If you don’t know what the Portland Ladd’s 500 is, then you are missing out and will now have to wait until next year.

In summary, it is an adult bike “race” for chartiy with 500 laps around Ladd’s Park (approximately 82 miles in the middle). As the circuit is a wide circle, riding around the inside will be around 75 miles, whereas the outside lane would be a lot closer to 100 miles. Riders are told to “do something stupid” and must change riders at least 10 times during the race.

Amazingly this year – one contestant ran the entire circuit by himself, which is obviously extremely impressive. For those who don’t want to take part in the actual bike riding, they are encouraged to party in the middle of Ladd’s circle and watch the event instead.

Ladd’s 500 is organized as a fundraiser for the Community Cycling Center, a non-profit organization that promotes cycling and provides access to bicycles for people from underserved communities.

As you can see. In terms of riding bikes, it’s the weirder the better. In fact, if you just turned up with a normal bike and helmet, people won’t look at you funny, but you would be in the minority. Everyone generally has a crazy outfit or at the very least a bike with something a little different.

Put it this way, by trying to stand out from the crowd, you will actually blend in.