Who is Mt. Tabors moto man?
(Please welcome new contributor Hannah Moraes! You might recall her post-race interviews from the Red R Crit last week.) A motorcycle rider on Mt. After a collision between a rider and skateboarder brought an abrupt end to the third week of the Mt. Tabor Race Series on June 16th, attendees and organizers were worried about future incidents in the final weeks of the series. With an open course, volunteers placed at intersections do their best to keep the myriad other summertime mountain-goers from interfering with the race. However, one person saw an opportunity to step up and offer an additional measure of safety that hadnt previously been used: a moto-pacer that would stay ahead of each race to make sure the road was clear of pedestrians and party-goers alike. I caught up with Moto Man after last weeks race. He revealed himself to be Dan, who happens to be husband to another important player in Oregon bike racing, womens cycling advocate and Oregon Bicycle Racing Association Board Member Christy Hawk. Dan graciously agreed to an interview right after he got off his bike after a long evening of work. Well, there was a wreck last week, and I have kind of a new bike that doesnt really smell like gas too bad, so I volunteered. I talked to Christy, and (OBRA Board President) Steven Beardsley facilitated it all. No, I hadnt. I got here a little bit before the juniors race and did a lap and was like, Yeah, I remember the lap now. Its been a long time since Ive done this on a bicycle too. Not really; the toughest thing were the ravers meandering down there, and trying to make sure everybody stays safe. You did a great job. Everyone said they felt safer having you out there. Thats good. Thats why I wanted to do it. Not that I saw  there were times when thered be people coming up to a crossing and Id be like, Hey, stop, wait! and theyd watch me go by and then walk out into the road as the bikes came. But, I didnt see any close calls. It was pretty easy. The spot where you make the big 180 and go around the reservoir, thats a big curve, so on a big bike [like this], I really had to lean it and get a little bit of a run out, cause the riders would catch me in that turn. Dan: I guess so! Christy: I got him a burrito! I could have ridden to The Dalles by now. This is a Triumph Scrambler 1200. Its the coolest thing Ive ever bought. A big thank you to Dan for volunteering his time and energy to make the Mt Tabor race series even safer for everyone!  Hannah Moraes, @han_sanitizer   Get our headlines delivered to your inbox.  Support this independent community media outlet with a one-time contribution or monthly subscription. Front Page, Racing  mt tabor park, mt tabor race series