PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 3, 2022
My wife returned home one day late in the summer very enthused about a mysterious “bike party” that rode around Portland in the early evening. I was curious. From what I could deduce, a “bike party” was a group of bicyclists who mysteriously mash up at a starting point where a self-appointed leader has planned a route through various neighborhoods. The route then leads to an assembly point where a spontaneous dance party occurs, then everybody’s back on the bikes to the original starting point using a different route. As we rode by, people came out on their porches shouting encouragement and sharing in our happiness to be out, with the full moon, enjoying ourselves. Several cars stopped to let us pass, sharing the mood of the moment. Too quickly we were back, wondering at the magic of the night’s experience. ~ Richard Klain, Falmouth and Brooksville