Charioteers attempt to disable battlecars and bikes amid firecrackers and rowdy onlookers. (Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
This past weekend was the annual Mini Bike Winter hosted by Zoobomb.
One of the many events participants competed in was the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars. The Chariot Wars have a long and glorious legacy and are the showcase event of the three-day Olympics. The winners get an iconic trophy and major bragging rights. They also get to make up the rules.
Speaking of which, here are the official 2018 rules:[Read more…]
From Chariot Wars (left) to The Sprockettes (right) and the Cupcake Challenge (middle) — the 14th annual Mini Bike Winter gets top billing this weekend. (Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
photo caption (Photo: J Maus/BikePortland)
Hard to believe this weekend marks the 14th annual Mini Bike Winter.
The event sprung to life during the Golden Age of Portland Bike Fun Culture in the early 2000s. The traveling Bike Summer event hit our shores in 2002 and went so well that locals wanted to keep it going. That led to the formation of Shift and “Mini” Bike Summer in 2003. By 2004, Mini Bike Summer had morphed into what we now know as Pedalpalooza and our friends at Zoobomb kept the “Mini” part alive by launching the first Mini Bike Winter that same year*.
None of that history really matters (unless you’re a cultural anthropologist or bike fun history nerd); but what does matter is that we continue to have fun on our bikes — even in winter. And Zoobomb is here to help us do just that. Check out the full slate of events below and have a great weekend…
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. [Read more…]
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.
[Publisher’s note: I’ve brought our Friday Cartoons back because I love them and I think they’re important. I’ve also heard from many of you that you feel the same. We’re lucky to be working with talented illustrator Mark Markovich (formerly Mark Young) and would like to continue this great collaboration. Please consider supporting our work so we can keep this feature going. Thanks. — Jonathan 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.
Our friends over at Zoobomb have announced the dates and events that will make up the eighth annual Mini Bike Winter. If you’ve never made it to this, you should definitely mark February 17th – 21st on your calendar.
I know it looks scary, but they actually rules and referees and stuff.
