Before I got involved with bike advocacy, I dabbled in a number of other causes. I organized a “Toxic Dell” event on my college campus to try to convince Dell to recycle its computers. I helped plan Buy Nothing Day events to try to keep people away from shopping malls. And I protested against many things: the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the World Bank, the meat industry, the war, Kraft, Starbucks and tampons. Eventually my activist-inclinations led me to a group bicycle ride to raise awareness against genetically engineered foods. That 30-day bike ride with 30 other activists led me to a new cause, and this one was something to rally for.
Bicycling is like mom and apple pie – everyone’s a fan. It’s so good (for your health, pleasure, the earth) that no one can say it’s bad. Yet a century of car-culture indoctrination means that bike advocates are still needed in a big way.
It feels good to work FOR something, and to work WITH an industry, instead of against one. The bike industry is pedaling something good for people and the planet. And increasingly, bike industry leaders are realizing that supporting advocacy supports their bottom line and benefits society.
Planet Bike – based in Madison, Wisconsin – has been an industry leader since its inception by donating 25 per cent of company profits to causes that promote and facilitate bicycle usage. To date, the company has donated over $680,000 to grassroots bike advocacy. When asked why they do it, advocacy director Jay Ferm says, “Our support for grassroots bike advocacy is a long-term investment. The more we support advocacy groups, the more bike-friendly our cities become, which means more people ride their bikes for everyday transportation and more people buy Planet Bike products. This in turn allows us to put more resources into bike advocacy. It’s a virtuous circle that is good for business.”
But if the promise of long-term reward sounds pie in the sky, Ferm says their investment is also making an impact today. “Many of the independent bike dealers I talk with come to push our brand above others specifically because of our recognized support for bike advocacy. They see local advocates improving their bottom-line.”
Others in the industry are following suit. Trek launched its 1 World 2 Wheels campaign in 2007, donating $1 per helmet sold to the League of American Bicyclists and $10 for every full-suspension bike sold to the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
The newest major advocacy supporter is SRAM, the Chicago-based component maker, who launched a $10-million Cycling Fund. The fund will donate $2-million a year for the next five years to support bike advocacy. It has already awarded $200,000 each to Bikes Belong and the National Safe Routes to School Partnership, and $400,000 to the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking.
Local bike retailers are also making a big difference, providing time, money and support to advocacy. Bike Worx provides bikes for the annual Pedal with Your Politicians ride in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Portland’s Bike Gallery recently ran a successful membership drive for the Oregon’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance. And Spin Street Cycles helped collect signatures for a complete streets ordinance in Lansing, Michigan, putting the petition over the top to get the ordinance on the local ballot.
But investing in advocacy isn’t all business. According to Ferm, Planet Bike’s commitment goes beyond mere marketing value. “The owner and employees of Planet Bike love to bike, and we want to share the joy and benefits of biking as far and wide as possible.”
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