Sunday, June 14, 2009

Like No Bike Ride I've Ever Been On!


Perhaps I should preface this post by pointing out that the unofficial motto of the city I live in is, “Keep Portland Weird.”

On that note, let me tell you about the bicycle parade I took Phoebe and John to on Saturday (Daphne was home with her dad, taking a spontaneous nap). Given Portland’s strong and unique bike culture, it promised to be a raucous time. Lynn Jennings, my coach and friend, met us there. (That’s LJ, her dog, and the kids sitting on curb.) The parade was all I had hoped it would be—and more. Unicyclists; fancy-dressed women on hand-built tall bikes; families in Dutch Bakfiets cargo bikes; a guy in a cowboy hat on an enormous homemade Big Wheel with his daughter on a real one alongside him; a guy dressed as Gandhi pedaling along. A drum corps. And then, for the only-in-Portland finale, a brigade of naked cyclists. In broad daylight, met by wild cheers.

Agog, LJ and I cracked up and started snapping pics on our iPhones. It was way better spectating than my marathon, that’s for sure! All high spirits and pure fun. We were busting a gut laughing. Yet there sat Phoebe and John, acting no more surprised or shocked than they had been when the giant Big Wheel rode by. Phoebe finally asked me what was so funny, as she has asked me several times since. Seems my kids are totally unflapped by the sight of naked adults riding bikes.

It got me thinking: It’s not unlike how unfazed my kids are to the sight of their mother leaving for a 12-mile run—in a skirt—as they head off to Mass with their dad. Or the repeat scenario of their mom walking in the back door, drenched in sweat after an early morning run.

To kids these days—at least on the Left Coast--it’s just all part of this wacky, active world we live in.

-SBS
If folks ask, I’ll post a few parade photos in a separate post.

3 comments:

shel said...

yea... i'm not so sure about the naked hinder + bikeseat combo...

Carolina John said...

that sounds wild, can't wait to see the pics.

btw, i ran my first marathon on saturday, thanks for all the inspiration/motivation/playlists!

Anonymous said...

I've seen 'em ... but I'll throw my name into the hat for the "yes, please post the pics" ... they are too good NOT to post!