures in lap one. i expect that the two of them
will be duking it out for honors in round 2, scheduled tentatively for
mid-august.

also giving strong showings were Carl (who only went down when
attempting to pick up a beer from ground level) and Chad (?) who won
the style competition by riding 1/4 lap with no hands and a beer
balanced on his helmet. he later found a second beer (we did not ask
the origin) and proceeded to drink it as he cruised to second placery.

what we learned:
– no pain, no pain. no competitors or spectators or even bystanders
were harmed in the making of this event.
– holy shit, this was fun. see you guys out there in august!

watch this list for the announcement of round 2. and don’t forget to
practice! we may choose a new arena for round 2, but you can practice
any time. rubber side down, hands not required.

Pedalpalooza Daily: Monday, June 15

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[Welcome to your daily Pedalpalooza rundown. We’ll post each day’s events and rides here, so you can plan, email them to your friends, etc…

See all our Pedalpalooza coverage here and follow the latest updates on Twitter.

Click ride title for full details… have fun out there!]

4:30am: The Ridiculously Early Donut Ride
That’s right, 4:30am. Start at Voodoo Donuts downtown (22 SW 3rd) and ride over the west hills to Donut Day in Aloha.

8:00am: Monday MLK Commute
Meet for coffee at the Gold Rush at NE MLK and Russell at 8:00am; ride down MLK at 8:30.

Noon: Putt Putt Mini Golf
Tabor Hill Terrace Apartments, 6040 E Burnside St

Noon – 1:00pm: Building the London Cycle Network
Part of the PSU Transportation Seminar series — learn about the plan to build 900km of bike routes in London, from the project’s manager. PSU – ITS Lab (Engineering 315), SW College St and 4th Ave

12:30pm: Romance Redux with the Dark Knight
Pedal between many of Portland’s fragrant rose gardens for dramatic readings from the romance novels of your choice. Meet at Ladd’s Circle.

3:30pm – 5:30pm: Psychogeographical “Tour” of Portland
A philosophical, Situationist-style ride, “incorporating game-like rules to guide us, breaking from motive or destination.” Meet at Ladd’s Circle!

5:45pm – 7:45pm: Big Girls Ride
Meet at the Vera Katz statue on the Eastbank Esplanade.

6:00pm: The Umpteenth Annual Taco Ride
Don’t miss this Pedalpalooza tradition. Ben takes you to the best taco places around. Meet at Olé Olé, 2137 E Burnside.

6:15pm: The Dandy Warhols Ride
Ride along with members of the Dandy Warhols and a mobile sound system to sites of note in the band’s history. Features stops for drinks, and a trivia contest with a fabulous prize. Meet at Ladd’s Circle.

6:30pm – 8:30pm: Bike Touring Workshop
Want to go on a self-supporting bike tour but don’t know where to start? Shawn Granton will walk you through the basics. Hawthorne Hostel, 3031 SE Hawthorne Blvd (Mt. Tabor Room)

6:30pm: Homo Bike to Skate
Ride to Gay Skate at Oaks Park. Roller disco attire. Meet at Vera Katz on the Esplanade.

7:00pm: Old French Bikes
Old bike geeks, bring your bikes and meet up at Petite Provence, 4834 SE Division St

Pedalpalooza Daily: Sunday, June 14

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[Welcome to your daily Pedalpalooza rundown. We’ll post each day’s events and rides here, so you can plan, email them to your friends, etc…

See all our Pedalpalooza coverage here and follow the latest updates on Twitter.

Click ride title for full details… have fun out there!]

9:30am: Lents Bicycle Boulevard Ride
Wonk out about improving bikeways in outer Southeast. Meets at Kelly Elementary, 9030 SE Cooper St.

10:30am – 1:30pm: The Joy of Sects Ride
Join the Bike Temple for a tour of Portland’s diversity of religious organizations, “from Apostle to Zen.” Representatives of each faith will questions. Followed by libation and discussion. Meet at Col. Summers Park, SE 20th and Belmont.

10:30am: New Shanghai Bike-aneers Pirate Ride
Kid-friendly piratical cruise down the Fanno Creek Trail out on the west side. Meet at Garden Home Rec Center, 7475 SW Oleson Rd, Beaverton

10:30am: Gay Bike Parade
Get decked out and meet at NW Park and Flanders to parade with pride!

11:00am – 1:00pm: Go Local
Whose State Representative has the most bike fun? SE Portland’s of course. Meet up for a ride around local points of interest with bike commuting Rep. Jules Bailey at Sunnyside Environmental School, 3421 SE Salmon.

11:30: City Repair Site Tour
Check out a selection of the intersections and public spaces that City Repair has painted and cobbed up over the years. Meet at New Day School Annex, 1847 SE Clinton St

Noon – 2:00pm: Portland Parks Tour
Liked/missed the Portland City Tour (our report) on Friday? Join Portland Bicycle Tours again today for a free tour of various parks around town. Meet in Waterfront Park by Davis Street.

Noon: Bad Monkey Anniversary Ride — Vancouver
First anniversary celebration of a local bike/skate shop on the north side of the river. Stick around for the Fat Tire Cruzer Ride that leaves at 4pm.
Bad Monkey Bikes Board & Skate, 1717 Broadway St (at McLoughlin), Vancouver, Washington

1:00pm: Freak-Bike Alley Cat
Meet in Ladd’s Circle. Must have a freakbike to compete.

2:00pm – 4:00pm: Grant Petersen-style Ride
“Bring your lugged-steel, tweed, shellac, cork, and francophile tires… a rolling bike show with plenty of interesting discussion.” Meet at Peninsula Park Rose Garden, N Ainsworth and Albina.

2:30pm: Bike Polo
Every Sunday in Alberta Park.

3:00pm: Splash Dance IV
By now, Splash Dance is an iconic Pedalpalooza ride. Ride around with a mobile sound system, dancing in fountains. Check out our photos from a few years ago to get a taste of what you’re in for. Meet at Salmon Springs Fountain.

3:00pm: Ride Against the Columbia River Crossing
Concerned citizens, get on your bikes and join another roving dance party to protest the 12 lane CRC expansion. Ends at a secret action. Family friendly. Meet at the fountain in Peninsula Park, N Ainsworth and Alberta.

4:00pm: I Heart Photobooths Ride
Ride around, get your picture made. Meet at Backspace, 115 NW 5th.

4:00pm: Fat Tire Cruzer Ride
Cruise around the Couv. Bad Monkey Bikes Board and Skate, Broadway and McLoughlin, Vancouver

6:30pm: Hands-free Derby
An obstacle course for the brazen and talented. Picnickers welcome. Overlook Park, N Interstate Ave and Fremont St

9:00pm: Zoobomb!
Every Sunday. You know the routine. Meet at the new Pyle, ride the MAX to the zoo, and bomb down.

Please note that two of Sunday’s rides — the Surprise Bike Wedding and the Homeless Hotspots Ride — have been canceled by the organizer. Also, the Tour de Goats ride is full to capacity.

Report (with photos): Daytime Naked Ride

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What more wholesome, charming sight to greet you bombing down Glisan on a warm, overcast day than 50 or so ebullient naked people on bikes?

That’s what happened to me and a friend today. I threw my bike on the grass and pulled out my camera as people rode by cheering and urging us to take off our clothes and join them. Their glee was infectious — we nearly did. But they were moving fast, and the lure of coffee was strong.

Below are a few of the photos. See you all at the main event tonight!

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Report: Oh Jesus, it’s the Midnight Mystery Ride!

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BikePortland intern Dan Liu attended the Jesus Ride followed by the Midnight Mystery Ride last night. Below is his report — also check out his well-captioned photo album.

As one Jesus “Brian” Christ put it, last night was “A perfect night for Jesus”: warm, mostly dry, and with lots and lots of bikes. This holy expedition went from last night’s Bike Porn viewing downhill to the food carts at SE 12th & Hawthorne — a short and holy ride in the search for burritos and poutine. I counted at least 12 unique Jesus-es at last night’s Jesus Cycle Procession, including a strong showing by the Unicycle Bastards. Noting the exploding ranks of Evangelical Christian unicyclists on the internet, Unicycle Bastard and ride organizer Jack called last night’s outing, “A little rebellion against organized religion, without being overly offensive.” Someone quipped, “Why unicycle *for* Jesus when you can unicycle *as* Jesus?”

Most of the unicyclists and Jesus-es were either too inebriated or too full of greasy potatoes to make the Midnight Mystery Ride, which did start from the Pub at the End of the Universe promptly at…well, midnight. The procession of between 120-150 crazed, costumed riders went up Gladstone and Division, glided down 92nd to Powell, climbed over a barrier and hiked up a gravel path to Kelly Butte Park, with ample hilarity, whooping and hollering, and general silliness. In addition James Brown’s cameo appearance during the ride, I hear there were at least two bike-mounted grills put to good use at the top of the hill as well. (For those of you curious about the photos, many of them are handheld, long-exposure shots that are really a testament to how far digital photography has come.)

silver Co-Motion Erspresso Co Pilot 2003

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Year: 2003
Brand: Co-Motion
Model: Erspresso Co Pilot
Color:silver
Size:57
Serial: CP30503
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2009-06-10
Stolen From: Abernethry Elementary school.
Neighborhood: Inner SE Portland – Ladd’s Addition
Owner: Nate Sweet
OwnerEmail: 2portland@gmail.com
Reward: 300.00
Description: Has S&S couplings to allow the full size frame to disassemble for transporting in suitcase. Had custom mounted split fenders.
Police record with: Portland Police Dept.
Police reference#: 0951310
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Report (and photos): Unicycle Noobs

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unicyclists

Eddie Skaug was a beginner
at last year’s clinic;
this year he rode with only a few wobbles.
(Photos © Elly Blue)

On the waterfront tonight, in a light drizzle, you could see a dozen people at a time mounted atop unicycles, in various stages between scooting around expertly and clinging to the railing for dear life.

Unicycling is harder than it looks, and in unexpected ways, as I found out when, with some patient advice from another beginner, I gave it a try. Just staying upright uses every leg muscle you have, and it takes a while to relax enough to stop wobbling. And that’s just basic balance — pedaling is altogether a more terrifying proposition.

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Report (and photos): Portland City Tour

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Portland City Tour ride -5

Ride leader Evan Ross goes over
the basics before we started.
– Slideshow below –
(Photos © J. Maus)

Evan Ross, owner of Portland Bicycle Tours, led about 15 of us on an adventure through the streets of downtown Portland… and beyond.

We met at the Vera Katz Statue on the Eastbank Esplanade. Before we got rolling, Evan stood up and gave us a little ride intro. He said the purpose of the ride wasn’t just the tour, but that he wanted each rider to get more comfortable riding on downtown streets.

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