No Oil

This photo was taken in Spain, but I think it makes a nice complement for a post about a bicycle blogger I read about in last Sunday's Style section of the New York Times.

Bike Snob NYC "the most talked-about bike blogger of the moment" is an avid cyclist, who writes/vents about his cycling encounters for the amusement and betterment of others. His criticism is fierce, yet entertaining and harmless, and he maintains an anonymous identity which is critical to his online persona. http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

What caught my attention in the article was his reference to Portland. (a little game I like to play is to count how many times Portland is mentioned in the NYT - they seem to be smitten with our fair city) It was this quote from the Bike Snob that lead me to read his blog...

“Is there any news or pop cultural event around which the people of Portland will not form some sort of kitschy theme ride?” he wrote about a Michael Jackson tribute ride in the cycling mecca of Portland, Ore. “Do they just sit around waiting for things to happen or for people to die so they can put on stupid outfits and jump on their bikes?”

Funny, after reading this I started noticing how true it is... Portland loves theme rides. Bike movie night at Cyan, Cyclorama night at the Clinton St Theatre, bicycle bar tour organized by Clever Cycles, naked rides.... well, and why not, it's summer! Our most cherished and shortest season of the year in the pacific NW, we love to take full advantage of it.

While I'm by no means an avid cyclist (I live in Portland, I own a bike), I find this guy's blog pretty entertaining and I particularly like his cynical and witty writing style, so check it out.

Speaking of organized rides - beware, the Bridge Pedal is this Sunday - so sleep in and avoid the insanity of people who ride their bikes once a year in a group of thousands.