PeopleForBikes Board of Directors Meet to Discuss COVID-19, Racial Injustice and Approve Latest Round of Community Grants

June 15, 2020

BOULDER, COLO. (June 15, 2020) — All 15 members of the PeopleForBikes (PFB) Coalition board of directors participated in a three-hour video conference board meeting on June 10. The board approved seven grants to improve bike riding across the nation, considered a new COVID-19 Bicycling Action Plan to keep the bike boom going and discussed how to help the bike industry fight racial injustice. The board reviewed the new PeopleForBikes Business Intelligence Hub, which provides weekly insights into ridership, sales and consumer attitudes data.

Chris Speyer, vice president of merchandising product and co-op brands at REI, was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Speyer replaces Steve Flagg of QBP who served as chair for two years.

Chief Operating Officer Jenn Dice and VP of Local Innovation Kyle Wagenschutz presented PeopleForBikes’ proposed action plan to maximize long-term benefits related to the current bike boom. The board discussed the opportunities and challenges tied to this surge.

The plan identifies new and revised strategies and tactics for partnerships with cities, states and the federal government and includes an engagement plan for bike suppliers, retailers and the 1.4 million individual supporters of PeopleForBikes. One key goal is to keep people who have recently started (or resumed) riding their bikes for years to come. Success will depend heavily on infrastructure investments by all levels of government that support every type of rider. Helpful advice on where and how to ride (provided by PeopleForBikes’ Ride Spot program) will also be essential.

Deputy Director of Local Innovation Sara Studdard provided a preview of PeopleForBikes’ plan to address mobility and racial injustice. Overall goals include helping the bike industry and all our stakeholder groups fight racism and using our platform to make bicycling, bike advocacy and the bike industry more welcoming to Black Americans and BIPOC.

Six board committees and subcommittees shared concise progress reports. Chief Research Advisor Jennifer Boldry and Bernie Doering of Stages Cycling provided an update from the Research and Statistics Subcommittee that included the development of the Business Intelligence Hub. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bike industry leaders have expressed an urgent need for expert analysis of industry trends to help guide them through this crisis and beyond. The Business Intelligence Hub is a dashboard for daily and weekly insights for the bicycle industry covering ridership, retail sales and consumer attitudes.

The board approved PeopleForBikes’ 2020 Spring Grant recipients below:

• Bike Durham Low Stress Network Advocacy Campaign: $10,000
  Bike Durham, Durham, NC
• Creation of a Beginner Trail at Cacapon State Park: $10,000
  Cacapon Resort State Park Foundation, Berkeley Springs, WV
• Baltimore Play Streets Advocacy Program: $8,000
  Bikemore, Baltimore, MD
• RVT Mile 19 Gap: $7,500
  Redbank Valley Trails Association, New Bethlehem, PA
• Silver Dollar BMX Relocation and Track Rebuild: $7,500
  Silver Dollar BMX, Chico, CA
• Connecting Trails to Downtown: $5,900
  Coos Cycling Club, Gorham, NH
• Depot District: $1,000
  Neighbors Building Neighborhoods of Muskogee, Muskogee, OK

PeopleForBikes Coalition Board of Directors

• (Outgoing) Chair of the Board: Steve Flagg, chairman, Quality Bicycle Products
• (Incoming) Chair: Chris Speyer, vice president of merchandising product and co-op brands, REI
• Secretary: Michael Mercuri, director, SRAM
• Treasurer: Pat Cunnane, CEO, Cunnane Bicycle
• Bob Burns, vice president and senior legal officer, Trek Bicycle Corporation
• Ian Christie, CEO, Summit Bicycles
• Bernie Doering, senior vice president, global sales and marketing, Stages Cycling
• Nick Hage, general manager, North America and Japan, Dorel Sports
• An Le, global marketing director, Giant Bicycles
• Brandee Leepak, owner, global bicycles and board chair, National Bicycle Dealers Association
• Adam Micklin, vice president of global sales, Felt Bicycle
• Nolan Moser, vice president, bicycle division, Shimano North America
• Matt Moore, general counsel, Quality Bicycle Products
• Larry Pizzi, chief commercial officer, Alta Cycling Group
• Patrick Seidler, CEO, WTB

About PeopleForBikes

PeopleForBikes’ mission is to get more people riding bikes more often and to make bike riding better for everyone. Join us at PeopleForBikes.org.