Picture yourself in Portland, Oregon and a group of bicyclists passes by. In the group is Armando Luna- known to the bike world in the Rose City, and galactically on social media- as Dudeluna. To many, he’s the mayor of Biketown though it’s not something you’d ever hear him say about himself. Quiet and unassuming but always with a mighty smile on the bike, Armando is the steady gravity around which so many weekly rides orbit. 

For 2025 Cycle Oregon GRAVEL and Rally, Dudeluna will serve as our official vibe setter. He will be in the saddle each day and in camp assisting our staff and volunteers in making sure we all have that very same smile. At GRAVEL you’ll find him at Friday night at Bike Trivia from 6:30 -7:00 pm and Saturday night at the Twilight Cup from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.

Hailing from Rockford, Illinois until the day when he decided he “was just done being there”, Armando made a plan to head to California but wanted to make a quick stop in Portland along the way to visit a friend. You can probably guess what happened next…

How did you find your way here and what makes Oregon special for you?

I was initially going to just make a stop in Portland to visit a friend on my way to Southern California, but I fell in love with Portland and Oregon, and then fell into a job, so I’ve been here ever since. I did some interneting before I came here and was really impressed with things like Chunk666, Critical Mass and laws allowing skateboarding in streets being legal. 

The digital world and Bike Summer crowd know you as @dudeluna; what does Dudeluna mean to you and how do you reflect the personality of that character? 

Armando Luna is my full name. Dudeluna comes from college times where everyone just called each other “dude”. It was my first screenname, and I’ve just carried it along to this century. As far as character, I think I still have that wonder and silliness of those younger years.

What brought you to bicycling and what keeps you interested? 

Pretty much since I learned to ride, bikes have been a big part of my life. The thing about bikes that keeps me interested is the people I end up meeting through bikes. So many friendships, whether it’s the gravel ride, the commute or just doing social rides like the Ladd’s 500.

What are some of your favorite rides in Oregon? 

 Oh! So many! A couple of the more memorable ones have been on Cycle Oregon Gravel rides. A couple of years ago part of the route was on the Corvallis to Coast route and I can still smell the aroma of riding through the forest. It was so beautiful and peaceful; the scent of the trees was divine. Last year in the Ochocos, I remember getting up around 4:00 am and wondering what those lights in the sky were. We were in the middle of nowhere! There were no towns around but the sky had an ever so slight glow. It was the sunrise! Amazing to me that it was so dark that I could see the beginning of the sunrise which was still a few hours away!

What’s up with that Monday Night Ride to pizza? Can we grab a slice with your crew? 

 Haha! Sure! It’s called Pizza Monday and is every Monday around 6:00 pm at Bull Run Pizza here in Portland. Not so much of a ride as a gathering of bikey people who love eating great pizza. 

How many weekly rides do you attend?  

I usually join about 2-3 rides per week outside of Bike Summer here in Portland although I do usually ride every day. During Bike Summer, I probably do at least one organized ride a day. These are mostly social rides, not “training” rides.

You’ll be joining Cycle Oregon for GRAVEL in 2025 as a “vibe setter”, what does that mean to you and what can folks expect when they see you camp and on course? 

 Hahaha! So there’s a name for it! Well, although I do appear laid back, I do like to know what’s going on around me. As far as Cycle Oregon GRAVEL goes, I like to know the routes and rest stops, the mileage, the meal times, when coffee starts, when the music starts, things like that. On course there’s a LOT of conversations about bikes. One year I gave my bike to a gentleman from Vancouver for a test ride and when I saw him on the ride the next year he had a brand new custom bike. He said I “talked him into it“. So if you chat with me I will verify that you need to go out and get that new bike!

What do you like most about Cycle Oregon and its mission?    

Meeting new people of course! But it’s also great to know that even though everyone is having a blast, Cycle Oregon is fulfilling its mission to bring the joy of biking all of Oregon. Knowing that communities are benefiting from Cycle Oregon’s community grants or the Jump Start program is icing on the cake.

Thanks, Dudeluna, let’s ride!