LexRides

[brokebike]

This is a very interesting read. In a nutshell, it tells the story of the Mpls Bike Love website (which was a main inspiration for the idea of the Lexrides forums, several years ago) and its creator, and how the site grew to be a powerful tool for bike advocacy in Minneapolis, recently named the #1 Bike City in the US. It also tells about how the responsibilities of that power (coupled with a good dose of bipolar disorder) caused a person to nearly lose his mind.

Some of you might recognize Bjorn Christianson from bike polo. He was recently at the Midwest Open. He's one of the new owners of the Mpls Bike Love website...

http://www.citypages.com/2010-12-01/news/mpls-bike-love-creator-jeremy-werst-s-vicious-cycle/
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[elzie5000]

[politicalhero]

Holy Hell that is a crazy read... however it is also very relatable when you work towards something that you are very passionate about.

Thanks for sharing....now if you see me pounding handles of wellers each week, please intervene

[brokebike]

I think it is also a cautionary tale. It shows, at the very least, how there needs to be more community participation when it comes to action and interaction. Rather than being the efforts and ideals of one person, something as powerful as an online community should've been spread out more among the community at large.

I know I'm not alone in expressing my thoughts that we could use more active members of our own community here. Not that Lexington or Lexrides is in any danger of a similar situation, but I think it should be a call to arms for more active community participation.

I don't know all the specifics of how this particular situation got to the point that it did, but to me it seems like more active participation from the community represented by Mpls Bike Love would've helped prevent any drama. I wish Bjorn well on his new venture, and I hope they can continue to do positive things with it for their city.
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