World Naked Bike Ride PDX 2012 part 1
Jun. 9th, 2012 08:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kengrWoke up today at a "reasonable" hour and decided that I could try for the first daytime Naked Bike Ride this year. This would be my first daytime NBR, and only my second NBR total.
Took a bit longer than I'd planned to get the bike ready. I had to use the electric pump to top off both tires, for one.
I was on my way and realized that I hasn't making the sort of time I hoped for, so I headed for 42nd, so I could catch the #75 bus which would take me right to the starting point (the Joan of Arc statue in the middle of the traffic circle and Glisan & Cesar Chavez.
So that was a mile of riding, plus a 15 minute wait for the bus.
When I got to the starting point there were only half a dozen folks there, all male. And all clothed. This was probnablyt because it was cloudy and a bit cool. And looked to be threatening rain. As it got closer to the start time a large group of cyclists appeared and went around the circle several times.
A number of them did pull up onto the "island" were we were waiting. And folks started shedding clothes.
I joined in and then we waited and waited as more folks showed up. Eventual total was around 40. At one point a bus driver (female) honked and waved as she was loading passengers just across the street.
We finally got started about half an hour late. Not bad I suppose.
The leader/organizer of the ride had decided to wing it so the route was just a *bit* uncertain. A couple times that lead to sections of the ride turning off and then realizing he'd changed his mind and having to turn back.
Wonder of wonders, I was at or near the front of the pack thru most of the first segment. In fact that was a quarter mile stretch where I was a block ahead of everybody else (the leader had announced the next chunk of the route far enough in advance that I didn't have to worry about it.
At one point during that, I wound up stopped at a light next to a bus stop full of people. Several of whom weren't talking as quietly as they thought they were. So I heard a few comments like "I'm trying to look like I'm not looking"
We mostly got positive reactions. a few folks turned away, but most didn't.
On one stretch of N Williams Ave, there must have been a ballet school or something because there were a lot of young girls in pink tutus. It was interesting noticing one mother getting her daughter to turn away and another pointing us out to her daughter.
Other than folks turning away, only bad reaction I caught was someone in one group going "ewww". Possibly as they got a clear look at me.Well, I don't have the greatest body, but hey, it's what I have.
One continuing problem was that my seat is mostly covered with a sort of vinyl-like material, and that meant that (especially with the cool weather) some rather sensitive bits of skin were getting caught/stuck. Ouch. didn't raise a blister, but it sure tried. Need a towel or something for the next ride.
We took a break at Overlook Park (well, actually just off it. Somebody had some water bottles, another person had a case of beer. I had enough water and decided the beer was a bad idea.
While there, I got someone to take a shot of me and my bike (not worksafe, and may require brainbleach :-)
http://bayimg.com/IaPceAAdB
(the black band across my chest is for a heart rate monitor, the cross strap was for a pack with my clothes and various other things)
Eventually we got going again and rode on. Went past another biking event at Holliday park and ended up at the Waterfront in time for some folks to join the Hot Sox ride. I was one of the manuy who sat for a bit then got dressed and sat some more.
All in all, it was a pretty good ride. I was doing a good job of keeping up except on slopes, and my heart rate didn't get too bad until near the end. I hit 150-160 for a while there and my legs were getting tired.
I caught a bus home and grabbed a bite to eat before posting this.
Summary:. The weather improved, I got a pic taken (well a bunch, but only one with my camera) and we did 13.2 miles with one break.
There's another daytime ride next Saturday, and the nighttime ride as well. I'll skip the daytime ride as I don't think my stamina is up to two long rides in the same day. And the night ride is more fun anyway.
Protests can be fun.
Took a bit longer than I'd planned to get the bike ready. I had to use the electric pump to top off both tires, for one.
I was on my way and realized that I hasn't making the sort of time I hoped for, so I headed for 42nd, so I could catch the #75 bus which would take me right to the starting point (the Joan of Arc statue in the middle of the traffic circle and Glisan & Cesar Chavez.
So that was a mile of riding, plus a 15 minute wait for the bus.
When I got to the starting point there were only half a dozen folks there, all male. And all clothed. This was probnablyt because it was cloudy and a bit cool. And looked to be threatening rain. As it got closer to the start time a large group of cyclists appeared and went around the circle several times.
A number of them did pull up onto the "island" were we were waiting. And folks started shedding clothes.
I joined in and then we waited and waited as more folks showed up. Eventual total was around 40. At one point a bus driver (female) honked and waved as she was loading passengers just across the street.
We finally got started about half an hour late. Not bad I suppose.
The leader/organizer of the ride had decided to wing it so the route was just a *bit* uncertain. A couple times that lead to sections of the ride turning off and then realizing he'd changed his mind and having to turn back.
Wonder of wonders, I was at or near the front of the pack thru most of the first segment. In fact that was a quarter mile stretch where I was a block ahead of everybody else (the leader had announced the next chunk of the route far enough in advance that I didn't have to worry about it.
At one point during that, I wound up stopped at a light next to a bus stop full of people. Several of whom weren't talking as quietly as they thought they were. So I heard a few comments like "I'm trying to look like I'm not looking"
We mostly got positive reactions. a few folks turned away, but most didn't.
On one stretch of N Williams Ave, there must have been a ballet school or something because there were a lot of young girls in pink tutus. It was interesting noticing one mother getting her daughter to turn away and another pointing us out to her daughter.
Other than folks turning away, only bad reaction I caught was someone in one group going "ewww". Possibly as they got a clear look at me.Well, I don't have the greatest body, but hey, it's what I have.
One continuing problem was that my seat is mostly covered with a sort of vinyl-like material, and that meant that (especially with the cool weather) some rather sensitive bits of skin were getting caught/stuck. Ouch. didn't raise a blister, but it sure tried. Need a towel or something for the next ride.
We took a break at Overlook Park (well, actually just off it. Somebody had some water bottles, another person had a case of beer. I had enough water and decided the beer was a bad idea.
While there, I got someone to take a shot of me and my bike (not worksafe, and may require brainbleach :-)
http://bayimg.com/IaPceAAdB
(the black band across my chest is for a heart rate monitor, the cross strap was for a pack with my clothes and various other things)
Eventually we got going again and rode on. Went past another biking event at Holliday park and ended up at the Waterfront in time for some folks to join the Hot Sox ride. I was one of the manuy who sat for a bit then got dressed and sat some more.
All in all, it was a pretty good ride. I was doing a good job of keeping up except on slopes, and my heart rate didn't get too bad until near the end. I hit 150-160 for a while there and my legs were getting tired.
I caught a bus home and grabbed a bite to eat before posting this.
Summary:. The weather improved, I got a pic taken (well a bunch, but only one with my camera) and we did 13.2 miles with one break.
There's another daytime ride next Saturday, and the nighttime ride as well. I'll skip the daytime ride as I don't think my stamina is up to two long rides in the same day. And the night ride is more fun anyway.
Protests can be fun.
