Oregon Cycling Magazine

Circus street fair in Portland celebrates vibrant bike culture

The circus is coming to Mississippi Avenue! The Mississippi community is coming together to put on the best circus street fair in town on Saturday, June 14. Get ready for clowns, jugglers, unicycle jousting, sculptural bikes, freakishly tall bikes and other two-wheeled creations beyond your wildest dreams. Cirque du Cycling, presented by Laughing Planet, is part circus, part bike street race and a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc. SEI is a non-profit organization in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood that provides children and families with options and support to help cultivate positive, contributing citizens. Founded in 1981 as a one-week basketball camp for high school boys, 25 years later, they have grown serve over 2500 inner-city young people and families annually in year-round academic, enrichment, and family support programs.

Family ride open to all

The afternoon festivities will begin with a free family ride, perfect for all ages and abilities. The 3.2-mile ride will begin and end at SEI (3920 North Kerby Avenue) and will be escorted by police. Local cycling heroes and sports superstars are rumored to be joining the ride, which is limited to 200 riders and adults. Riders under 14 must be accompanied by an adult who is also riding. One adult may supervise up to five youth. Online registration is free and guarantees your spot in the ride. See www.cyclingcircus.com for more information, or call 503-459-4508.

Bike parade for clubs

Come one, come all, freak bikes short and tall! Choppers, tall bikes, swing bikes, double stacks, unicycles and minis… or whatever else you ride. The Cirque du Cycling bike parade will be a showcase for cycling clubs of any description. Local and out-of-town bike clubs are all welcome at this family-friendly parade. You don’t need to have an established bike club to participate, but you do need to have a minimum of five unified people in your group. Unified, as in outfits matching or bikes coordinated. Whether you ride fixed, chopped, swinging, tall, fast or slow - we want you in the parade. It is free to register, but pre-registration to reserve your spot in the parade is required. Bring noisemakers and be prepared to strut your velo stuff right down the middle of Mississippi for the one mile route. But watch out, the clowns will be on hand to rope you in if you’re out of line! If you’re not riding in the parade, grab a good spot along Mississippi and be prepared to see some wild bikes! We guarantee you’ll see bikes you’ve never seen before.

Criterium racing on Mississippi

Come watch the area’s fastest bike racers at the Mississippi Avenue Criterium. The unique two-way course with quick loops is so exciting to watch. Bring your lawn chairs, grab a burrito, or settle into our beer garden and get ready for a night of hot racing action. Racers will pass each other at incredible speeds with only one four-inch barricade between them in this exciting race up and down Mississippi Avenue. Cash and prizes await the fast and fit. The course runs between N. Skidmore and N. Fremont streets. Riding to the event is highly suggested. Parking is on neighborhood streets and very limited. The event is easily accessed from I-5 and I-405. Prizes include Chris King Components, Yakima cargo boxes, organic food deliveries, gear, apparel, activities, food and drink. There will also be tons of primes from local businesses in the neighborhood. Registration opens at 5pm, located at Laughing Planet Café patio area on Mississippi Avenue between Beech and Failing streets. An Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) license is required to race and is available at registration for $5 (single-day) or $20 (annual). Please arrive at least 30 minutes before start. For more info, check out www.cyclindgcircus.com or contact Jim Anderson at 503-975-8229.

Possibly Related

• August 2006: Campbell on Landis: the time is now
• September 2008: Ride the Rogue draws the crowds
• July 2008: "Perfection in the Process"
• June 2007: The hub bub about BikePortland.org
• April 2007: Road scholars