The Cirque du Cycling is much more than
just a bike race (but that part is pretty awesome).
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

After a one-year hiatus, one of our favorite events, the Cirque du Cycling, is set for a triumphant return. The Cirque du Cycling is an awesome mix of family-friendly street festival and top-notch bicycle race. This year, organizers have planned kids activities, a cargo bike race, and the main event: a criterium that blasts through the streets of North Mississippi Avenue just a few feet from roaring spectators.

We’re excited to see this event return after it ran into funding and management troubles in 2012.

The fun will start at 4:00 on Friday, August 9th at the “Family Fun Zone” at the Q Center (Mason & Mississippi). There will be games, music, and crafts for the kids, along with a bike decorating station. At 5:00, there will be a three-mile family bike ride up to Peninsula Park.

Then the racing starts.
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The Cirque du Cycling, an event that drew the fast, the freaky, and families to Mississippi Street, is undergoing changes.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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The “We Go Cargo” entry into the Cirque du Cycling Bike Parade.
(Photos © J. Maus)

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My money would be on this guy.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The annual Cirque du Cycling bike fest on N. Mississippi Avenue is this Sunday. The event brings together many facets of Portland’s bike scene and this year organizers have added yet another — a cargo bike race.

It was bound to happen as Portland’s cargo bike scene has gone absolutely bananas in recent years (I’ll try to share more photos and notes from a recent cargo bike meet-up soon).

The Cirque includes a family ride, an art/freak bike parade, a very competitive criterium race, and it’s a benefit for Albina Youth Opportunity School. Event organizer Ayleen Crotty says the Cargo Bike Race is a natural addition. [Read more…]

The Cirque filled Mississippi Ave with bikes.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Once again, the Cirque du Cycling delivered. The third annual event, dreamed up and (generously) supported by Laughing Planet Cafe, took over Mississippi Street with a full day of bike parades, racing, community booths, and more.

The Art Bike Parade (slideshow below) featured some excellent entries and was punctuated (for the second year in a row) by a visit from participants of the Sunny Nekkid Ride. As the Art Bike Parade wound down, scores of people — most of them completely nude — rode up Mississippi Avenue as large crowds looked on (photos below might be NSFW).[Read more…]

All smiles on the podium, but…
(Photos © J. Maus)

There was some great racing action at the Laughing Planet Cafe/Cirque du Cycling event on Mississippi Avenue on Saturday. The heat tested the racers, but the crowds more than made up for it.

Speaking of crowds, racer Samuel Nicoletti (Gentle Lovers) might have gotten a bit carried away by their loud roars on the finishing straight. He had a small lead over Quinn Keogh (Rubicon-ORBEA/Lance Armstrong Foundation) and raised his hands in the air to celebrate. The only problem was, he did it a bit premature and Keogh nipped him at the line. Check out the photo series below to see the reactions of both racers as it happened…[Read more…]

Oompa-Loompas at the Cirque last year.
(Photo © J. Maus)

This Saturday, one of my favorite annual events is coming (once again) to Mississippi Avenue — the Cirque du Cycling!

The Cirque — which was conceived and is sponsored by Laughing Planet Cafe — is a one-day testament to everything bike that Portland has to offer and this year organizers have made it even better. The main highlights are back from previous years: A criterium featuring big-time local racers, a family bike ride through the neighborhood, and an art/freak-bike parade.
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Racing was far from the only
attraction at the Cirque du Cycling.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Saturday’s Cirque du Cycling event, held on N. Mississippi Avenue, managed to do something very special: It brought together just about every aspect of Portland’s diverse culture of bike lovers. From kids (young and old!) to tall bike builders and everything in between, it was a two-wheeled feast.

Things got started with a family bike ride. After decorating bikes, participants rolled out from the headquarters of Self Enhancement Inc., (a local non-profit that was the benefactor of the event) and headed north to Peninsula Park. [Read more…]

This was the scene today on N. Mississippi when the Sunny Nekkid Bike Ride crashed the Art Bike Parade at the Cirque du Cycling.
– More photos here/Slideshow below –
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Racing action is just the start of the fun at the Cirque du Cycling, coming to Mississippi Ave. tomorrow!
(Photo © J. Maus)

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