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Pedaling Ass and Shouting Sass in Portland, Oregon
Although the World Naked Bike Ride is observed annually in cities around the world, nowhere is the celebration as grand as in the cycling-friendly city of Portland. Under the cover of night, thousands arrive by bike at the staging area, an old warehouse in the industrial outskirts of town. Costumes are adjusted, courage is summoned, and clothing is removed in giddy anticipation of the coming lunacy. Thundering drum beats pulse through the warm June air to announce the stroke of 11:59 PM, and the beginning of the ride. The massive crowd mount their various human-powered apparatus and begin to snake through the streets of downtown Portland amidst a glorious cacophony of tooting horns, ringing bells, and hooted exaltations of liberation. The mob pedals and jiggles through town in an atmosphere so infectiously joyous that bystanders spontaneously strip to jog alongside. Bike events blanket the whole month of June during Pedalpalooza--though out-of-town interlopers will find plenty of bike-watching opportunities throughout the year.
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