Commissioner Nick Fish talks
Forest Park and "freak-outs".
(Photos © J. Maus)

It's been almost one year since citizen activist Frank Selker re-energized the issue of increased bicycle access in Forest Park. Since then his effort has sparked widespread momentum for the issue and now the City of Portland's Bureau of Parks and Recreation has convened a committee to develop recommendations and move the issue forward.

However, last week two members of that committee made headlines when they voiced strong opposition to the idea. (more...)

Bikes in Forest Park.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The efforts by the Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA, formerly the Portland United Mountain Pedalers) to thaw relations with Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) and the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC) in order to hasten increased access for bikes in Forest Park are moving faster than I can keep up with.

I am working on a story about the recently completed White Paper drawn up by a committee put together by the FPC, and now, Parks has put out a press release about a trail agreement signed by the three groups.

According to PP&R, the agreement,

"...clarifies the role of Northwest Trail Alliance in providing needed resources to help maintain the park's existing trail network and assist in outreach to cyclists and other users of Portland’s signature natural area."

(more...)

At a meeting in City Hall last night, Parks Commissioner Nick Fish (in suit in upper left corner) learned more about urban mountain biking issues from a host of experts and advocates.
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Universal Cycles storefront at
NW 18th and Thurman.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Universal Cycles in northwest Portland has committed $10,000 a year for the next five years in order to help push local advocates and community leaders into creating more singletrack mountain bike trails in Forest Park.

Universal general manager Mike Doolittle told me this morning that, after reading about citizen activist Frank Selker's plan and realizing that the trail idea was gaining momentum, he decided now was the right time for his company to step up. (more...)

Commissioner Nick Fish
wants to open up the dialogue
on off-road biking.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Last month, rookie City Commissioner Nick Fish made his opinion of off-road biking clear. He told BikePortland that he was not satisfied with the current status quo of riding in the city and that he would work quickly to learn about the issue and seek more opportunities.

Now comes word from Fish's office that on Monday of next week (4/6), he will hold an invite-only "informal roundtable discussion about off-road biking opportunities in Portland parks." (It's notable on the official invite that it didn't mention Forest Park specifically, but that will surely be a hot point of conversation).

When asked about the meeting, Fish's senior policy director Hannah Kuhn told us that, "the time seems right to have a more fundamental conversation" about off-road cycling. (more...)

Local mountain bike advocates are
gearing up for a day of trail
work in Forest Park.
(Photo © J. Maus)

This Saturday, trails throughout Forest Park will be full of mountain bikers. Is it a rogue protest for equal access? No. The off-road riding enthusiasts will have their hands on shovels and pick-axes, not on their handlebars. They'll be putting in sweat equity to maintain trails as part of Forest Park's second annual Day of Stewardship. The event is hosted by the Forest Park Conservancy.

With excitement building around the idea of increased access for bicycles in the park, advocates hope for a big turnout.
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With the voting in of six new board members at their monthly meeting earlier this week, the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) are set to embark a new era of off-road advocacy.

These new board members mark a significant turning point for PUMP, a group that some advocates for more off-road riding opportunities in Portland had all but given up on. Back in May 2008, we reported on a new advocacy group that was being formed to fill the "off-road advocacy void." That group never really gelled into a distinct organization. (more...)

The idea of mountain bike access in Forest Park has been an issue for Portlanders for over two decades. Local advocacy group, the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) was founded over twenty years ago specifically to counter threats of bikes being prohibited from the park altogether (currently, bikes are allowed on all fire access roads and a .3 mile stretch of singletrack).

In recent years, the idea of adding more singletrack trails -- or allowing bikes to ride on the many miles of existing hiking trails -- has languished due to a variety of factors (that's a whole other story entirely).

But recently, momentum has picked up for a new approach to the conversation: The League of American Bicyclists chastised Portland's lack of urban off-road riding opportunities; the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation responded to that by officially adding a chapter on mountain biking to the update of their Bicycle Master Plan, citizen activists have stepped up their efforts, and fresh faces in City Hall bring the potential of a new perspective. (more...)

Frank Selker
(Photo © J. Maus)

Frank Selker, the man with the mountain bike plan for Forest Park, is just 20 people shy of his goal to get 100 new, mountain-bike loving Portlanders to join the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC).

When we checked in with Frank last month, he was halfway to his goal. Today, he emailed to tell us that he just got the latest membership numbers from January. "I believe we are up to 80 cyclists," he wrote, "and close to $6,000 in contributions to the FPC."

Back in December, Selker challenged the community to step up and join the FPC -- a non-profit group that works closely with the Parks Bureau as stewards of the park -- in an effort to make a statement that it was time to move forward with talks about opening up more space for bikes in the 5,000 acre park. Currently, there is just 1/3 of a mile of trail that is legal for bikes to ride on (bikes are allowed on all the park's larger, fire access roads). (more...)

Enjoying a road in Forest Park.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Last month we shared a new, grassroots effort to open up more of Portland's Forest Park to bicycles (currently, only 1/3 of a mile of trail -- out of over 5,000 acres -- is open to bikes).

Frank Selker, a citizen activist who is passionate about riding off-road, decided that the path to more bike access was to join the the Forest Park Conservancy. As a non-profit, the FPC has worked as a respected partner of the Portland Parks and Recreation Department for many years. (more...)

Erik Tonkin
(Photos © J. Maus)

[Publisher's note: This article was written by Sellwood Cycle Repair co-owner, community advocate, and beloved off-road racer, Erik Tonkin. Erik writes about an issue that's close to his heart, mountain bike access in Forest Park. He's been riding his mountain-bike and 'cross bike in the park for 16 years.

For background, read A new plan for MTB access in Forest Park. You can also browse all of our Forest Park coverage here.

I believe the Forest Park Conservancy [formerly Friends of Forest Park] is the group best positioned to improve off-road bicycling access in Forest Park. Last Wednesday, the FPC’s Stephen Hatfield (Stewardship Director), Andrea Schwartz (Development and Communications Director) and David Prause (board member), invited me on a hike in the park. It was not only flattering but very educational. They shared their concerns about the park's ecology and discussed the relationship between cyclists and Forest Park and, by extension, the FPC. I’ll never see the park or those who work to sustain it in the same light.
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The Fat Tire Farm on NW Thurman.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Fat Tire Farm, a shop that specializes in high performance mountain bikes and is located near a busy Forest Park trailhead, has stepped up to encourage its customers to join the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC).

According to citizen activist Frank Selker, the shop has agreed to give a 10% discount to customers that flash an FPC membership card.

The gesture by Fat Tire Farm comes after Selker met with them to share his plan to get more involvement and cooperation between mountain bikers and the conservancy -- two groups who are key to moving the conversation about increased access to Forest Park forward.

Selker says he plans to talk with other bike shops to encourage them to offer similar discounts.

Selker also reports that nearly 20 people have joined the FPC since we published a story about his plan yesterday. His goal is 100 new members and he seems well on his way.

A rider enjoys the rare piece
of singletrack in Forest Park.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Frank Selker is like many people in Portland who wish there was more opportunity for mountain biking on singletrack trails in Forest Park.

The issue has been batted around by a number of individuals and groups over the past two decades. But so far, not much has improved for those who crave the experience of riding narrow trails.

Currently, the all-powerful Forest Park Natural Resources Management Plan (adopted by city council in 1995) states that mountain bikes are only allowed on "trails" (roads really) that are at least eight feet wide.
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Hoping to join the Platinum party and no longer wanting to play second fiddle to its on-street cousin, mountain biking in Portland is poised for progress.

Today, a coalition of mountain bike advocates who want to bring more off-road riding opportunities to Portland, issued a statement congratulating the city on its Platinum award while sounding an alarm that Portland lacks a "comprehensive strategy to provide opportunities for off-road cyclists" and that "the mountain bicycling community believes there is still work to be done." (more...)

The Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) have been maintaining and riding mountain bike trails in and around Portland for 20 years.

PUMP members in their natural habitat.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Twenty years ago, at the cusp of the mountain biking boom, Portlander Theo Patterson spoke up to make sure knobby tires weren't banned from Forest Park -- an expansive natural area adjacent to downtown Portland and one of the largest urban parks in the country. (more...)

As part of their ongoing stewardship of the Firelane 5 trail in Forest Park, the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP!) are throwing a trail work party.

Here's the notice of the event:

As your Forest Park Co-Representative, I am pleased to announce the scheduling of our second trail (work) party on Firelane 5. The first one was an amazing success! I’d like to thank the folks from Fat Tire Farm, Mtbr, Revolver Bikes, OR Bike, OBRA, and the many PUMP members who came out. A huge “Thanks” to Friends of Forest Park who provided us with the trail building expertise and equipment with Jeff Hough. Additionally, thank you Grand Central Bakery for providing all the wonderful breakfast pastries for the crew. Amazing! (more...)

Singletrack splendor in Forest Park.
You can help maintain it
at a work party this Saturday.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

The Forest Park Conservancy (formerly known as Friends of Forest Park) has asked the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) to formally adopt the Firelane 5 singletrack.

The trail, a rare piece of singletrack in the 5,000+ acre park, was completed in late summer of 2006 and was the first mountain bike trail added to the park in nearly 20 years.

Back in June, members of PUMP and other advocates led a ride through Forest Park with bureaucrats and policymakers to share a knobby-tired perspective on the park's future. (more...)

Fire Lane 5 - Forest Park work party

Description: As your Forest Park Co-Representative, I am pleased to announce that our Forest Park Ad Hoc Advisory Committee has been formed and will be having our first User Group meeting at the end of the month. This is key for us, as we will be constructing a white paper which will go forward to the City advising 5-Yr Plan ammendments to bring real singletrack (yes - real singletrack!) to Forest Park.

Part of furthering our FP goals is being caretakers of what we have in a visible way and in unison with Friends Of Forest Park. This is our time to foster goodwill and to demonstrate our commitment. At the behest of Stephen Hatfield, Program Director for FoFP, we will have a Firelane 5 trail party on November 3rd. I am pleased to announce that we are currently in the process of formally adopting this piece of trail, so a strong PUMP turn-out is really appreciated. This will go on our calendar as well as the FoFP website.

FoFP has given us their wonderful Trails Coodinator, Jeff Hough, for this effort. Jeff will be supplying all of the tools we will need as well as breakfast pastries from Grand Central Bakery (yum!).

Bring: Work Gloves, Wet Weather Gear, and Water

Please let me know if you are coming so we can ensure there are enough tools (and pastries) to go around

Meeting Place: Top of Salzman, off of Skyline Rd.
Shanti Ware
503-228-0589
mtb_grrl@ msn.com

Chris Distefano and Tom Miller chat
while riding in Forest Park last night.
(File photo)
Gallery - slideshow below

Last night the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) led a group of city staffers on a mountain bike ride through Forest Park. The ride was organized to give key decision makers and city planners an up-close and personal experience of urban mountain biking.

During the ride, PUMP members explained sustainable trail building methods, shared their thoughts on the importance of mountain biking to Portland's Platinum effort, and continued to make their case for adding more singletrack trails in Forest Park.
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(File photo)

The Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) want to show Portland officials what singletrack is all about. They've sent an invite to City Commissioners, Parks Department staffers and other key stakeholders for a mountain bike ride through Forest Park later this month.

According to PUMP, the ride will show "what is possible if we focus on environmentally-friendly recreational opportunities," and will include a "discussion of opportunities for creating additional singletrack within city limits."
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