Ben Hur would not have lasted five minutes with these modern-day gladiators.

The Ben Hurt Chariot Wars have once again staked their claim as one of the toughest bike events of the year.
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A scene from the 2012 edition.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

One of our city’s most time-honored traditions is prepping for its big annual bash. Yes folks, it’s time for Mini Bike Winter! Put on by our friendly local Zoobombers, this annual extravanganza of unique skills challenges performed on highly-modified, child-sized bicycles is now in its 13th year.
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Competitors at Mini Bike Winter’s Chariot Wars Saturday.
(Photos by M.Andersen/BikePortland)

The charioteers never saw the rainbow arching over their heads. They would have been crazy to let their guard down that long.

About 100 soggy competitors and spectators came together in one to three inches of standing water in a crumbling Clay Street warehouse Saturday afternoon for the seventh annual edition of a Portland institution: a Ben-Hur style gladiator battle conducted on homemade chariots drawn by minibikes.

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Competitors in the Chariot Wars — including the eventual champions on the left — making their way around the course.

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The gladiators and the crowd brought lots of intensity to Chariot Wars last night.
– More photos below / Gallery –
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Chariot Wars, a proud Zoobomb tradition.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Zoobomb’s annual Mini Bike Winter fest has begun! The event, which lasts through Sunday, started last night when the Irondelles (Portland’s all-female tall bike gang) led a ride to spruce up area ghost bikes and do some craft-making for upcoming events.

Tonight, Zoobomb takes it to a whole other level with the much-anticipated return of the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars.[Read more…]