To kick it off, some Bicycle Holy Days from my past --* Sacramento has an "Appetite Enhancement Ride" on Thanksgiving. It's the day when all the big cruisers, kiddie tandems, sidewinders, vintage cruisers and every other oddball bike in town (as well as a lot of conventional bikes) come out for a 3 hour gathering + sacred ride on Thanksgiving morning. It's a pretty fabulous ride because the streets are essentially deserted, there's folks lingering on their front porches waving the crowd by, and a cider van at the "before"
party.* Vancouver BC has terrific Critical Mass rides, upwards of 1000 people every month, a giant civic celebration of the bicycle. It's lost much of its riotous, activist bent and simply turned into an easygoing joyride. Vancouver now has Car-Free Day events also.
Images from
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/sc0ttbeardsley/3069647850/ and
* http://lipmagazine.org/ccarlsson/archives/2008/06/thank_you_corke.html
What are your sacred days for bicycling?
Pasture Ted
The Providance Bridge Pedal has always facinated me, as it closes off bridges to auto traffic that are normally exclusive to it.
ReplyDeleteNothing like riding over the marquam I-5 Bridge in the middle of the day!
Seattle to Portland (STP) - July 11-12
ReplyDelete10,000 of the faithful go on a 2-day, 200 mile pilgrimage to the holy land. Blessed be thy roads.
Most definitely the first extended break in the clouds of an early Vancouver spring.
ReplyDeleteThose are the most sacred days for cycle touring.
The sunshine coast to the old-island highway loop. Hopping along the Gulf Islands. Exploring the Olympic Peninsula across the border.
Any pedal powered escape from town that you can imagine!
After months of worn out rain gear and low-battery bike lights - cycling ascetics have earned their blessed days of sun and freedom!
Those are the holiest days for bicycling!