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bikeportland.org

jonathan maus

if you check up to the left of this page, you'll see a link alluding to pages about cycling on islay, pages that are not updated as often as i'd like, but well, there you go. but imagine if the latter were the case, where you could check daily to find out about events, restrictions, transport or ferries that might conceivably impinge on your visit to the hallowed isle. sadly, i have too much else to do to even have a run at attempting that sort of web information, but prior to my trip to portland - prior meaning several months before - i was regularly accessing bikeportland.org to find out not only what shapes the bike culture in the city, but any relevant information that i could follow up to make my trip more inclusive as well as more interesting. i discovered jeff mapes' book pedaling revolution, recently reviewed on the post through the pixels of bikeportland.

an essential part of portland bicycle culture, the website is read daily by cyclists all across the city, as well as several across the world (i'm finding it difficult to get out of the habit). bikeportland is the brainchild of and daily life for jonathan maus, aided and abetted by elly blue, keeping several fingers on what makes the city tick when it comes to bicycles, both in terms of daily operation and in terms of the state legislature. much like my portland guide, chris distefano, jonathan seems to know everybody, and is impressively clued up on events happening in real-time, as well as prospective happenings. it makes me feel quite inadequate.

jonathan started bike blogging through the 'bike fun blog on the oregonianlive.com website of dead tree newspaper, the oregonian. this didn't really pan out in quite the manner hoped for by either party, but as his entrenchment in portland's bike culture increased, he left the oregonian after a few months and bikeportland surfaced. in much the same way at thewashingmachinepost, the blogging was a daily obsession until a couple of years ago, when it turned into a business with a daily wage. the site now not only garners thousands of daily visitors but has also acquired a substantial number of advertisers.

this degree of financial security has meant a nice new office in se main street (coincidentally a few floors below epic wheelworks) from where both jonathan and elly ply their essential trade, with a handy little bakery and coffee shop just next door. the work carried out by bikeportland cannot be underestimated: as the cycling population of the city increases, its presence has become a necessity; more bikes interfacing with more cars, buses and the portland light railway, means a need for an overseeing pair of eyes. one of the few cases in the world where the phrase if it didn't exist, we'd have to invent it rings particularly true.

bikeportland.org | follow bikeportland on twitter

twmp

posted on wednesday 20 may 2009

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