I believe there are 6 mountain bikers in Portland.

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 11:20 AM, Brent Dombrowski <
brent.dombrowski@...> wrote:

> There has been alot of discussion about advocacy and membership
> lately. I'm going to throw a wrench in the works and take this in a
> different direction.
>
> I've been traveling for work lately. I'm currently camped out NE of
> Sacramento. I've got my mountain bike with me and have been crashing
> rides of local mountain bike group rides. Based on what I've seen out
> here, I've come to the sad conclusion that there just aren't that many
> mountain bikers in Portland. There are plenty of commuters, enough
> road and track events in the summer to make one seriously consider
> quitting their job, and an insane cyclocros scene, but not much in the
> line of mountain biking.
>
> Consider this, I've been on 3 rides in the Folsom and Auburn areas.
> Each ride I have run in to other groups of riders, riders from local
> shops, social groups, other advocacy groups, and even a high school
> mountain bike team. There is even a local church coordinating rides.
> When was the last time you saw another group out on the trail? In the
> 10 years I've ridden in the Portland area, I can recall two occasions.
> The Bike Gallery camped out on the 4th of July and the Fat Tire Farm
> shuttling Syncline. That's it.
>
> Another thing to think about. How many people in PUMP are from
> Portland? From Oregon? Why is it that when a new person shows up to a
> PUMP meeting it always seems like they just moved here from some place
> else. I'm not a native. Many of the people I know in PUMP aren't locals.
>
> I think about this and the fact that the metro areas of Sacramento and
> Portland are about the same and I come to the conclusion that there
> just aren't that many mountain bikers in Portland.
>
> Where does that leave us? I think we need to back up a step. We don't
> need to recruit new members, not at this point. We need to get more
> people into mountain biking. I don't think we have enough people
> pedaling in the dirt to get enough attention. I think we need to get
> with a local shop or even a big mountain bike company and get a fleet
> of demo bikes out to Forest Park. Instead of the traditional check out
> the latest bikes event we need a come try riding in the dirt event.
> Mountain bikes are like SUVs in this town. Many people own them, but
> very few take them in out in the dirt.
>
> My $2 worth (inflation).
>
> Brent.
>
>
>



--
iamerichearmeroar


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