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 … Read more
PUMP will host an off-road advocacy presentation tonight in Northwest Portland.(Photo © J. Maus) As Portland moves in on creating more off-road, urban riding areas, interest in skills parks and pump tracks is growing. However, unlike in the transportation cycling realm — where Portland is often looked upon as a leader — when it comes … Read 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 … Read more
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 … Read more
“My interest is not in studying this to death, it’s seeing what we can actually do…I am committed to finding ways to significantly expand our current inventory of singletrack trails.”— Nick Fish, Portland City Commissioner The idea of mountain bike access in Forest Park has been an issue for Portlanders for over two decades. Local … Read 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 … Read 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 … Read 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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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. … Read more
(Photos © J. Maus) A plan to develop close to 15,000 acres of public land for recreational use in and around the Sandy River (“Located in Portland’s backyard”) has local mountain bikers excited for the potential of new trails and riding opportunities close to home. The Salem District of the Bureau of Land Management is … Read more
“This has left many in the mountain biking community very frustrated.”–Shane Gould, Portland United Mountain Pedalers Mountain bikers throughout Oregon, with support from the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the Oregon Mountain Bike Alliance (ORMBA), are miffed at a recent proposal by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) to ban mountain bikes from the Boulder Lake … Read more