Cold rain makes most people seek the warm comfort of the indoors. In Portland, Oregon, it gets everyone out on their bikes to race.
By John Patrick Pullen
Winters in the Pacific Northwest are dismal, but that doesn’t keep riders off the road in cycle-smitten Portland, Oregon. Exhibit A: the annual Worst Day of the Year Ride, expected to bring out 3,000 pedal pushers on February 15. (Organizers schedule it close to February 9, the day on which Portland flooded, in 1996, and the state’s coldest temperature, –54, was recorded, in 1933.) But since the city averages just three clear days in February, practically any day has great potential to suck. “It rained for 20 minutes last year as people reached the finish line, but they didn’t mind,” says organizer Ayleen Crotty. The 18-mile route is hardly grueling, allowing for costumes and rest stops for doughnuts, coffee, and cookies (there’s a 40-mile challenge loop for the hardcore). The ride officially benefits Portland’s Community Cycling Center, one of the world’s largest bike recyclers. The prize? Just bragging rights. And, of course, beer.
Update from the writer, 2/20: “Incidentally, the Worst Day to Ride was, again, a lovely day — weatherwise — in Portland. Go figure…”
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