Ideas for Upcoming Bike Temple Events

At our Bike Temple member's meeting last Wednesday we talked about what kind of events and programs we could organize that fit within the realm of the Temple's mission. Our past events, like the Joy of Sects Ride, Sunday Parkways Proselytizing, and Various types of evangelical missions have proven successful, but slightly limited.We would like to expand the idea of Bike Temple Events to include more community outreach, mission, and fun. Right now our focus has been primarily aimed at setting up and preparing for the open of the new Bike Temple location, but it is important that we continue to reach out and involve ourselves with the community during that time.

Does anyone have any ideas for events/rides that the Temple could host? Leave any ideas you may have in the comments section, or email us at biketemple{a}gmail.com

Thanks for your continued support, we are very excited about the upcoming grand opening and we will let you all know the details very soon.

Thousands Healed by the Bike Temple at Portland's Sunday Parkways

The Bike Temple has just wrapped up a very blessed day here in the bicycle holy land. Pasture Ted, Deacon Amos, Kernal Loose Nut, Josh, Halley, Padre Joe, and several members and followers made the intersection at NE 17th and Going a very spiritual and bike loving place.

We brought out the mobile shrine, of course, which recieved ooos, ahhs, and plenty of photo sessions by the passing throng of thousands (over 20k?) of cyclists, walkers, stroller pushers, skateboarders, rollerbladers. As the riders took the turn to follow the coarse they were welcomed to this sacred place by the soothing and skilled music of Halley the Harper,

our holy harpist on-site.

Just past Halley the Holy Harper riders were greeted by an authentic church pew that we borrowed from the Lotus Seed Ashram and planted under a shade tree for all to enjoy. A few feet from the pew riders were greeted by this...

The role of the priest was played throughout the day by Padre Joe, Pasture Ted, and for a few glorious minutes, member Chris (Fool) Mccraw, who all did a wonderful job of both blessing and cooling off passersby.

It was certainly a blessed day in Portland. I have never seen so many people on bikes, and I have never seen so many smiling faces... coincidence?

Your Bicycle Holy Days?

We have a lot of faithful lurkers here on the blog, how about starting a little chatter and telling us what your Bicycle Holy Days are? Either your very favorite rides of the year (group or solo) or the events in your community that bring out the Sunday Riders, or the Christmas/Easter Believers?
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