OK, so maybe it doesn’t say BikePortland.org…but the cover of the October issue of PDX Magazine (“Portland’s where to go and what to do magazine”) does say “Bike Portland.”
Not sure if the writers had my site in mind, but hey, I’ll take whatever I can get ;-).
Seriously though, check out the solid bike scene coverage in this free ‘zine. You can download a PDF of the entire issue on their website.
I’d never really paid much attention to this magazine until now, but I like their style. Anybody that titles a cover story, “Park Your Car For Good” is OK in my book.
The story is great intro to the Portland bike scene. I’d recommend picking up a copy and keeping it for your out-of-town guests, or sending it to any bike-loving friends and family you’re trying to woo to Portland.
[P.S. Please have mercy on the photo editors for not putting a helmet on the rider.]
Thanks for reading.
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I saw this issue of PDX Magazine last week and was taken aback by the fact that neither the cover shot nor the inside photos feature riders with helmets. I guess it is another case of fashion over safety.
My first reaction was similar: No helmets = setting the wrong example on the magazine’s cover, etc.
But I think that overall–this new magazine deciding to promote the concept of bicycling as transportation as the thing to do here in Portland–is a good thing. Keep in mind that the editor(s) of this magazine are independent journalists who are looking around for what’s new and hip and “cool” here in Portland, and they are probably not hard-core bicycling activists or even that knowledgeable about bicycling in general, other than that here is Portland is is a very accessible and environmentally progressive and “hip” thing to do.
I say we welcome this magazine and its fledgling bicylists with open arms and congratulate them on their choice of cover stories!
By the way, this magazine is celebrating its one-year anniversary this Sunday, Oct. 22. Details are in the October issue (the one with the helmetless bicyclist on the cover).
I wouldn’t call it a zine. I mean, I know that’s a very involved topic of discussion that’s not appropriate for this space, but suffice it to say that it’s too slick to be a zine. I’m not saying it’s a bad rag, it’s just fine, but let’s call it what it is, a MAGAZINE. Please, out of respect for the hardworking zinesters world wide and locally.
The helmet nazis strike again!
Hi everyone,
I’m the editor at PDX Magazine, and one of our writers just pointed me to this post. First, I want to say thank you for the attention and compliments (and in the article we do give a direct shout out to bikeportland.org!) for both the magazine and this issue’s cover story in particular. Indeed, we aren’t bicycling experts in the office, but we recognize the strong prevalence of the bike culture in Portland and wanted to focus attention on that and also provide an intro for people interested in hopping on board.
We did have photos of bicyclists in action wearing helmets, and I apologize that those didn’t make it into print. Having grown up in Davis, CA (known, at least when i was growing up, as a town with the highest per capita bike population in the country), I’m very aware of the necessity of wearing a helmet (which I always do), and I made sure that we advocated for that in the text of the article. I truly appreciate the feedback, and should we run photos of bicyclists again, I will make sure that the photos chosen feature helmets.
I hope you’ll keep reading, and please feel free to contact me directly with any other thoughts or questions at editor@pdxmagazine.com
Best,
Liz Hummer
oh noes!!!
She’s wearing a scarf and that could get caught in her drive chain and choke her!I#UU#() OH NOES!!!
Liz –
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Even the bike scene has the soccer moms who have nothing better to do.
I alway wear my helmet in the Washington Park MAX Station……
Yeah, yeah. Ride your bike in Portland. Big news. I’m feeling all warm inside now.
Did anyone find it ironic that the “park your car for good” article was preceeded by the magazine’s monthly car review feature? Next month’s magazine will surely include another car review; will bicycles be mentioned again? I doubt it.
Did anyone wonder about the fact that the 40-mile loop is “all you need to know to ride your bike in Portland!” If only they told readers where to park their cars when driving to this wonderous path.
All in all, a cute little story that kept me entertained for about one minute.
So, get over the helmet issue.
Unless you are under the age of 16, it is a personal choice.
If I get one more person bitching at me about not wearing my helmet, I am going to scream.
I do not find it amazing at all that a car review follows this article.
Magazines are about selling. Especially free monthly’s. They are about selling even more than subscription magazines.
People in this town will pick up anything with a bicycle on the cover. This is heavily to the advantage of monthly’s like this.
Heavily to our disadvantage is the fact that a article like this may draw more cyclists to our already congested city.
What we need is one less bike, and more unity and concern for the cyclists already here.
Our city, it’s planners, and others like this magazine, and sometimes even this website, are way too focused on bringing more cyclists, and more cycling industry here.
If we cannot handle the levels of ridership we have now, how are we going to deal with more in the future.
“what we need is one less bike…”
That’s pretty elitist Dabby. I thought the whole idea was that if more people biked and fewer people drove, the world would be a better place with less pollution, less traffic and happy, smiling people.
I think that the more people who bike, the more bicycling becomes an accepted and normal form of transportation, which would require the city planners, state government and car commuters to take it seriously. The sooner bikes outnumber cars, the better. You have to live towards the ideal or it will never happen.
But then, if that happened, you wouldn’t get to be the cool renegade that you are – you’d just be another guy on a bike.
Why get over the no helmet issue. I think it is a legitmate point. And for those of you who make not wearing a helmet a personal choice then I hope you have an insurance policy take care of your invalid self should you get into a serious accident.
Nah sheldon. I would like to justify all the people that bitch that their tax dollars will pay for my choice because apparently I want to look cool!(fyi, that’s why I ride a track bike, too!). So, don’t worry. No insurance here. I have you to pay!
If PDX mag wants to build good relationships with the Portland bike community, then they should take the time to get to know the people who make the bike industry thrive here..maybe they’ll get some bike advertisers next time.