We advance trade policies for bicycle manufacturing that create stability in the global trade environment so that U.S. bike companies can proactively plan their supply chains, adjust their production to meet demand, use their capital to invest in business expansion, hire new employees and increase wages.

We fight bills and measures that would increase taxes and support those that decrease taxes on businesses. We support a taxation policy that recognizes the considerable potential of the bicycle to help achieve domestic goals and support other U.S. policies directed at improving the environment and advance incentives such as tax credits, tax deductions or interest-free loans for businesses.

We work to foster a positive business environment through state legislation toward progressive electric bicycle laws and state offices of outdoor recreation. Progressive electric bicycle laws ensure that consumers and retailers are not confused about their state’s electric bicycle laws and that electric bicycles are regulated similarly to traditional bicycles. States that have offices of outdoor recreation create new government positions focused on growing the outdoor recreation industry, managing the substantial contributions that this sector brings to their economies and defending the outdoor industry’s interests.

We closely monitor federal and state legislation that regulates the use of toxic chemicals, especially in children’s products, to ensure they don’t have a negative impact on the bicycle industry. While we understand the public health concerns related to the use of chemicals in bicycles and bicycle components, we work to exempt those products from legislation further regulating manufacturing, especially products that pose little or no exposure risk.

PeopleForBikes members directly employ a large workforce involved in all facets of the bike industry, but we understand that the pipeline of well-paying, professional jobs in research and development, design, engineering, marketing and sales requires more diversity. We are creating best practices to support workforce development and diversification.

The stationary bike and exercise company offers potent lessons when it comes to fostering safety, comfort and community for BIPOC riders.

Before she joined Peloton, Tonoka Metoyer wasn’t a biker, although she always wanted to be. 

“I've always felt like bicycling was cool,” said Metoyer, who spent almost three decades living in South Florida and Atlanta. “I've always had friends that bike, and I saw people that did it. I just never did it.”

Metoyer, who works remotely as a medical sales representative, moved to Montgomery, Alabama, right before the pandemic. The absence of a commute, coupled with the lack of good bicycling infrastructure and a community to ride with, meant Metoyer was unlikely to take up biking on her own. When COVID-19 led to the closure of her CrossFit gym, however, Metoyer needed something to fill the fitness void. Through a friend, she was invited to a private group chat of Black Peloton users — Metoyer ordered a bike, started riding and is now nearly 250 rides of various lengths and intensity into her journey. 

Peloton Interactive was founded in January of 2012, the brainchild of a Barnes & Noble executive who saw an opportunity to bring the high-end spin studio experience into people’s homes. After a successful Kickstarter campaign and several rounds of raising seed money, a version of the Peloton bike that’s now ubiquitous — with its mounted touchscreen and speakers for streaming classes — was released in 2014. In 2018, Peloton expanded to the U.K. and Canada and in 2019, the company went public, raising $1.16 billion (Peloton is currently valued at closer to $4 billion).

When the demand for home gyms surged amid pandemic lockdowns, many people turned to Peloton, ordering bikes despite shipping backlogs to join a community of millions. But Peloton’s success isn’t solely attributed to convenience or COVID-19. Rather, the company employs a growth strategy that values the patronage of historically marginalized groups, celebrating diversity and allowing both its instructors and community members to show up as their whole selves.

When compared to the traditional bike industry, which has long been criticized for its diversity problem and has made few strides despite public commitments, Peloton’s user base is much more representative of American demographics. In particular, the growth of Black users, both men and women, on Peloton offers potent lessons for the bike industry as a whole, including those working in city government, transportation, advocacy, health and the nonprofit sector. The Black Peloton group on Facebook currently has more than 29,000 members from around the globe and many of the company's most prominent bike instructors, including Alex Toussaint, Ally Love and Tunde Oyeneyin, are Black. Anecdotally, the number of committed Black Peloton riders appears to exceed Black folks passionate about traditional bikes, with a fair amount of overlap between groups.

So, what is Peloton doing right when it comes to Black Americans? For starters, the company understands and values Black culture, a fact most evident through its marketing, programs and music selection, which center Black lives and experiences. From Peloton’s ads to its website to its Instagram, there is an open celebration of diversity, consistently showcasing Black and brown employees and customers. When honoring Black History Month, the company goes beyond rote social media campaigns, instead curating rides set to Black musicians, releasing an apparel collection in collaboration with Black artists and hosting fireside chats with musicians, actors and activists. When was the last time the bike industry celebrated Blackness in a similar way? The success of Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor comes to mind, but his heyday was at the turn of the last century.

Peloton does a great job of bringing in modern Black cultural icons, curating rides with music from Bad Boy Entertainment for example, or developing an 8-week series called the “Year of Yes” with television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes. When Peloton partnered with the queen herself, Beyonce, the company simultaneously gifted two-year digital Peloton memberships to students at 10 historically Black colleges and universities. These rides celebrating Black greatness being led by Black instructors showcases yet another aspect of Black leadership and talent, not only as creatives and cultural icons but as teachers and experts as well. What’s more, many Black celebrities, Beyonce included, are Peloton riders themselves.

“They have a brilliant marketing model and are incredibly reactive — and in some cases proactive — to the needs of their customers,” said Maisha Rudison-Bryant, a Black healthcare director based in North Carolina. “[Peloton] listens and then they change. I think that for any company that is not often an easy thing to do but they seem to do it flawlessly.”

In addition to adding more rides celebrating Blackness, Peloton doesn’t shy away from confronting current events head-on. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the resulting protests around the U.S., the company didn’t hesitate to say, “Black Lives Matter,” angering some users who viewed it as a political statement. During a time when all sorts of organizations were stalling on what to say, scrambling to craft DEI mission statements and struggling to acknowledge the Black experience, often for the first time, Peloton led the way for corporations coming out in solidarity.

Many people in the Peloton community remember a class Toussaint taught amid the worst of the social unrest, where he shared from his heart the pain he was undergoing as a Black male in America and urged his followers to take anti-racist action. Similarly, Oyeneyin created a 30-minute class dubbed “Speak Up,” which was part performance art, part activism and all fitness, imploring riders to “get comfortable with the uncomfortable” and meet the moment.

“Peloton allowed employees to speak to who they were as people and to use that platform as an outlet for some of the rage that was out there in the Black community,” said Rudison-Bryant. “They don't seem to separate the fact that we are humans. We have things that we do in our day-to-day lives and our work but those two worlds, they shouldn't be separate.”

Rather than censor or edit its employees, Peloton celebrates them, encouraging vulnerability and conversation. Jen Cotter, the chief content officer of Peloton, told The New York Times that while instructors are generally expected to avoid political topics, the Black Lives Matter movement wasn’t political. “We see this as a human rights issue,” she said. “Those are not the same for us, politics and civil rights.”

The direction from Peloton’s leadership — who represent a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities themselves — is one of the reasons the company has been so successful in reaching a diverse and devoted user base. Although Peloton’s board of directors and executive leadership, like many organizations, is still overwhelmingly white and male, its chief strategy officer, Dion Camp Sanders, and head of global marketing and communications, Dara Treseder, are Black. For her part, Treseder prioritized a marketing strategy that emphasizes diversity and promotes community over products.

“Connection to culture for us is something we do intentionally and authentically,” Treseder told AdWeek earlier this year. “It’s not enough to just talk about diversity. It’s a commitment to anti-racism: What are the things we’re going to do to be truly anti-racist? Cultural marketing is not something that sits in a silo over here — it’s something that’s infused into all we do.”

The difference is obvious to users, who take note of everything from the camaraderie and authenticity of Peloton’s instructors to the friendships and affinity groups that form outside of virtual rides.

“[Peloton] brought in some of the most well-regarded people of color into marketing positions and into roles that directly affect the customer base, and I think that’s the primary reason they’ve been so successful, no question,” said Rudison-Bryant. “At every level of the company, you see a reflection of yourself and I think that that's important.”

That sort of modeling goes a long way toward making people feel comfortable trying something new. In fact, comfort is another reason Peloton is so successful: not only does it promote an inclusive atmosphere, but by nature of being an indoor, stationary bike company, it offers riders a way to participate in the sport without leaving their home. Peloton riders don’t have to worry about having the right gear, being discriminated against by law enforcement or neighbors, showing up to work sweaty and being judged by colleagues, messing up their hair in public, catcalling from passersby or inadequate bicycling infrastructure — many things we know affect women, and in particular minority women, more than others.

There’s also an element of safety that partially explains why Black riders might be drawn to Peloton over biking on the road. It’s a fact that traffic enforcement disproportionately affects BIPOC riders, resulting in over-policing and leading to “Arrested Mobility” with a slew of adverse social, political, economic and health outcomes. In America, Black people must face the ever-present threat of discrimination, intimidation and physical harm whenever they step outside, whether it be while driving, walking, running or bicycling. In the world of Peloton, that danger doesn’t exist. There, a Black man can virtually high-five a stranger without the possibility of it being taken the wrong way or putting his life and livelihood at increased risk. 

While there are limitations to using Peloton for persons with disabilities, in general, it’s also a more accessible product than many similar-quality road or gravel bikes. While the original Peloton bike starts at $1,895 (plus $39/month for the required all-access membership), the company offers 36-month financing at 0% APR. While still expensive, the bikes are easy to navigate and cost less than many premium road bikes, gym memberships or dealing with societal unease.

“Underrepresented minorities spend trillions of dollars on stuff and a lot of companies are missing the ball by not marketing to us,” said Bianca Blades, a Black Peloton user who works as an HR consultant and diversity strategist. “We have the money and we’re going to spend it. But some people still don't want a certain demographic representing their product due to history, which is sad.”

Once Peloton’s marketing efforts do the job of getting people in the door, the company’s dual emphasis on fitness and community is what gets them to stick around. Peloton riders are constantly being encouraged to connect with other users, via the aforementioned high-fives, various groups and teams or hashtags. For Black riders, hashtags range the gamut from #BPR to the Black Peloton Riders Community to #BlackGirlMagic, for Black women, to a variety that represent the Divine Nine, the umbrella term for historically African American fraternities and sororities. By allowing people to use multiple hashtags, a rider can rep #BPR alongside #PeloBuddhas (the official Buddhist group of Peloton) and #Vets (for veterans). Thus, the company allows for and encourages intersectionality in a way American society typically does not.

Peloton celebrates individuality while promoting the collective, empowering people to feel free to express who they are in the context of a community. Even when riding a Peloton alone in your living room, you never feel alone. Riders can start with a group, take an on-demand class alongside others and even get a shout-out from the instructor during a live class. As a Black bicyclist outdoors, being alone is more of a default, albeit one that Black riding groups are aiming to combat. For many Black Peloton riders, including all of those interviewed in this article, the camaraderie of Peloton often carries over to real-world interactions, via private groups, meet-ups or in-person rides. 

“For me, [my Peloton community] has been a lifeline,” said Metoyer. “Just being able to connect has been very motivational, both on and off the screen.”

If everyone working in the world of bikes were able to cultivate the same level of community and motivation amongst BIPOC riders, the effects would soon multiply — more bicyclists on our streets would lead to a safer riding environment for everyone. According to a report from the League of American Bicyclists, Black and brown riders are the fastest-growing segment of the bicycling population, and PeopleForBikes’ research during the pandemic showed that BIPOC bicyclists represented 44% of new riders, compared to 33% of active riders before COVID-19. 

In June of 2020, Peloton CEO and Co-founder John Foley issued a public statement outlining the company’s commitment to anti-racism. In the letter, Foley announced that Peloton would be investing $100 million over the course of four years to “fight racial injustice and inequity in our world and to promote health and wellbeing for all.” He went on to note the responsibility of corporations — with their large resources, platforms and influence — in combating systemic racism, acknowledging that “this kind of important work starts from the inside out” at the employee level. The same could be said for many government and nonprofit organizations.

Peloton’s trademark saying is “Together We Go Far” and the company brought that ethos to its anti-racism work, co-creating with rather than dictating to those who receive funding. Although simply issuing a statement is never enough, articulating a vision and committing a substantial amount of one’s budget to that vision are necessary first steps. People of color, be they customers or employees, know when an organization’s platitudes are authentic based on what follows. That, perhaps, is the most important lesson of all: Actions speak louder than words.

Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and an active road cyclist and Black Peloton rider. Kiran Herbert is PeopleForBikes’ local innovation writer and content manager.

What the Growth of Black Peloton Can Teach Bicycling

The future of kids’ bicycling appeared dire until the pandemic hit. Now, a new generation of bicyclists is emerging.

Back in the glorious, pandemic-free summer of 2019, things were looking a bit grim for youth bicycling. From 2014 to 2018, the number of kids who regularly rode their bike (25 times per year or more) dropped by more than 1 million, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The market research company NPD Group reported that from 2018 to 2019, children’s bike sales dropped more than 7%, impacted by steel tariffs and a resulting 5% increase in the average price of kids’ bikes. 

The repercussions of this decline in youth cycling are significant and the stakes are high. The WHO ranks the U.S. third in the world for depression and anxiety rates and the CDC reports that one in five U.S. children are affected by obesity. These trends had the bike industry, parents, teachers and youth program providers concerned, with some taking action to address the decline in youth ridership. In 2019, 10 national youth biking organizations came together to form the Youth Cycling Coalition in order to get more kids on bikes and keep them riding into adulthood. Taking a “stronger together” approach, the partnership combines program offerings that are unique but complementary and is already proving effective at cultivating a biking ecosystem in Morgantown, West Virginia. 

Still, at the outset of 2020, there was no guarantee that the downward trend wouldn’t continue. In March, however, when the world as we knew it ground to a halt, many Americans rediscovered outdoor recreation. As schools and daycares closed, parents found themselves with more “kid time” on their hands. Families sheltered in place for weeks that turned into months, and as the days grew warmer and longer, many found respite from the walls of their homes through biking. The Burrow family of Parker, Colorado, are one of many that started biking during the pandemic summer of 2020. 

“There was so much time to slow down and take a look around at what we were and weren’t doing,” said Ali Burrow, whose sons Flynn, 9, and Charlie, 6, both learned to ride last summer. “We realized the kids were missing out on some of those key, classic elements of childhood like bike riding. We didn’t know how long the quarantine was going to last so we wanted to make sure the kids knew how to ride their bikes. Now biking is one of our main family activities, a huge part of our lives — this year we became a one-car family.”  

The shift to lockdown and rise in outdoor recreation meant more kids on bikes, resulting in an uptick in kids’ bike sales across the country. According to NPD group, May 2020 trail-a-bike sales grew by 142% and kids’ bikes sales were up 59% compared to 2019. An Aspen Institute study on the state of play found that bike riding moved from the 16th most popular youth activity pre-pandemic up to the third most popular youth activity in 2020.  

Youth Cycling Coalition member organizations — including The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), the USA BMX Foundation and Project Bike Tech — consistently reported massive increases in participation for 2020 among both kids and coaches. Despite all the challenges associated with the pandemic, Project Bike Tech graduated 500 students last year and will be launching 10 new schools this fall. Over the last year, NICA has also seen rapid growth, with student sign-ups increasing by 16% and coach registrations by 11%.

In 2020, the youth bicycling nonprofit Outride added more than 44 new schools to its Riding for Focus middle school-based physical education program and in 2021, saw an almost 90% increase in the number of applications — the organization plans to announce its largest cohort ever in the coming weeks. Similarly, Outride’s community grant program, the Outride Fund, has seen more than 90% growth in the number of applications in both 2020 and 2021, resulting in its largest matching round to date with $530,000 committed to 53 organizations across 27 states. The growth is a testament to the demand for investments in youth bicycling across the country.

Sabra Davison, the co-founder and director of Little Bellas, an organization that spans 17 states and offers non-competitive mountain biking programs for girls age 7-18, saw a similar jump in participation. 

“Little Bellas has seen more girls excited to participate than ever before,” said Davison. “We are seeing an increase in both renewing and new riders signing up for our programs. As a result we’ve seen more smiles and heard more giggles on singletrack.”

The positive impact that learning to ride has had on 9-year-old Flynn is apparent. When we chatted over Facetime, he eagerly jumped up to show off his green and black “hybrid bike with gears.” He was especially proud of his “cool” grey helmet, complete with a retractable visor best described as, “World War II but with a bunch of robots in space.” 

“Biking helped a lot during the lockdown because school was out more days and if I wasn’t biking I’d probably be inside playing video games,” he said. “It’s easier to get to places and takes half the time of walking. It’s fun to ride with your friends.”

The best part about this upward trend in youth riding is that there are numerous indications that it is not just a passing phase. An April 2021 Rutledge report on COVID-19 impacts on bicycling found several points of evidence: Habit formation has already begun to occur and 45% of those surveyed reported that they would continue to commute by bike over using public transportation, even once it was an option again. The report also highlights the lasting positive impact of rapid-build pedestrian and biker-friendly infrastructure.

When we asked Flynn for his thoughts on his own bike future, he said, “I think I will definitely keep riding when I get older. And I really want to get an electric bike just like my dad has.”

The ‘Bike Boom’ Isn’t Just for Adults

An update on PeopleForBikes' federal trade and tariff work.

Last year, PeopleForBikes published our 2021 Trade Policy Agenda, outlining the U.S. bicycle industry’s policy recommendations for Congress and the Biden-Harris administration, and shared it across Washington, D.C. While a majority of our advocacy work focuses on boosting infrastructure funding and increasing access to and for bikes, trade policy holds a lot of influence over the availability of bikes, parts and accessories in the U.S. Now eight months later, here is an evaluation of our work to advance our top goals: 

Replace the Section 301 Tariffs With More Targeted Actions

At the end of 2020, the last remaining pieces of Section 301 tariff relief expired. In practical terms, this meant substantial tariff increases on critical products such as children’s bikes, electric bicycles, helmets, lights and more. Every bicycle product imported from China now faces a Section 301 tariff and most are subject to an extra 25% duty. 

We are actively advocating for Section 301 reform in Congress and there’s momentum on Capitol Hill to address Section 301 tariffs, not only by reforming the process but also creating a new process going forward. In June, the Senate passed the bipartisan Endless Frontiers Act, a massive science, technology and competitiveness bill that included several positive provisions on Section 301, including automatically renewing all expired tariff exclusions for 18 months, providing retroactive recovering of duties for some products that were excluded and creating a new, mandatory exclusion process. This would include all bike products for which duties increased after December 31, 2020. While the House of Representatives has not taken up the mantle to move this or similar legislation, we anticipate it will rise up on their agenda after they tackle infrastructure policy and a budget resolution. 

While President Biden and his administration have touted the benefits and potential of U.S. manufacturing and production, his administration’s actions so far have yet to offer any meaningful incentives for onshoring or supporting existing made-in-the-U.S. operations. At PeopleForBikes, we are continuing to consult the industry on policies we could support to meet the goals of the current administration.

Renew the Generalized System of Preferences

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) provides tariff relief for imported goods from developing nations. The last authorization for GSP expired on December 31, 2020, so the program remains lapsed.

We have been emphasizing the importance of renewing GSP to our Congressional allies for nearly two years, and there are signs of progress. The Endless Frontiers Act in the Senate also included a renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences through January 1, 2027. The reauthorization would be retroactive to December 21, 2020, allowing importers to recover tariffs on goods from GSP countries that were paid this year. If the bill moves through the House and becomes law, it would reform the GSP to promote human rights, the environment, women’s economic empowerment and other international goals of U.S. trade policy. It would also require the U.S. Trade Representative to review whether GSP countries are complying with these requirements more frequently. 

In the House, Democrats and Republicans are aligning behind two separate bills to renew GSP that differ in specific details. 

Work With Congress and Our Trade Allies to Pass a Free-Trade Environmental Goods Agreement

We continue to promote the concept of a free-trade agreement for goods that promote environmental sustainability and/or health and wellness — for which bikes are well positioned. Lawmakers should make it easier for Americans to purchase products like bicycles, electric bicycles and other bicycle products that help lower carbon emissions and enhance their well-being by facilitating the movement of these goods through an international free-trade agreement. While this issue is unlikely to see near-term movement, we continue to emphasize the importance of this issue to the United States Trade Representative. 

Work With Congress to Amend the De Minimis Shipment Rules

The De Minimis shipment rules provide duty-free treatment for shipments valued at $800 or less. This includes avoidance of Section 301 tariffs. These rules provide a substantial cost advantage to foreign retailers and disadvantage businesses that have a physical presence in the U.S. It also provides an easy avenue for products that don’t comply with required safety standards to reach Americans.

While De Minimis reform continues to remain elusive, PeopleForBikes continues to press Congress and the United States Trade Representative to support changes to De Minimis shipment rules, namely lowering the threshold for imports and ensuring that American consumers can purchase safety products like helmets that meet rigorous testing regulations. 

The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) provides tariff relief for products that lack a domestic manufacturing base. The most recent MTB, which provided limit relief for bicycle products such as disc brakes, expired at the end of 2020. Led by PeopleForBikes, our industry substantially increased its engagement in the administrative process that determined what products were included in the MTB in 2019 and 2020. This resulted in a significant expansion of products recommended for relief in the next MTB in the 2020 report issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission. We are now awaiting the final step in this process, which requires Congress to pass a bill containing those recommendations.

The Endless Frontiers Act in the Senate included the 2020 recommendations, which would go into effect until December 31, 2023. It also reauthorized the U.S. International Trade Commission to issue recommendations for two additional cycles of MTB relief, starting in 2022 and 2025. We’ll continue to push the House to pass these recommendations.

Significant progress has been made on key bike industry trade issues in 2021, and we anticipate that several of our priority issues will see successful outcomes. We anticipate that Section 301 reform, GSP renewal and passage of the MTB are questions of when — not if. While the details of Section 301 and GSP remain uncertain, there is significant pressure on Congress and the Biden Administration to act. PeopleForBikes will continue to press our agenda forward with the goal of securing several big wins for the bike industry in 2021.

Looking for a way to help? We need to make sure Congress hears the bike industry’s trade priorities loud and clear. Click on one (or all) of the links below to send a message to your elected officials about some of our key issues:

CALL ON CONGRESS TO RENEW THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES

URGE CONGRESS TO PASS THE MISCELLANEOUS TARIFF BILL

How Movement on Trade Policy Is Affecting the Bike Industry

A first-of-its-kind program is launching in Bentonville with scholarships available for BIPOC and LGBTQ students.

This fall, students at NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) and Minneapolis Community & Technical College can study bikes. The Bicycle Assembly and Repair Technician Certificate program — being offered at both schools for the first time — is an accelerated, two-semester program designed to prepare students for employment in the bicycle retail industry. Over the course of a year, students will learn a wealth of new skills, including extensive bicycle repair and service work, bicycle assembly, service department management and business.

“The world increasingly needs more qualified bicycle technicians, in our area but in many others as well,” said Ty Beringer, marketing and outreach support specialist for the new NWACC program. “A lot of times there's been a disconnect between one bike shop and another about what way something should be done — we're going to have a curriculum that helps standardize processes.”

NWACC is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, a mecca for mountain biking, and the hope is the new program will help create a talent pipeline for the region. In an industry that’s predominantly white and male, the college is also trying to encourage diversity from the get-go by offering scholarships for accepted students who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a person of color (BIPOC) and/or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ). The hope is that the scholarships, which are funded by the Walton Personal Philanthropy Group, will break down some of the barriers associated with the program and encourage students from historically marginalized groups to consider the bicycle industry as a career path. 

The program itself will be half lecture-based and half hands-on, with students taking classes on everything from “Business Organization and Management” to “Public Speaking” to “Electric Bikes.” In charge of Bentonville’s program is Sean Owen, an industry veteran who’s been a service trainer with Trek for more than three years (Casey Coughlin will head the program in Minneapolis). By offering classes that tackle basic business acumen alongside mechanics, both technician programs hope to ingrain students with a degree of professionalism in what’s often perceived as a more casual industry.  

Due to the full-time, relatively intensive nature of the program, Beringer sees those leaving high school with a passion for bikes as the best fit, although he’s quick to add that folks of all ages and from all backgrounds should apply. In addition to the option to transition the certificate into a two-year associate’s degree, graduates will gain access to a password-protected job board with gigs from bike shops, companies and manufacturers alike. No matter the job, the minimum salary will be set at $32,000 a year, a reasonable jump over typical bicycle technician pay, which often starts at minimum wage.

“The idea is that [this job board] will have a ripple effect across the bicycle industry, which a lot of times under pays their technicians,” said Beringer. “We're hoping that this can be a bit of a culture shift so that not only our graduates, but all technicians, are able to get paid better wages.”

The job board will be maintained by the Bicycle Industry Employers Association (BIEA), the brainchild behind the accredited bicycle technician program. BIEA is a volunteer-run nonprofit that launched in 2019 with the goal of creating a diverse pipeline of talented students and professionals to help the bicycle industry thrive. Composed of longtime industry professionals, BIEA has spent the last year raising funds and partnering with organizations to develop the accredited programs in Arkansas and Minnesota this fall (PeopleForBikes supported BIEA with a grant in 2020). 

“It was clear that there was an opportunity for a much more robust educational experience for the bike industry, as well as a diversity strategy that could create success,” said David Olson, chair of the BIEA board.

For the nonprofit, partnering with community colleges offers the best fit: Not only does it allow for a more diverse reach — according to nonprofit the College Board, 51% of community college students identify as non-white — but tuition is also much more affordable than at traditional four-year institutions. In contrast to private bicycle technician schools, such as the U of Q Institute or the United Bicycle Institute, community college students are eligible for financial aid and federally backed student loans. By fall 2024, BIEA plans on having the same program up and running in five additional states, representing all of its seven U.S. regions. 

“We’re looking at areas that can pull students in from a broader geographic range,” said Olson. “We’ve had different places reach out to us representing schools, so there’s a lot of excitement.”

The BIPOC and LGBTQ scholarship opportunity for students at NWACC is just one aspect of BIEA’s plan to help bring people of all backgrounds and identities into the industry’s fold. The organization is also partnering with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) to eventually offer a diversity scholarship for young women and people of color. 

“The traditional entry point in the bike industry — whether it’s on the professional, vendor, distribution or manufacturing side — is bike shops,” said Olson. “I think that’s led to an exclusiveness of the bike industry, and that’s why we see such a lack of diversity. Close your eyes and picture the person working in the bike shop. Who is that?”

For women, minorities and other groups not typically represented in bike shops across the country, education offers a neutral entry point. Olson emphasized that BIEA seeks to empower these groups with confidence and a hard skill set, shaping the future of the bike industry and creating long term change. Since all of BIEA’s technician programs will be brand new, they have the unique opportunity to diversify from the outset — the flip side is that targeted outreach is essential. 

In Bentonville, Beringer has been reaching out to both bicycling and non-bicycling community organizations that serve historically underrepresented demographics. For example, he recently took a cohort from Arkansas Latinas En Bici, a local group that’s all about empowering Latinx women through bikes, on a tour of the new program facility. Even if the outreach doesn’t solicit more applicants, the goal is to extend an open invitation and signal to groups that their presence and input is welcome. 

“In a lot of places cycling looks just one way and we want our program to reflect the community that it’s in,” says Beringer. “We're really interested in making cycling and the bike industry a bit more accessible and approachable.”

In Northwest Arkansas, You Can Go to College for Bikes

The Arizona-based mountain bike company partnered with a local nonprofit to refurbish bikes for families in need.

In the summer of 2019, Daniel Limburg, a planning and product manager at Pivot Cycles, got lunch with Michael Sullivan, agency director at the Welcome to America Project (WTAP), a nonprofit that helps resettled refugees make a life in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. As Sullivan described his work at WTAP, Limburg’s interest was piqued. It was when Sullivan mentioned the nonprofit’s newly launched bike nights, however, where volunteers refurbished donated bikes for refugees, that Limburg saw an opportunity to get involved. 

Founded in 2001, WTAP was the natural outgrowth of one couple’s desire to help a newly resettled refugee family from Afghanistan. A refugee, as opposed to a voluntary immigrant, refers to a person who has been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution or natural disaster. Phoenix consistently ranks among the top 10 cities for refugee resettlement in the U.S., and what started with one family soon blossomed into the 501(c)(3) nonprofit WTAP is today.

For the 2021 fiscal year, the Biden Administration has set a refugee cap at 62,500 people. Once refugees are accepted into the U.S. and placed in a new city, they have just 90 days to assimilate and find a job (they're given six months to pay the U.S. government back for airfare costs). Although refugees are provided housing, many show up with nothing more than a suitcase and a rudimentary grasp of the English language. 

“Imagine if you landed in Tanzania and had six months to figure out housing, food and work,” said Sullivan, who served as a WTAP volunteer for more than a decade before coming on as director. “Our goal is to turn fear into hope — and it goes both ways.”

Volunteers with WTAP form a welcoming committee, greeting new arrivals and working to make sure they feel accepted in what can be a hostile environment. By providing used and new donated items — everything from furniture to computers to clothing — the organization helps refugees set up their apartments and find work. Recognizing that transportation is a key factor when it comes to accessing essential services, WTAP also provides donated bicycles. For many refugees, a bike might be their only way of getting to an English class or a job, especially during undesirable shift times when transit is less frequent.

“I realized I could make a difference by repairing and helping people get on bikes,” said Limburg (pictured above), who first attended one of the nonprofit’s bike nights in August 2019. “When I first decided to volunteer, I shot out a quick office email asking if anyone wanted to join me.”

The first night, three Pivot coworkers helped alongside Limburg. In September, a few more attended until eventually, there was a rotating crew of Pivot employees showing up every month. The group would get dinner beforehand at Boulders, a bike-friendly bar and restaurant, before setting out to work for a couple of hours repairing and tuning up bikes at the WTAP warehouse. The bikes are primarily sourced by Shelley Brown, who runs Phantom Cyclist, an organization she started with her husband, a National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) coach and son, a NICA rider. Brown was independently sourcing and fixing up bikes for refugees when she partnered with WTAP in 2018.

By the time Limburg and the Pivot community entered the scene, the bike operation was relatively well established, with Phantom Cyclist and WTAP providing refurbished bikes to families most weekends. Still, the Pivot employees brought a new level of expertise, training volunteers on basic bike mechanic skills, as well as tools and bike stands, which helped accommodate a greater volume of bikes. When Limburg realized Phantom Cyclist was buying bike parts at Walmart, he tapped his network and secured the organization a KHS dealer account and wholesale prices from Biketube, as well as donated cables, housing and brake pads from Shimano, bike components from SDG and tools and cleaning product from Pedros.

“Pivot’s been a true miracle force,” said Sullivan. “They’ve given us a continuity that we didn't have before.”

When the pandemic happened, many refugees were among the hardest hit, often the first to lose their jobs and become isolated. Although WTAP was still delivering bikes, there were few options for volunteers to gather safely and the repair nights came to a halt. By May, when it was clear COVID-19 precautions wouldn’t be lifted, Limburg offered to pick up bikes and repair them at Pivot headquarters. Roughly every other week, upwards of 12 people would get together after hours to work on bikes. Even Chris Cocalis, president and CEO of Pivot Cycles, got involved. 

“My favorite thing about being in the bike industry is giving people a new perspective of how bikes can help,” said Limburg. “Bikes are something that can truly save people, allowing them to find jobs, learn the language and assimilate into society.”

Bikes are currently being repaired roughly twice a month at both the WTAP and Pivot warehouses. Looking to the future, Pivot is working with WTAP to launch skills instruction programming for refugee children and repair workshops for adults. To date, WTAP estimates that it’s been able to get upwards of 500 bikes into the hands of refugees. Since one bike is often shared by multiple people in a family, the ripple effect is much greater. 

Limburg and Sullivan both note the story of a Syrian family, refugees of a war who were shell shocked and suffering from PTSD. Hoping to encourage the family to get outside, WTAP delivered a bike and the family’s young son Aziz, who didn’t speak English, began pleading with his dad to learn how to ride. A few of the volunteers, including Sullivan, took the boy outside and taught him the basics.

“I forgot you had to run alongside a bike rack,” said Sullivan. “At 60 years old, I'm not used to doing that, but the kid learned to ride.”

Five months later, the volunteers were back at a neighboring apartment complex when they heard someone yelling at them. Aziz pulled up, alongside a whole crew of new friends on bikes, and started speaking in perfect English—that day, he even helped serve as a translator for a different Syrian family that had just arrived. Learning to ride and having access to a bicycle allowed Aziz to learn English, make friends, explore the community and start dreaming big.

“The trajectory started to change when that bike got into his hands,” said Sullivan. “It’s not just a bike, it's freedom for the newly free.”

Pivot Cycles Is Welcoming Refugees to America

We spoke with retailers across the country to learn about various initiatives that are boosting business and building community.

Around the country, for-profit and nonprofit bike shops are stepping up to get more kids on bikes. We spoke directly with local retailers to learn about the different ways they’re engaging youth, from offering discounts on gear to hosting youth-focused bicycling workshops and events. Though the specifics on programming and reach vary, all of these shops are committed to building community for the next generation around bikes.  

Supporting youth cycling is an investment in the future of biking

For Brian Pierce, service manager at University Bicycles in Boulder, Colorado, championing youth programs is an investment in the future. “We feel it is important to expose young people to bicycling as a sport, a means of transport and a possible career,” said Pierce. Scott Smith, owner of The Bicycle Chain shops in the Raleigh-Durham area, is likewise thinking long term. “Your twelve-year-olds are your twenty-five-year olds in thirteen years — they’re my future customers,” said Smith. “It's important to make bicycling safe, inviting and fun.”

Eric Supil, executive director of the Charlotte Re-Cyclery community bike shop and of the local Trips For Kids chapter in Charlotte, North Carolina, emphasized the transformative role youth play in shaping communities. “We want to build a strong future by making sure that we're enriching and we're encouraging youth to make cycling part of their lifestyle,” said Supil. With the understanding that the youth are going to be the ones most impacted by current infrastructure investment and urban planning decision making, Trips For Kids Charlotte leads bike camps in local neighborhoods so youth can understand and engage with decision-making for transportation infrastructure investments and help shape the future of mobility in Charlotte. 


Supporting youth cycling engages families and is good for business 

By backing local youth cycling programs, bike shops can have a ripple effect, encouraging parents, guardians and other family members to both ride bikes and buy them. At the Charlotte Re-Cyclery, a youth-focused, earn-a-bike program makes it easy for kids to enroll in a street smarts curriculum and receive a free refurbished bike, lights, lock and helmet upon completion. Through a partnership with Cycling Savvy, the Re-Cyclery expanded in order to host entire families. 

“The [family] program provides a bonding opportunity and a way to continue engagement,” said Supil. “It creates a pathway so that youth can learn and build reinforcement and support from the people that are closest to them.”

Learning to reattach a bicycle chain at the Charlotte Re-Cyclery. Credit: Charlotte Re-Cyclery.

Engaging youth and their families also has a financial benefit, helping shops bring in more customers. The Bicycle Chain offers discounts to youth who participate in the local National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) team, a decision that pays off in increased sales to parents looking to ride with their children. University Bicycles and Art’s Cyclery, a bike shop in San Luis Obispo, California, also offer discounts to local NICA teams with similar results. Josh Job, owner and service expert at Art’s Cyclery, has seen how getting kids stoked on bikes can set off a domino effect, ultimately bringing more parents into the store. “That parent will come out next time that we have an event and maybe that'll get a brother or sister into it too,” said Job.

Supporting youth cycling diversifies the bicycle industry

Exposing youth of all backgrounds to biking helps diversify a historically male-dominated and predominantly white industry. By targeting female and BIPOC youth in particular — with workshops, skills clinics and mentoring programs — local bike shops are helping remove barriers for populations that have typically been left out. These efforts have the added benefit of helping create a more diverse talent pipeline for bike shops and the bike industry in general. 

In Boulder, University Bicycles offers youth mechanic clinics specifically for women. “We’ve only done a few clinics, but that helped us get a bunch of young women interested in working on their own bikes,” said Pierce. Representation in bike shops can also help youth feel comfortable entering bike shops, creating an environment where they’re able to ask questions and even envision themselves working. “I am incredibly proud of the more experienced women we have working in service,” said Pierce. “They are active in teaching the younger, less experienced women and opening up opportunities to these young women that they previously might not have thought possible.” 

As a direct result of these clinics, University Bicycles ended up with five high-school-aged women working at its shop over the summer. Across the country, Supil and the Charlotte Re-Cyclery are in the process of developing an internship program to train diverse youth in bike mechanics and create a skilled, marketable workforce that represents the Charlotte community. The Re-Cyclery also offers low-cost or free bicycles in order to remove the high up-front equipment costs to biking. 

“That's a pro for the ecosystem of cycling here in Charlotte,” said Supil, who sees some of his program participants upgrading to bicycles from for-profit shops after discovering biking through the Re-Cyclery or Trips For Kids programming. For-profit bike shops in Charlotte accept used bike donations on behalf of the Re-Cyclery. “You have a gateway to bicycling, you have a next step and it almost becomes like a circular economy in a way,” said Supil. 

[Youth mechanics clinic for women at University Bicycles in Boulder, Colorado. Credit: University Bicycles, Boulder, CO.]

Other actions bike shops can take include offering up stores as meeting spaces for youth programs, as well as collaborating with non profits like Outride, which works to diversify cycling communities and advance youth health outcomes through its Riding For Focus (R4F) middle school education program. In Los Osos, California, Art’s Cyclery championed an Outride Bike Build at Los Osos Middle School. Together with Foothill Cyclery, Bike San Luis Obispo and volunteers from the Cal Poly Cycling Team, Art’s Cyclery built 51 bikes for the Los Osos R4F program. “Outride is helping less fortunate kids that don't have a bike to really get out there and experience it,” said Job.

Riding for Focus Bike Build for Los Osos Middle

PeopleForBikes applauds the work of local bike shops around the U.S. supporting youth cycling programs. Is a local bike shop in your community doing awesome work to get more kids on bikes? Let our PeopleForBikes’ youth team know. Drop a line to Nick Aguilera, youth and community partnerships manager. 

Why Local Bike Shops Should Support Youth Bicycling 

Policy

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Decreasing Tax Burdens on Bike Businesses

Passing Progressive Electric Bicycle Legislation and Establishing Offices of Outdoor Recreation in All 50 States

Protecting the Industry from Troublesome Chemicals Legislation

Advancing Progressive Workforce Development Practices