BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Trek has rolled out an initiative to support their retailers’ efforts to create more bicycle friendly cities throughout the US. The focus will be on change at a local level. The initiative – One World Two Wheels Game Changers – renews existing programmes with a new focus on empowering retailers through connecting them with US bicycle advocacy groups, IMBA, People for Bikes, and the League of American Bicyclists. The new program was unveiled in front of a group of over 1500 Trek retailers and employees, during Trek president John Burke’s keynote address at a Trek dealer event in the US.
Game Changers is the product of Trek’s new three year agreement with the League of American Bicyclists to provide on-site assistance to Trek retailers to build a tailored plan working towards a certified Bicycle Friendly Community. Each year of the agreement, the League will visit 100 Trek retailers to tour their community, see the existing infrastructure, discuss the necessary changes, and craft a plan with the retailer. Only 23 percent of Trek retailers are sited in a Bicycle Friendly Community.
League of American Bicyclists executive director Andy Clarke said: "Trek’s generous support of the Bicycle Friendly America programme gives us an unprecedented opportunity to connect local decision-makers to a proven Bicycle Friendly Community blueprint they can implement – and Trek retailers will be front and centre in making that happen."
Burke said:
"The bicycle is a simple solution to so many of this country’s most complex problems. There is so much work to be done but there has never been a better time in this country’s history to make a change for the better."
Trek has extended its existing $10 donation for each full suspension mountain bike sold to IMBA’s Trail Building Fund while $1 of every helmet sold will go to the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program.
IMBA executive director Mike Van Abel said: "Trek’s large and generous support of IMBA’s trail building fund means trail projects that would otherwise languish will now move forward. A small start-up investment in professional trail planning and design will yield two things: new purpose built trails and inspired, motivated public land managers willing to budget for larger public investment in new trails."
Since 2007’s Trek World launch of the One World Two Wheels advocacy commitment, Trek and Trek retailers have given over $5m to various bicycle advocacy groups which has been leveraged into investments of tens of millions in federal and state bicycle infrastructure projects.
