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.

Focused on bikes as a climate policy solution and expanded electric mountain bike access, PeopleForBikes hosted our first industry fly-in since 2019.

PeopleForBikes convened a small group of bicycle industry leaders in Washington, D.C, June 14-15, 2022, to advocate for our shared federal policy priorities before Congress and the Biden administration. Executives from Rad Power Bikes, Specialized, Trek and Yuba Bicycles joined PeopleForBikes’ federal policy team for a series of meetings with congressional offices and committees on both sides of the aisle and White House climate policy officials. 

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, PeopleForBikes hosted three “fly-ins” every year in Washington, D.C., bringing together representatives from across the U.S. bicycle industry to network, learn how to advocate and help move our policy goals forward. In 2019, we hosted a retailer fly-in in partnership with the National Bicycle Dealers Association, a women’s fly-in and an executive-level fly-in. 

This year, with new security measures and COVID-19 protocols in place across Washington and federal buildings, we rebooted our fly-in program with a smaller group to hit the ground running in 2023. 

Our meetings ranged from positioning bikes and electric bikes as climate policy solutions to thinking ahead on recreation and electric mountain bike access on federal lands. We reconnected our industry members with congressional champions for bikes and e-bikes like Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) to thank them for their leadership. 

Meeting with Republican staff on the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we covered the U.S. Forest Service’s recently issued guidance for electric bicycle access and building support for America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022. 

Our group also met with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to discuss how to leverage electric bikes for emissions reductions policy and strategies, as well as how the bike industry is an active and forward-thinking partner in fighting the climate crisis. 

We ended the day on a high note with a happy hour co-hosted with our partners in advocacy, Protect Our Winters (POW), at Conte’s Bike Shop in Washington, D.C. From hill staff to bike advocates to professional athletes, the space was filled with lively discussion on the intersection of all of our work to lower carbon emissions, expand bike access and grow bicycling across the U.S. Check out this video from POW Action Fund for the highlights!

PeopleForBikes’ Fly-In Brings Industry Leaders Back to Washington, D.C.

Alix Armour, head of sustainability at Super73, and Troy Jones, social and environmental responsibility manager at Specialized, serve as co-chairs on the Supply Chain and Social and Environmental Responsibility track within PeopleForBikes’ Sustainability Working Group.

The word sustainability usually conjures images of the environment, materials and recycling, not necessarily supply chain outcomes from social inequalities and environmental risks. These issues, beneath the surface of the sustainability conversation, include safety and the status of foreign migrant workers, child labor, codes of conduct, conflict minerals, environmental performance improvement, legal and regulatory compliance, transparency, management systems and diversity in suppliers. 

Immense challenges like these make up the core discussion of the Supply Chain and Social and Environmental Responsibility (SER) track within PeopleForBikes’ Sustainability Working Group (SWG). The track meets quarterly, bringing together leaders from across the bike industry interested in learning from one another on how to tackle these big issues of supply chain and SER. 

Figuring out how to get your company started can be daunting, but the work is critical — consider it risk management for your brand. Startups and 50+ year old companies have very different business models, processes and work capacities, and as co-chairs, we bring both experiences to the conversation. As passionate supply chain and sustainability professionals, we’re not wasting time getting to the hot topics. We’ve tackled such themes with PeopleForBikes members that have both close to zero and decades of experience. 

Our first initiative was to invite different supply chain SER service providers to review their tools and techniques bike companies can use to measure and track SER performance metrics. This helped give members who were new to the concept an idea of the existing methods and practices available to evaluate SER for a wide range of needs and company sizes. We also spent time discussing codes of conduct, what difficulties our members are encountering internally and externally, as well as bringing in diverse speakers to offer new perspectives on SER to our discussions.

SER service providers can simplify due diligence by providing elaborate supplier questionnaires, in-factory audits, tracking platforms, risk analysis, legal council and more. While incredibly effective, they do come at a cost. 

For smaller companies who are just starting the process, a simple first step is getting to know and start building relationships with all of your suppliers, understanding stress factors and seeing how you can help and improve specific situations. No matter your company size, it is crucial to identify and evaluate your critical suppliers. In our track, we outlined a simple scoring system to help bike companies identify risk and procedures. 

After that has been established, it’s up to your brand to decide which metrics are most important for your strategy. For example, if you’re trying to calculate your Scope 3 emissions, you may need to find out the locations of all your Tier 1 and 2 suppliers. Depending on your company’s products, you may need to collect valuable supply chain data for compliance reasons, carbon emissions calculations, materials evaluations, etc. 

Our goal in the Supply Chain and SER track is to help brands start implementing and increasing SER practices into their operations, with an objective of 50% of track members establishing an implementation plan by the end of 2022. To join and learn more about how your company can get started, reach out to Noa Banayan, PeopleForBikes’ director of federal affairs and our track staff liaison, at noa@peopleforbikes.org. 

Factoring Social and Environmental Responsibility Into Your Supply Chain

Applications are currently open for four separate bicycle mechanic educational opportunities, all geared towards increasing gender and racial diversity in the bike industry.

It’s no secret that the outdoor industry and bicycling, in particular, have a diversity problem. It’s a complex, ongoing issue with no simple solution, but multiple companies are stepping up with tangible efforts to facilitate change. Among them is Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), the bike industry’s largest distributor of bicycle parts and accessories. 

A certified B Corp, the Minnesota-based company sees itself as the thread that weaves together the industry at large. As part of its commitment to making bicycling more accessible and inclusive, the company offers a variety of industry scholarships for folks from disinvested communities to sharpen their skills through education and build careers in bicycling. Applications are currently open for four separate bicycle mechanic scholarships — the deadline to apply is April 8, 2022.

Almost a decade ago, QBP launched its first bike mechanic scholarships for women in partnership with the United Bicycle Institute. In 2019, QBP formalized its U of Q education department with the hiring of Aaron Stehly, who was tasked with looking at what the organization was doing well and where it could do better. He saw an opportunity to expand the scholarship programs to include gender diversity of all types, as well as reach BIPOC by creating a new racial diversity cohort. This year marks the first time QBP is offering the latter.

“It is our goal to help our industry partners recruit from a really highly qualified group of individuals and to directly diversify the employment pool,” said Stehly, QBP’s director of education. “We seek to introduce career and networking opportunities to each student — there are lots of great careers in this industry that many might not be aware of.”

In line with that goal, QBP is investing in developing programs and opportunities that focus on building community between industry employers and scholarship recipients post-graduation. “It goes beyond just the training,” said Stehly. “We're looking bigger and wanting to put our actions and values where our words are through measurable engagement with these students after graduation.”

Donations from the Greater Bentonville Chamber of Commerce have also allowed for two new DEI Bike Mechanic Scholarship cohorts, open to any individuals that call Northwest Arkansas (NWA) home. Although any current resident that identifies as a woman, LGBTQ or BIPOC is encouraged to apply, the application specifically calls out Hispanic and Marshallese folks, who make up large ethnic minorities in the region. The NWA cohorts are divided into “Advanced,” for those currently employed in the bike industry with some mechanic experience, and “Beginner,” for those without industry employment and formal bike mechanic experience.

The following four QBP Bike Industry Scholarship Programs are currently accepting applications:

Professional Bike Mechanic Scholarship — Racial Diversity Cohort

Sixteen scholarships will be awarded to BIPOC (Black, indigenous, people of color) individuals who are currently employed at a bicycle retailer, nonprofit shop or who have graduated from a community bicycle internship program and want to advance their careers with in-depth, hands-on bike mechanic training.

This U of Q Institute Professional Bike Service course will take place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from July 18-29, 2022. Learn more and apply.

Professional Bike Mechanic Scholarship — Gender Diversity Cohort

Sixteen scholarships are available for women, transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, two-spirit and agender individuals who are currently employed at a bicycle retailer or nonprofit shop and want to advance their careers with in-depth, hands-on bike mechanic training.

This United Bicycle Institute (UBI) Professional Repair and Shop Operation course will take place in Ashland, Oregon, from August 15-26, 2022. Learn more and apply.

Arkansas DEI Bike Mechanic Scholarship — Beginner

Eight residents of Northwest Arkansas who identify as women, LGBTQ or are BIPOC, Hispanic or Marshallese will be awarded this scholarship, which requires no prior bike industry experience and is designed for those looking for entry-level training. 

This U of Q Institute Bicycle Assembly and Maintenance course will take place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from August 15-19, 2022. Learn more and apply.

Arkansas DEI Bike Mechanic Scholarship — Advanced

Eight residents of Northwest Arkansas who identify as women, LGBTQ or are BIPOC, Hispanic or Marshallese will be awarded this scholarship, which is designed for those who want to advance their career as a bike mechanic by learning how to confidently execute complex repairs and maintenance.

This U of Q Institute Professional Bicycle Service course will take place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from August 15-26, 2022. Learn more and apply.

Every scholarship includes the full cost of tuition and lodging during the respective course dates. Travel and the logistics of getting to the school are the responsibility of each student, although a small travel stipend will be given to help with food and other living expenses. Bike share employees or aspiring bike share employees also qualify for these scholarships. For those interested in applying, Stehly encourages taking the time to showcase a dedication to one's community and the ways they’re helping to amplify bicycling in disinvested communities. While not required, references are encouraged.

“These scholarships are an effort to reach beyond our four walls and grow the bike industry,” said Stehly. “If you’re interested and think that you qualify, then apply by April 8.”

QBP Scholarships Aim to Diversify the Bike Industry

New, retroactive Section 301 tariff exclusions mark a big win for the bike industry.

On March 23, 2022, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced new, retroactive Section 301 tariff exclusions, including nearly every eligible bike product exclusion we pursued as an industry. 

The exclusions will be in effect for products imported between Oct. 12, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2022. We estimate these exclusions cover products worth more than $600 million in annual import value. This action could save the bike industry at least $160 million in duty payments, likely more. 

Bicycle products covered by this exclusion reinstatement include the following items. Applicable Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings are provided for clarity:

— Kids’ bikes - less than 20" wheels, classified in HTS 8712.00.1510.

— Kids’ and BMX bikes - 20" wheels, classified in HTS 8712.00.1520.

— Kids’ and BMX bikes - 24" wheels, classified in HTS 8712.00.1550.

— Electric motorcycles of 1,000 watts or less, classified in HTS 8711.60.0050 or 8711.60.0090 (this applies to many electric bicycles).

— Certain adult bicycles with a drive belt and hub gearing, classified in HTS 8712.00.2500.

— Certain adult single-speed bicycles, classified in HTS 8712.00.2500.

— Certain adult bicycles equipped with three-speeds and coaster brakes, classified in HTS 8712.00.3500.

— Carbon fiber bicycle frames valued at $600 or less, classified in HTS 8714.91.3000.

— Certain helmets, classified in HTS 6506.10.6045.

— Certain bicycle trailers, classified in HTS 8716.40.0000.

— Certain messenger bags, backpacks, hydration packs and duffel bags, classified in HTS 4202.12.8130, 4202.92.0400, 4202.92.3120, 4202.92.3131.

We encourage you to check with your trade counsel and customs broker to verify the eligibility of your products

All but one eligible product for the bicycle industry were reinstated: saddles, unfortunately, were not included in this round. This announcement is the result of a concerted effort by PeopleForBikes and the bike industry dating back to the beginning of Section 301 tariffs. 

PeopleForBikes called for sweeping Section 301 relief in our 2021 Trade Agenda and maintained constant pressure on Capitol Hill, conveying the importance of this issue to our industry. Alongside many bike companies, we maximized opportunities through USTR’s various administrative processes. This result would not be possible without years of united work and engagement at every step of the exclusion process.

PeopleForBikes will continue to fight for the extension of these exclusions and full tariff relief for the bike industry. Stay updated on our trade and tariff page and on Twitter @pfbpolicy for the latest breaking policy news. 

USTR Announces Long-Sought Tariff Relief for Bikes

Researchers created a table tracking every e-bike incentive program in North America, providing a point of reference for new policies and future research.

Electric bicycles are all the rage. Not only are they outselling all-electric cars by about two-to-one, they’re also a favorite solution of urbanists looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase mobility options for underserved populations and transform our car-centric cities. E-bikes help people bike further for longer, typically serving as a car replacement and opening up bicycling to older populations and differently-abled riders. The main barrier to more widespread adoption, however, is cost: Most e-bikes typically run anywhere from $1,000 to upwards of $5,000 for some higher-end models and cargo bikes.

While the federal government currently offers a federal tax credit for electric cars of up to $7,500, nothing similar exists for people buying an electric bike. The Build Back Better Act does include a federal tax credit for e-bike purchases, and while it remains a priority for this administration, the bill has stalled in Congress. With a lack of government initiative, more and more states, counties and cities around the country are taking matters into their own hands, creating e-bike incentive programs that are as varied in substance as they are geographical.

For governments and advocates looking to encourage electric bicycle use, a new tool from Portland State University (PSU) researchers offers an overview of existing incentive programs in the U.S. and Canada. The E-Bike Incentive Programs in North America Table tracks purchase incentive programs and key details that can provide a point of reference for the development of future programs, policies and research, as well as inspire healthy competition amongst regions. To create it, a PeopleForBikes tracker of U.S. programs was expanded to include those in Canada. The final tool boasts some 60 different programs, some active, others expired or proposed.

John MacArthur, a researcher at PSU's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC), led the development of the tool alongside PSU transportation engineering master's student Cameron Bennett.

“These programs are everywhere but there’s still not a lot of awareness of them,” said Bennett. “The majority fall in that $200-$500 range, although there are outliers on both ends.”

TRB 2022 Poster.jpg

A program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for example, offers every person who purchases an e-bike $100 off at the point of sale, while a program in Corvallis, Oregon, provides a $1,200 point-of-sale discount with an application. Many are climate-related, and thus secure funding from government initiatives meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“An electric bike incentive program that’s specifically for low-income and historically disadvantaged community members can be a great way for cities to work their way towards both DEI and climate goals,” said Ashley Seaward, PeopleForBikes’ deputy director of state and local policy. Seaward cites Colorado as a good example of a place where climate-related funding is being used to help underserved populations. “They’re basically piloting a bunch of different e-bike programs throughout the state and seeing what makes the most sense.”

California is also unique in that there are several regional programs geared towards low-income households. In the Bay Area, those who have a household income at or below 400% of the current Federal Poverty Level ($106,000 for a family of four) and live in a low-air-quality zone, can trade in an old car for a $7,500 prepaid PEX VISA. That money can then be used to either purchase an electric bike or for bike share. A program in British Columbia, Canada, run through the Clean BC Go Electric Transportation Options Program, similarly offers a voucher with vehicle trade-in, albeit for the drastically smaller amount of $845.

Banff, in Alberta, Canada, recently announced a program that includes a 30% rebate of up to $750 per residential household and a 20% rebate capped at $750 for businesses. There’s also a sliding scale for residents who are part of the low-income Banff Access program, which offers up to $1,000 off the purchase cost. Banff opted to cap the cost of an e-bike at $5,000 as part of the eligibility criteria, the intention being to limit high-end mountain and road bike purchases in favor of commuter models, as well as to offer priority to people who can’t afford an e-bike to begin with. 

In Saanich, British Columbia, the municipal government already launched a program that offers a point-of-sale discount or a post-purchase rebate based on a custom scale with multiple incentive levels depending on income and household size. For example, for those who make above $43,000 a year, the rebate is $280, whereas income-qualified households making less than $33,000 receive $1,275. Tellingly, the lower-income tiers have already hit capacity whereas the third tier, which doesn’t require proof of income, is still available to residents.

“It’s also important to distribute incentives in an equitable way, across the spectrum of income,” said Bennett, noting that as with the American electric vehicle program, someone that can afford a Tesla doesn’t need a tax kickback. “The folks with the Saanich program have started calling this a Targeted Universalism approach — helping those that need it most is really important because it’s going to get people on e-bikes that otherwise wouldn’t.”

According to Bennett, the best programs work in tandem with trusted community partners — such as local housing authorities — who can take the lead on things like community engagement and income verification. The more administration that can be done online through a partner, with standardized forms that avoid hours of paperwork, the better. Just as we want to remove barriers to get more people on e-bikes, it’s important to design programs that are easy to use and run. 

“One of the concerns we've heard from a lot of program managers is that, especially if you're doing an income-qualified program, it's a lot of work to manage them,” said Bennett. A program like the one in Ann Arbor, however, where everyone just gets $100 off at the till, is almost too easy. “You need a little bit of buy-in from the consumer and community,” says Bennett. 

Electric bicycle incentive programs that provide prepaid debit cards or vouchers also make it easier for retailers, who can then simply run purchases as a sale, and consumers, who can shop normally and don’t have to put down money upfront. When the government agency acts as the sole provider and retailers don’t have to manage data, that’s considered a win, as is partnering with local bike shops, which helps build community, support the local economy and create a touchpoint for new riders needing guidance or repairs. 

The issue with most of the programs currently out there, however, is that a $200-$500 incentive isn’t enough to convince someone to spend upwards of $1,000 on a new bike. 

“The goal of these programs is to induce new purchases of e-bikes,” said Bennett. “If you’re already buying a bike, $200 sweetens the deal, but if you weren’t planning on buying an e-bike, it probably won’t change your mind. Higher incentive values change minds and help get more people on bikes.”

One of the first e-bike incentive programs was created in Burlington, Vermont, in 2018, where it was determined that for the power district, having people transition would save $200, so the city wanted to pass along that figure. That early program set a precedent that many have followed, for better or worse. The Corvallis program, which is administered by the City of Corvallis, landed on $1,200 after conducting a price sensitivity survey and asking the community what they want. 

There is not currently enough data to say exactly what the secret recipe is — more follow-up surveys are needed to determine how programs were beneficial and who they served, along with research that helps us better understand the economic motivators that move people to purchase an e-bike. Bennett, MacArthur and Professor Chris Cherry, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering, are using the tracker as a launchpad to study the latter.

We know that e-bikes are more efficient than traditional and electric cars and that they can have an exponential impact on greenhouse gas reductions if people use them to replace car trips. “The problem is, we don't really know how much of an incentive it takes to tilt someone's behavior,” said Cherry. “If I was going to buy an e-bike already, would giving me an incentive make me buy it sooner? And if I wasn't going to buy it — if I was going to buy a conventional commuter bike because I couldn't afford an e-bike — would an e-bike incentive make me buy an e-bike?”

The researchers will dive deeper into people’s habits using surveys, focus groups, and demographic data, looking at what amount of money it would take to affect someone’s interest in choosing a certain type of electric bike versus something else. The sample size will be geographically distributed and the researchers plan on asking questions around local bike infrastructure in order to ascertain other barriers to bicycling. They’ll also then examine how much greenhouse gas reduction that choice to purchase an e-bike would then result in, the goal being to be able to quantify emissions reductions based on certain e-bike purchases. 

“Our approach basically is to ask about 1,000 or 1,500 people what are the attributes that we can quantify that are valuable to them,” said Cherry, adding that the ultimate goal is better incentive programs that account for what sways potential users and the impact getting them on an e-bike might have. “Some folks are seeing incentives as money off of a toy and not a tangible, real tool for transportation. We want to change that.”

Interested in helping to make electric bikes more affordable where you live? Check out PeopleForBikes’ 2021 Electric Bicycle Incentive Guide.

What Makes a Good Electric Bike Incentive Program?

For more than two decades, the BLC has gathered bicycling leaders to shape the future of the industry. 

While bicycle supplier conferences focused on commercial and social aspects date back to as early as the 1960s, the Bicycle Retail Education Conference (BREC), held in Orlando, Florida, in 1995, was the first industry gathering dedicated to educating participants. Sponsored by the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA), the BREC attracted an audience of retailers and their suppliers who wanted to interact with them.

As supplier attendance grew, educational content expanded to suit both audiences. In 2001, the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA) joined with the NBDA to promote the first joint conference, renamed Bicycle Business Leadership Conference, in San Diego. Subsequent joint conferences in San Diego, Austin and Phoenix grew in popularity and attendance.

In 2008, BPSA and NBDA parted ways, citing challenges to create a single agenda that was truly helpful to both retail and supplier audiences. The now rebranded Bicycle Leadership Conference, hosted by the BPSA, went back to San Diego for 2009. In 2010, the conference moved to Monterey, California, taking place the three days before the Sea Otter Classic, the world’s largest cycling festival. Attendance increased by 50%.

“Having been involved with BLC planning for two decades, it’s great to see how attendance has steadily grown and the content has become more sophisticated,” said Ray Keener, former executive director of the BPSA who ran the first Monterey BLC in 2010. “The industry has become disconnected during COVID, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone back together at the in-person BLC, March 21-23 in Dana Point!”

In 2019, after five years of jointly hosting the BLC, PeopleForBikes and BPSA’s organizations merged, unifying the bicycling industry advocacy organization and trade association. Today, under the stewardship of PeopleForBikes and their 160+ industry volunteer leaders on boards, subcommittees and working groups, the BLC stands as the premier bicycle industry event gathering for leaders to learn, network and grow bicycling and the bike business. The event is created by bike industry leaders for bike industry leaders to shape a brighter future for more and better bicycling nationwide.

Notable BLC Sessions Throughout the Years:

“Bikes for Transportation: Redefining Urban Mobility” — 2018

“Unconventional Marketing: Beyond Social Media and Traditional Advertising” — 2015

“Motorized Bicycles: Is it Finally Time?” — 2010

“The Rise of Cities — Urban Leaders Pave the Way for Cyclists” — 2011

“Outdoor Has Evolved — What Can We Learn From Them?” — 2017

“Leaders of the Future: How Do You Prepare?” — 2010

“Make Your Company A Great Place to Work” — 2016

“New Movements: Bringing Newcomers into Cycling” — 2015

“Supply vs. Demand — Are We Listening to the Right Signals?” — 2017

All of these sessions and more laid the groundwork for this year’s BLC, shaping up to be the best conference yet. We are meeting the moment of the pandemic-fueled bike boom of the last two years and have a spectacular lineup of leading experts from in and outside the bike industry tackling the biggest challenges and opportunities facing bicycling today.

The History of the Bicycle Leadership Conference

Policy

Growing the Bike Industry

Proactively Addressing Trade and Supply Chain Challenges

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