SPOKE magazine: Newest Source for Bike Journalism

This sponsored guest post comes from Katie Bohri, the Co-Founding Editor of SPOKE magazine.

In the last half-decade, Philadelphia saw its number of cyclists more than triple, a good sign for the greenest alternative to the car. However, a lack of focused reporting about cycling in our city persists. Enter SPOKE magazine, a new print quarterly dedicated to Philadelphia’s bike politics, infrastructure and culture.

What is SPOKE Magazine?

SPOKE magazine will serve as a platform to talk about all things bike related, as well as open the conversation to many different kinds of cyclists – including those who may hesitate to get on a bike.

Volume One will feature in-depth stories on, for instance, how local traffic laws affect everyday cyclists, how Philadelphians handle bike theft, the lack of decent women’s cycling commuter wear, and interviews with three people who make a living atop a bike seat. It will feature work from local journalists, photographers and illustrators, and it will be available for free at coffee shops, bars and bike-friendly businesses across the city.

Starting a print magazine in 2014 may raise some eyebrows, but we are dedicated to a real, hold-it-in-your hands publication that will reach the widest possible readership. For those curious about what the magazine will look like when it hits shelves next month, This Old City previewed of one of our stories, written by founding editor Alex Vuocolo.

SPOKE Magazine Indiegogo Campaign

Although the magazine will be free, printing its premiere issue will cost our all-volunteer staff money. To pay for costs of publication, we launched a recently-featured-in-GPB Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, which hit 69 percent funding on Tuesday. With just 10 days left, we are in the home stretch. If you ride a bike in Philadelphia or care about local journalism, please consider donating and picking up one of several perks as a thank-you gift.

Perks for supporting SPOKE include a sustainability double-whammy: If you donate at the $10 level, Solar States will match that by contributing $10 to the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia’s solar energy initiative. Or for $15, grab a ticket to attend our release party on January 30. Check out our Indiegogo campaign page to see other great perks (scarves, haircuts and more) we have in store.

On behalf of SPOKE magazine, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled for the magazine’s debut at your local coffee shop and keep riding.