Apr 14 '06 - 800 W - Vote Good + 6 :: Bad - 9 Choose your persona, then see bike film fest
Published April 14, 2006 by The Oregonian
Belligerantes, Shifters and just folks will make the film fest
You won't necessarily get a seat at Friday's Filmed by Bike Film Festival, but that's part of the tradition. For sure you'll be able to get a beer -- and a big hit of the anarchic joy of being bikey.
The home-grown festival celebrates bicycling culture with short films made by cyclists -- some of them first-time filmmakers -- from all parts of the bicycling world. This year's 19 films come from Chicago, L.A., New York, Brazil and Portland.
"Martinis in the Bike Lane" is a documentary about the city of Portland street crew that marks bike lanes; "Bikkake" is about -- well, you'll have to watch it and read the subtitles. "Levin's Bicycle" laments a man's failing relationship with his bike, and "Laser Gun Daydream" is a video game where bicyclists destroy SUVs and are threatened by Dick Cheney's head on a Hummer chassis.
Organizer Ayleen Crotty, who started Filmed by Bike four years ago with just a few films, got 44 entries this year and had to pick and choose for the first time. She corralled a jury of six and put her own film, "On Broadway," into the mix to be judged with the rest. (It made the cut fair and square, and, as a jurist, I can vouch that the pizza, beer, popcorn and giant boxes of Milk Duds did not influence us: "On Broadway" is a sweet and funny film.)
"Coming to the festival is a lot of fun," she said. "It's a typical raucous film night at the Clinton Street Theater. It's never quiet, and the films become pretty interactive. You also get a room packed with the most diverse cyclists possible. Last year we had Belligerantes, Zoobombers, C.H.U.N.K.ers, Lycra-wearers, Shifters, messengers, commuters and weekend riders. It's a good scene to witness."
The night celebrates two-wheeled life, but civilians are welcome to gaze at the rich, quirky culture springing up like Technicolor kudzu outside their rolled-up car windows. But a short field guide to the bike types mentioned above might help.
Belligerantes: Members of Los Belligerantes, a Portland bike club. In their own words: "We share a love of rolling out, drinking cheap beer, getting our rock on and being the best damn bike gang in town!" Ye shall know them by: Matching club jackets and lovingly customized Mega-Rays, which are grown-up Schwinn Stingrays with banana seats and ape-hanger bars. Range: As long as the Pabst Blue Ribbon holds out.
Zoobombers: More a lifestyle than an organization, Zoobombers load their bikes onto MAX every Sunday night and ride downhill on the twisting roads of the West Hills as fast as they can. Quote: "We're not political. We don't want to subvert your dominant paradigm -- we just want to have a good time." Zoobomb sculpture: That pile of bikes jumbled together on the street corner near Powell's.
C.H.U.N.K.ers: Members of C.H.U.N.K. 666, "a mutant bicycle jaunting club and tall bike youth brigade" born at Reed College. Quote: "Never-ending war abroad provides never-ending excuses to act retarded in the streets. No, you calm down!" Distinguishing features: Tall bikes, which are just what they sound like.
Shifters: Shift is a loose-knit group that celebrates bike culture in the Northwest. Web site: www.shift2bikes.org. Involved in: Pedalpalooza, Breakfast on the Bridges and Multnomah County Bike Fair, for which Filmed by Bike raises money.
Lycra-wearers: Serious bicyclists who wear skin-tight, logo-bespattered jerseys, cycling shorts and shoes that clack during their infrequent periods afoot. They are more aerodynamic than regular humans, much faster and have quadriceps like tree trunks. You have a water bottle; they have rehydration systems.
Messengers: The polar opposite of Lycra-wearers. Messengers are the working-class heroes of bike culture. The more battered the equipment and outfit, the more street cred that accrues. Two-way radios and huge, shoulder-slung messenger bags are de rigeur, and battered Campagnolo beanies are often worn instead of helmets. Cigarette breaks optional.
Commuters: A common Portland species, best observed between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Plumage: Hi-vis yellow windbreakers. Philosophy: "Work to ride, ride to work." Migratory paths: Bike lanes throughout Portland, especially the Hawthorne and Broadway bridges.
Weekend riders: Most often seen in larger family groups on bike paths and quiet neighborhood streets, sometimes pulling helmeted toddlers in bike trailers, though fledglings can often be observed wobbling alongside on their own bikes.
John Foyston: 503-221-8368; johnfoyston@neews.oregonian.com
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