Oregon Cycling Magazine

by Ellee Thalheimer

If Portland is the “New York City of the bike world,” as Metal Cowboy author Joe Kurmaskie says, then BikePortland.org would essentially be the New York Times online. What Jonathan Maus originally started as a blog on oregonlive.com in 2005 has now turned into a nationally recognized news resource, political waypoint, and online hub for Portland’s diverse bike community. Beyond being a heavily trafficked site-with 10,000 articles opened per day- BikePortland.org sets itself apart with the active readership it fosters, the dialogue it encourages, and the motley cycling community it unifies.

Portland is fertile grounds for such a site. Maus notes that the city distinguishes itself from other bike cities through its “unprecedented and incomparable creative energy, diversity of cyclists, celebration of riding, and advocacy.” To keep his finger on the pulse of a large cycle-scape, he attempts to cover issues relevant to a fat cross-section of biking subcultures in the community- from the stolen zoobomber bikes to cross-races and velodrome drama to bills that significantly effect commuters.

The most recent coverage of Portland’s Bicycle Master Plan funding cut demonstrates BikePortland.org’s ability to inspire intelligent and collective activism. When the mayor’s office announced the $75,000 cut, The site’s attention to the issue and call to action hugely influenced the city to reverse the decision. Had the Bicycle Master Plan lost the money, cyclists would have been deprioritized in a city where that should never happen. Somehow, this website, which started from a simple blog, has turned out to be a political player, and a strong one.

And actually, BikePortland didn’t just evolve “somehow.” The site is successful because it’s edgy, and it functions under a “no risk, no reward” philosophy. Maus can say it like it is because BikePortland.org is an independent, single-staffed news source.

“Once you’re working within an organization, you lose the ability to be independent, and a good news source can’t be attached,” comments Maus.

Another factor in the website’s success is the I-love-bikes strain of journalistic integrity that is maintained throughout the stories. Sometimes to the disdain of opinionated cyclists, Maus is generous with the benefit of the doubt and consistent with multi-sided representation. Though he has been criticized for not taking strong stances, his more objective reporting has led to BikePortland.org’s status as a serious news source and has earned widespread respect.

I don’t mean to have a BikePortland.orgy in print (forgive me). There is still the need for the grain of salt when it comes to any one-man show, no matter how fabulous the man or fabulous the show. Maus and his site looked to either side then stepped forward into a leadership position where there needed to be one in the cycling community, and as is the case with any leader, it is necessary to keep our critical thinking caps in place so everyone stays on their toes.

Nevertheless, Portland is lucky to have BikePortland.org and Maus, its stoker, who diligently and doggedly pursues the story that will grab, inform, engage, and inspire action. And he doesn’t earn much doing it, folks. Donations and advertisements get him by. So support if it feels right, but definitely check out the site if you want to be on the up and up about what’s going on around Portland.

Possibly Related

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• April 2008: Monday nights are fast and furious at PIR
• May 2007: A visit with Joseph Ahearne
• January 2007: The farm pedaler
• April 2007: Filmed by Bike is back in town