The Portland Alley Sweeper, also called the Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro,[1][2] is a motorcycle rally in the city alleys of Portland, Oregon. Begun in 2009 by Zac Christensen of the Sang Froid Riding Club motorcycle club in Portland,[2][3] the rally has been described as "a cross-city tour of Portland’s mangled side streets by way of whatever two-wheeled contraption you can hobble together", drawing around 300 riders a year.[4]
| Portland Alley Sweeper | |
|---|---|
 2012 Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro poster | |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Portland, Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2009 |
| Founder | Zac Christensen |
| Most recent | April 13, 2024 |
| Next event | April, 2025 |
| Participants | c. 300 |
| Activity | Motorcycle rally |
| Patron(s) | Sang Froid Riding Club |
| Website | sang-froidridingclub |
Event organizers say by riding street legal two-wheeled vehicles in the city's alleys, they are merely exercising their rights on a public right of way and said that it is "not a race but a parade".[5][6] Opponents say they are concerned about child safety[7] and some even say they are "hostage in their own yard" for the duration of the hours-long rally.[6] One resident said that the mostly small-displacement dual-sport motorcycles and scooters[notes 1] "sound like tanks".[8]
Portland police have said the rally riders are permitted in the alleys if they are obeying the 15-mile-per-hour (24 km/h) speed limit, and other traffic laws.[8]
Notes edit
- ^ "[T]he day belongs to tiny bikes. As if drawn by an international homing beacon, a huge number of 90 cc lay-down cylinder Honda/China Lifan bikes inevitably appear."[2]
References edit
- ^ Marjorie Skinner (March 23, 2011), "Motorcycle Weekend!", Portland Mercury
- ^ a b c Courtney Olive (March 19, 2013), "Portland Alley Sweeper Urban Enduro", Motorcycle Daily
- ^ Nicole Friedman (April 14, 2013), "Bikers explore Portland alleys en masse for Sang Froid Riding Club event", The Oregonian
- ^ "Get off my lawn", Limiter newsletter (online), Portland, Oregon: Icon Motorsports, April 15, 2013, archived from the original on October 6, 2014, retrieved September 29, 2014
- ^ Motorcycles roar through Portland back alleys Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, KGW, April 19, 2014
- ^ a b Portland motorcycle event route raises concerns Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, KPTV, March 20, 2014
- ^ "Motorcycle News", US Rider News: 14, May 2014, archived from the original on 2014-10-06, retrieved 2014-09-30
- ^ a b Chris Holmstrom (March 20, 2014), Motorcycles through alleys 'sound like tanks', KOIN