[Read all of the articles in our Love/Sex issue HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!âeds.]
When Carey Booth and Jack Coleman met in the spring of 2023, neither of them had any inkling of their future together. Both were in their mid-60s, retired, and single, but they were in different places when it came to romance: While Booth was looking for a relationship, Coleman was not.Â
But the two became friends after an encounter at Bike Happy Hour, a weekly bike-centered social event hosted by BikePortlandâs Jonathan Maus. Booth and Coleman continued to run into each other throughout that summer, usually while they were on their bikes.Â
âIt took all summer slowly running into each other, either at Bike Happy Hour or on Pedalpalooza rides. We both think itâs kind of amazing, given there were 900 rides that summer and we never planned it,â Booth told the Mercury. âWe just kept going, âOh, there you are again.â And we just kept talking a little bit more each time, all summer long.âÂ
If you canât tell where this is going, Booth and Coleman fell in loveâbut it was a slow burn that developed over months of acquaintanceship and then friendship. As lovers do, they often marvel at the way they got together, rehashing the summer of 2023.Â
âWe've analyzed this up one side and down the other over the last 14 months that we've been together. It worked out perfectly. While he wasnât ready, I wasnât pushing too hard. I was like, âIâll just take my time here and see what happens next,ââ Booth said. âAnd it was all about the bikes.âÂ

We live in an age of loneliness and isolation. While people used to meet their partners and other members of their social circle at work, their places of worship, at community events, or through mutual friends, many of those opportunities to connect have fallen out of favor or disappeared. Their replacements have come in the form of social media and dating apps, both of which sort users based on algorithms and are well-known for causing misery.Â
People of all ages report their dissatisfaction with dating appsâBooth described two mediocre OkCupid dates with men who clearly werenât a matchâbut younger people (especially women) are particularly fed up. Data show members of Gen Z are leaving the apps, and some are already so sick of dating they arenât looking for other ways to meet people.Â
What if there was another way? For many, Portlandâs bike scene has been something of an antidote to the poison of dating apps and dead-end situationships. And for those who arenât in the market for romance, going to bike events is an excellent way to make friends.Â
One reason the biking community is such a great conduit for romance and connection is the frequency of rides throughout the year. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of group bike rides listed on the Shift calendar every year, with Pedalpalooza taking over as the main event in the summertime. This allows for relationships to develop organically, which can be hard to find once people graduate college and stop seeing their crushes and friends in class or at parties on a regular basis.Â
If you see a cutie at the Pedalpalooza Kick Off ride, you might get another opportunity to talk to them at an event the next day or week. And if you manage to get their number, no need to rack your brain for date ideas. Just ask them what their plans are for Loud N Lit (arguably the biggest bike party of the year, involving lots of glow sticks and usually a dance party on the top of the Lloyd Center parking garage). If youâre looking for something serious, you can ask them to be your date to Bike Promâor, if youâre brave, the World Naked Bike Ride.Â
Bradley Bondy, who met his girlfriend Sydney at the Loud N Lit last summer, told the Mercury âthereâs something about a bike ride that makes it easy to chat and meet folks that you donât get in many other contexts.â He said heâs also met many of his friends through bike rides or by chatting about Portland urbanism on social media.Â
â[Sydney] found her way to Loud N Lit through a mutual friendâs friend. We chatted and had a good time, and I was enamored with her,â Bondy said. âNow, a few months later, weâre moving in together!âÂ
Booth said she specifically thinks the Bike Happy Hour, which takes place every Wednesday afternoon at Migration Brewing on North Williams Ave, provides a special opportunity to meet people. Itâs easy to remember where and when it is, and the environment enables connecting with people.Â
âIf the happy hour was just once a month, on every third Wednesday or something, who could remember?â Booth said. âItâs a real draw for people to come every week and have that time to visit. I just love the diversity of ages and cycling types⌠but you know you have at least one thing in common with everybody there.âÂ
Many bike rides also contain an element of adventure, as well as a chance to release some endorphins, creating the perfect (natural) chemical cocktail for romance. One person I talked to met a former love interest on a Midnight Mystery Ride (exactly what it sounds like) after he helped them get back home from a far-away, middle-of-the-night adventure when their bike broke down. Tip: Bike mechanic skills are sexy.Â
When I biked with a group to Multnomah Falls in 2022, I didnât meet a partner, but I did become very comfortable with a group of strangers in record time. Thereâs something about pushing the bounds of your comfort zone and bodily capacity that facilitates painless connection with others.Â
It also helps develop a deeper, more loving relationship with yourself, which helps build the foundation for a healthy romantic connection or friendship. When I fell madly in love with my bike and all the places it could take me, it was easier to love myselfâafter all, I was the one pushing the pedals.Â
Booth said she has experienced other kinds of personal development since becoming active in the bike community. She takes over as substitute Bike Happy Hour host when the usual host, BikePortlandâs Jonathan Maus, isnât around, and led her first Pedalpalooza ride last summer.Â
âWhen youâre a woman over 50, you could walk naked down the street and nobody would say anything because they canât see you. Youâre invisible,â she said. âNow, I do feel visible and useful. Thatâs been a fun addition to my life.âÂ
I didnât meet my boyfriend on a bike ride, but we biked together on our first date, and heâs been my favorite person to ride with ever since. We have long talks while meandering through city streetsâno road rage or backseat driving involved in our commutes. Iâm lucky to be with someone who shares my love for riding a bike. Many people I talked to felt the same way, either about their current relationship or what they desire in a future one.Â
âMy way of looking [for a partner] wasn't to jump on a bunch of apps. I just did fun stuff that I liked doing, and thought maybe Iâd meet somebody who likes doing those things, too,â Booth said. âItâs been a total revelation for both Jack and me. Itâs really amazing, and itâs extra special to have a new love of your life late in life. Itâs just a really lovely time of our life.âÂ