We’re making biking better in Arizona through funding local bike projects, supporting pro-bike policies and legislation at the local and state levels and highlighting great hometown routes on Ride Spot. In August 2020, we helped pass the Gilbert General Plan, which will improve connectivity between Gilbert’s bike network systems. In fall 2019, our Community Grant Program helped fund a new pump track in Teec Nos Pos for the Shonto Prep School on tribal lands.

For the second year in a row, sustainability sponsors at PeopleForBikes’ Bicycle Leadership Conference will support local biking efforts in the city of Tucson. This year, BOSCH, Ortlieb, the Outdoor Industry Association, and Zwift are providing funding to a successful bike program led by FUGA — Familias Unidades Ganar Accesibilidad (aka Families United Gaining Access). FUGA has partnered with local operator TUGO Bike Share since 2018 on programming that centers the bicycle as a tool to connect and lift the voices of historically underserved communities across Tucson.

FUGA organizes around, advocates for, and mobilizes on issues that are important to the south and west sides of Tucson including housing, transportation, education, access to libraries and public services, and community connection. The monthly “Bicicleteada del Sur” and “Bici + Burro” rides help draw attention to the accessibility and infrastructure issues these communities face while celebrating the joys and utilitarian aspects of bicycling.

“FUGA has been able to engage multigenerational families on accessible free bike rides in their barrios, while using and highlighting bike infrastructure but also drawing direct attention to the historical inequities in connectivity.” says Vanessa Gallego, chief operating officer at Recyco, Inc. and project manager at FUGA.

Sponsorship dollars from the 2025 BLC will support FUGA’s two standard volunteer-led monthly rides with ride leaders and trained safeties who protect riders on the road. FUGA’s goal is to build community in a welcoming, safe space. They do this by incorporating a safety vehicle to act as a buffer between traffic and riders and provide aid if needed. They also distribute free bike lights, high visibility vests, water, snacks, and food. The rides have historically taken place with FUGA providing what they can without much financial support. The funding from our 2025 BLC sustainability sponsors will help make sustained investments in these monthly rides possible, including patch kits, helmets, and cooling measures for the upcoming rides during the hottest times of the year.


Born and raised in Tucson, Gallego knows the heat very well. “It is the last mile that can mean life or death in our desert city. As our community works towards a resilient Tucson, we know that means accessible mobility.”

Advancing Resilience and Access to Biking in Tucson

Los Angeles Bike Academy Executive Director Damon Turner coaches young athletes as part of the many neighborhood services of the South Los Angeles nonprofit. PHOTO CREDIT: Science in Sport

Each year, PeopleForBikes supports transformative bike projects and advocacy efforts across the U.S. through our Industry Community Grants program. Many of those projects, like Apache County's pump and skills track in Arizona, Los Angeles Bicycle Academy’s youth programs, and the Lodestone XC mountain bike park in Kearns, Utah, are creating safe and inclusive spaces for the next generation of riders.

In 2017, Chief Judge Michael Latham in Apache County, Arizona, decided to convert a juvenile detention center into a teen resource center to give the county’s youth a safe place to gather and recreate. The center, called the LOFT, provides a technology space, rooms for music and games, a sound recording studio, and an education room, along with a lounge, kitchen, and enclosed outdoor courtyard. Soon they’ll have another amenity: a first-class pump and skills track. Thanks to a PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grant and other support, the pump and skills track is currently under construction in the community’s existing skatepark. 


“When will it be finished?!” is a question LOFT Manager Kyle Mayer has to answer almost daily, he says. The track will serve the growing demand for youth bicycling opportunities in Apache County. The local high school recently started a mountain bike club, with residents donating bikes to families who can’t afford them, and LOFT is also working with IMBA to improve existing mountain bike trails in the region. The new pump and skills track will give Apache County youth a safe and accessible place to practice their skills and connect with the local community.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Academy (LABA) was founded by former amateur racer and long-time community leader Damon Turner to support his local community and improve diverse representation in the sport of bicycling.


The Academy’s vision is simple: “We’re passionate about bicycles. We believe that bikes offer a simple solution to many of our communities’ complex problems. Bikes are great for your personal health and for the health of our environment. Bikes can help you save money on transportation, and bikes can provide you with endless miles of fun with your family and friends.” Among the many services the Academy provides are periodic family rides that give local youth the freedom to explore their neighborhood and their parents the confidence that they can do so safely.

“Getting involved with LABA was a turning point for me. I learned countless lessons — not just about bikes, but about community, patience, and persistence,” says Academy member Fareed Mumin. “I also grew closer to the amazing community that supports LABA. I started participating in Wednesday night rides which deepened my love for cycling and strengthened my connections within the cycling community. I also encouraged my little brother, little sister, and a few friends to enroll in LABA’s earn-a-bike program. To this day, they still ride the bikes they earned through LABA.”

“LABA isn’t just a bike program — it’s a community, a space for growth, and an incredible resource,” says Mumin. “I’ll always be grateful for the experiences I’ve had there and for the opportunity to share that with others.”

The Los Angeles Bike Academy family ride took members to a nature center in a nearby neighborhood. PHOTO CREDIT: Los Angeles Bike Academy

In Kearns, Utah, just west of Salt Lake City, local high school student athletes on the West Granite Composite mountain bike team have thrived under the coaching of NICA’s Rochelle Bartschi. Unfortunately, unlike teams in the wealthier districts to their east, the team can’t ride to trails for practice and their parents are likely working or lacking an extra car to transport them around. That will all change when the Lodestone XC mountain bike park is finished next summer. Supported by a PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grant, Trails Utah is building a cross-country style bike park on 12 acres of land accessible to thousands of families in the area. The new park’s design maximizes the number of fun, flowy trail miles designed to build fitness while also providing riders with a rewarding, circuit-type experience. The park includes skill areas, bermed turns, drops, and other trail features suitable for helping youth advance their mountain bike skill level.

“What’s really cool about the project is that this park serves a low-income area that’s really underserved,” says Trails Utah Executive Director Sarah Bennett. She says the local kids have really embraced the park, with 20-40 youth showing up every weekend to volunteer to help get it built. “The park just exudes this awesome spirit of inclusion,” Bennett says, citing the community of riders of adaptive bikes and the attention trail builders are giving to features that will challenge and support people with disabilities.

Weekends at the Lodestone Community Park are exciting events for area youth who can’t wait to get a great cross-country mountain bike park and come out in droves to help build it. PHOTO CREDIT: Trails Utah

Communities across the country are demonstrating the transformative power of bicycles to bring people together, create opportunities, and improve lives. From Apache County’s pump and skills track to LABA’s inspiring programs and the Lodestone XC mountain bike park in Kearns, these projects showcase how investments in bike infrastructure and advocacy can ignite passion, foster inclusivity, and strengthen community bonds. With every trail built, bike donated, and skill shared, these efforts are laying the foundation for healthier, more connected communities where everyone — regardless of age, ability, or background — can experience the joy and empowerment found on a bicycle.

PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants Are Supporting Youth Bicycling Nationwide

On December 11, the PeopleForBikes Coalition Board of Directors approved our 2024 Industry Community Grants, totaling $75,000 across 10 grants. The grants will help fund projects that support our focus on building infrastructure that makes communities across the U.S. great places to ride a bike. This year’s supported projects include urban and rural trail systems, a pump track and a skills trail, several projects that make it safer for children to bike to school, and infrastructure development in large metropolitan areas. 

2024 PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia — $10,000

Philadelphia, PA | Support for the Schuylkill Crossing: Connecting Communities and Opportunities project that will activate a set of bikeways that constitute an entirely off road bike and pedestrian connection from Southwest Philadelphia and South Philadelphia to Center City and beyond.

Richmond, CA | A collaboration with community groups and county agencies to support the North Richmond Bike Bus program, leading to safe routes to school and critical improvements to this long-time disadvantaged community.

Pittsburgh, PA | Resources for the development of children’s bike buses throughout the region that may be used as a national guide and lead to advocacy for safe routes to school in hundreds of communities nationwide.   

California Bicycle Coalition — $10,000 

Sacramento, CA | A critical guide to the development of “slow streets” infrastructure on neighborhood streets that represent key links in urban bikeway networks in every American city. 


Berkeley, CA | Materials and advocacy for a demonstration project of a slow street in West Berkeley. 

Houston, TX | Infrastructure, including signage, for the improvement of dozens of dangerous intersections where the 4-mile Columbia Tap Trail crosses roadways.

Lake Placid, NY | A critical match for other donations that will close the funding gap for an 8-mile trail linking rural communities in the High Peaks region in New York’s Adirondack Park.


Native American Advancement Foundation — $10,000

Tohono O’odham Nation, AZ | The addition of a much-needed pump track in a brand new and popular “Free as a Bird Skatepark” in this native community. 

Austin, TX | Eva Carrillo de Garcia Park will get a new Skills Trail connected to a disadvantaged neighborhood in East Austin and a 4-mile bike loop around the perimeter of the park.

McClintock High School Bike Club — $5,500 

Tempe, AZ | Bike bus advocacy for improved school access, including an off-road path reaching the school, neighborhood bike route enhancements, and a new highway overpass.

PeopleForBikes' 2024 Industry Community Grants Recipients

When Britton Zoggs and her husband Arthur moved to the Broadmor neighborhood in south Tempe, Arizona, they did so for their daughter. They wanted her to live close enough to bike to elementary school. What they didn’t expect is how that decision would change their lives by being reunited with the joy of bicycling. But that’s exactly what happened when their daughter joined the Broadmor Elementary School Bike Bus last year. Sponsored by the Tempe Bicycle Action Group and organized by a group of local parents, the bike bus shuttles about 20 kids from a handful of collection points along a busy road to Broadmor Elementary School. 


“We had stopped biking once we settled down, but we got bikes to be able to join our daughter on the bike bus. We had forgotten how much fun it is! Now, we ride all the time around the neighborhood and are healthier and just happier,” said Zoggs. As is obvious from the faces of the children as they bike to school, her daughter and her classmates love it. “She’s totally confident on her bike. She wakes up early, without an alarm, on bike bus days. She’s so excited.”

Connection is the common theme expressed by everyone on the bike bus. “By biking with kids to school, they get to observe the world around us, and be more connected to our neighborhood,” said Hannah Moulton Belec, one of the organizers of the ride. “Doing that by car, you’re sitting in that long line of traffic and — not to mention the cost and the emissions — you’re just not connected to your neighborhood. It’s an alienating way to travel through your neighborhood.”

Kendra Flory and Moulton Belec organized the ride in 2022 out of frustration with the slow pace of safety improvements on College Avenue, the busy street that leads to the elementary school. It was designated as a “bicycle boulevard” in Tempe’s General Plan, but speeds were high and there was no urgency to change that. “There was a sense that it was an impossible problem, and that it wasn’t as bad as it could be. There was no urgency,” said Moulton Belec. Thankfully, the Bike Bus changed that. 

“It was one of the only things we actually could do to prove there was a demand for the type of infrastructure we wanted to see on College Ave.,” she said. 


Since then, city officials have expedited improvements on College Avenue. There is a new pilot protected bike lane, traffic calming devices, and colorful pavement murals that slow drivers. More are in the works.

In 2023, PeopleForBikes’ Industry Community Grant Program awarded the Tempe Bicycle Action Group $5,600 to highlight the connection between children's safety and the infrastructure that results in slower speeds.


As a result of the bike bus and a push for more safe places to ride, the culture is changing in Tempe. The city manager now meets with the ride organizers and other bicycle advocates regularly to get their input on potential infrastructure grant applications. Kids are biking to school on days even without the bike bus.

“Anytime we’re around the best cycling communities, like Amsterdam, you can feel the positivity,” said Zoggs. “We want to live in communities that prioritize bike lanes, even if we’re not riding bikes. It’s one of the first things we look at because of what it says about the community.” 


Zoggs is optimistic about the future of Tempe and grateful for PeopleForBikes’ support. “It gives us hope that you came here to support the bike bus. It makes us thrilled about living here in Tempe.”

Reconnecting With Joy: How a Simple Bike Bus Transformed a Neighborhood and Its Families

The Better Bike Share Partnership, a collaboration between PeopleForBikes, the City of Philadelphia, and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), is proud to announce its second cohort of Living Labs focused on creating replicable programs for improving shared micromobility in BIPOC and low-income communities.

A strategy launched in 2020, BBSP Living Labs are testing grounds for innovative solutions. The program helps fulfill the partnership's mission of identifying barriers to bike share and developing strategies to address those barriers. The Living Lab approach provides time, flexibility, and gives grantees the opportunity to create lasting change, specifically to make their micromobility systems more equitable by increasing access to and use of bike share. 

Learn about our previous Living Labs and their achievements.

The new cohort includes bike share systems housed in and operated by a variety of organizations and companies. They operate in mid to large-sized cities and are diverse in their system size.

City of Tucson, Arizona — Tugo Bike Share

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority — Metro Bike Share

City of Philadelphia — Indego Bike Share

BBSP received 30 letters of interest from partnerships of cities, bike share operators, and community-based organizations looking to pilot, expand, replicate, or scale strategies and tactics to break down barriers to bike share in historically marginalized communities. 

Over the course of two and a half years, BBSP is committed to disbursing $200,000 to each Living Lab, covering costs associated with programming as well as technical support, scholarships, and travel stipends for relevant conferences. Grantees will also convene virtually every month to share learnings and build camaraderie as a cohort. Check back often as we showcase the work of each Living Lab.

Read the full press release below to learn more about each project.

Better Bike Share Partnership Announces Second Cohort of Living Lab Partners Focused on Equity

The Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP), funded by The JPB Foundation to build equitable and replicable shared micromobility systems, is pleased to announce the selection of its second cohort of Living Labs. A collaborative between PeopleForBikes, the City of Philadelphia, and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), BBSP will provide four organizations with funding, support, and additional resources to develop best practices for creating access to shared micromobility and increase use of shared micromobility in historically marginalized communities. 

Each Living Lab identified barriers to bike and scooter share for BIPOC and those living on limited incomes in their cities. The organizations will spend the next two years working with local partners and community members to address these barriers.

“As a Living Lab, each grantee will have the time and flexibility to test strategies and implement new ideas so that BIPOC and lower-income communities can more easily access and use their bike share systems,” said  Tangier Barnes Wright, deputy director of shared micromobility at PeopleForBikes. “They will be part of a cohort of organizations advancing equity in shared micromobility and we look forward to learning from their work.”

Building on the work of Philadelphia — the first BBSP Living Lab city — the 2024 cohort will grow partnerships, lead with community engagement, expand already successful work, and test and refine strategies to bring bike share and historically marginalized populations together.

Here are the 2024-2026 Living Lab projects:


Through a community-led planning effort, Tugo Bike Share will collaborate with community-based organizations to determine how to reinvest resources to serve the south and west sides of Tucson more equitably. Through more equitable station siting and in-person engagement, Tugo will assess utilization rates in previously underserved areas and engage with community organizations and residents to better understand barriers to access and bike share adoption. The group will also work with partners and underserved communities to create a process that incorporates feedback, represents community needs, and builds capacity to better support and advocate for future bike share system expansion or electrification.


Equitable Outreach and Engagement in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s bike share system, POGOH, will work with community partners to develop a local engagement plan to address low ridership and awareness in the Homewood neighborhood. POGOH will address barriers to biking and mobility by building connections with Homewood students and families through a youth ambassador program, community rides, learn to ride courses, and programming with Safe Routes to School. By hiring neighborhood outreach associates to engage residents in bike share expansion, POGOH will create lasting opportunities for Homewood residents of all ages and skill levels to engage in biking and bike share. POGOH’s Living Lab work will take place alongside planned system expansion over the next two years.

Community-Led Coalition for Equitable In-Fill and Expansion of

This coalition of community partners will promote local involvement and trust in bike share for communities that, for the first time, will be directly served by Metro Bike Share. Through partnerships with community-based organizations, Metro Bike Share will implement educational programming and expand outreach efforts to create a process for sustained engagement, fostering community ownership in bike share initiatives. The project scope includes pre-station siting community engagement in central and westside Los Angeles as well as service area gaps. The Living Lab work will help ensure Metro’s planned bike share expansion is achieved while centering community members and equity.  

The City of Philadelphia, in collaboration with Bicycle Transit Systems and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, remains steadfast in its commitment to the equitable growth of the Indego bike share program. As Indego expands, it will use community input to continue refining its engagement initiatives which currently include the Indego Community Advisory Council, local mini-grants, Wheels to Work, Indego Community Ambassadors, and bike safety education and encouragement programs. Indego’s goal is to ensure communities within their service area can access the benefits of bike share and that community members’ voices are heard.

Meet the Better Bike Share Partnership's New Living Lab Grantees

While prioritizing sustainability at conferences is not a new concept, including bike share in conference sustainability efforts is certainly less common. Thanks to our generous 2024 Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC) sustainability sponsors Revelyst and Ortlieb, as well as Tugo Bike Share in Tucson, Arizona, PeopleForBikes is helping expand access to active transportation opportunities by providing 500 annual bike share passes to Tucson residents who qualify for Tugo’s equity pass program, TugoForAll.


The Bicycle Leadership Conference is the bike industry’s annual event where top leaders and decision makers come together to chart the course of the bike business. The event features a perfect blend of inspiration, education, and action, allowing for peer-to-peer conversations aimed at moving our industry forward. 

Tugo Bike Share is the City of Tucson’s bike share system. A docked system with more than 300 bikes, Tugo provides a sustainable option for getting around the city. The system contributes to making Tucson a thriving and accessible place for residents and visitors alike.


This year’s BLC sponsors understand the connection between sustainability and biking and their generous support is making it possible for Tugo to increase the number of BIPOC and low-income Tucsonans who can get to where they need to go without a car.

"The City of Tucson is excited and grateful to have PeopleForBikes supporting shared micromobility in Tucson. By providing this funding, the city will put more Tugo For All annual bike share passes into the hands of those who rely on low-or-no-cost mobility options to access their everyday destinations. Eliminating that initial cost barrier is a key step to ensure our bike share system can be embraced by more Tucsonans," said Ben Elias at the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility.


Better biking means accessible biking. Bike share systems across the country are leading the way creating access to bicycling by attracting, including, and serving people from diverse backgrounds. Systems like Tugo are building community engagement processes and systems that serve everyone, as well as advancing equity and sustainability through programs that make bike share nearly free for those who qualify. 

PeopleForBikes is grateful for the generosity of Revelyst and Ortlieb, our new partnership with Tugo, and the opportunity to promote sustainability at our conferences in a new and meaningful way.

On December 12, the PeopleForBikes Coalition Board of Directors approved our 2023 Industry Community Grants recipients, totaling $100,000 in funding across 13 grants. The grants will help fund projects that support our focus on building infrastructure that makes communities great places to ride a bike. The projects include several pump tracks, efforts to build safe routes to schools, demonstration projects to promote the importance of protected bike lanes, innovative solutions to combat bike theft in college towns, and mountain bike parks in flat urban areas.

2023 PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants

Delmont, PA | Trail construction and intersection improvements for a connection to the Westmoreland Heritage Rail Trail. Our funds leverage an additional $18,000 to build a new and vital bikeway for residents and visitors in Delmont.

Sandersville, GA | Funding to construct the first 3 miles of a 250-mile trail system in Georgia, leveraging $6 million in other funding.

Los Angeles, CA | One in a series of “CicLAminis,” a neighborhood-focused open streets event celebrating new neighborhood bike infrastructure. This grant will highlight the specific trail extensions and protected bikeways that improve bicycling locally. 

Ann Arbor, MI | Demonstration project to install and evaluate permeable surfaces on a segment of the Treeline-Allen Creek Urban Trail to create a safe and accessible bike path through a floodplain.

Durango, CO | Demonstration projects of fully protected bike lanes on key portions of a proposed citywide network of low-stress bikeways.   

Saint Johns, AZ | A collaboration with the Legacy Teen Center to build a new pump track that will help launch the Legacy Bike Club. 

Jersey City, NJ | Demonstration project to install and evaluate protected bike lanes in Jersey City to leverage $670,590 in state funding for permanent construction.

Clear Creek Off-Road Bike Association — $7,650

Pearland, TX | Initial construction costs for an innovative mountain bike trail system in an urban park, using shipping containers to create hills in an otherwise flat, low-income neighborhood.  

Providence, RI | Community rides and organizing to win community support for protected bike lanes in low-income communities and leverage $28 million in federal grants.

Tempe, AZ | A "bike bus" to highlight the need for infrastructure that’s safe for children to enjoy on a bicycle and support its construction.

Eugene, OR | An innovative solution to prevent bike theft with a strategy to expand the use of public funding and provide an example for other college towns where bike theft prevents people from relying on a bike for transportation.

St. Louis, MO | Support for the construction of a quick-build protected bike lane on Compton Avenue, a key connection to existing bike boulevard projects in the citywide network.

Kearns, UT | An upgrade to the Lodestar XC Bike Park to enhance the trails and add skills features including adaptive features. Open to the public, the park provides the only training opportunities for students from six high school mountain bike teams.  

PeopleForBikes' Industry Community Grants Program provides funding for projects that make bicycling better in communities across the U.S. Since 1999, PeopleForBikes has awarded more than 400 grants to nonprofit organizations and local governments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Our investments total more than $3.5 million and have leveraged $775 million in public and private funding for bike-related projects nationwide.

PeopleForBikes' 2023 Industry Community Grants Recipients

Adventure is out there, you just have to bike to it! Adventure biking is all about taking exciting and out-of-the-box routes to see some of the most beautiful destinations our country has to offer.

In this year’s City Ratings, PeopleForBikes’ annual program to evaluate, identify and compare the best cities and towns for bicycling, many places in the top 100 out of more than 1,000 rated cities offer some truly incredible adventures by bike. Whether you are biking on the road, gravel, downhill, or long-distance, all of these cities have something great to offer!

Affectionately known as the “Moab of the North,” Kalispell, Montana, less than a two-hour drive from the Canadian border, is home to 24,000 people. Kalispell is in the heart of the Swan, Mission, Whitefish, and Salish mountain ranges and boasts beautiful views of the surrounding valleys, rivers, lakes, and nearby Glacier National Park. Here, there is biking for everyone, from paved rail-trails for the kids, mountain bike parks for the thrill-seekers, and the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

The must-do trail for anyone visiting Kalispell is a 22-mile section of the Great Northern Rail Trail which was advocated for and completed by Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana, a grassroots organization founded in Kalispell. The start and end point is Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. In town, Wheaton's Cycling Shop has been the beloved local bike shop for nearly 17 years and they offer great suggestions for other in-town ride destinations including Lone Pine State Park, Crane Mountain Trails, and the Broken Leg Trail (Trail 544). Kalispell is an exciting and beautiful adventure biking destination with unique trails and views everywhere you look, making it the perfect addition to any Western road trip.

The most remote location on our list, Soldotna, Alaska, is known for its cold and dark winters, with an average temperature of 10 degrees Fahrenheit and less than six hours of daylight in January. However, come summertime, this sleepy Alaskan town becomes a lively destination for locals and tourists alike. Soldotna is home to nearly 4,700 people year-round but its population doubles to nearly 10,000 people in the summer.

The sometimes wild climate and challenging terrain do not stop cyclists: Nearly 80% of Alaskan households own a bicycle and more than 60% of Alaskans bike or walk for recreation. Soldotna is a popular destination for folks passing through for the Kenai 250, an approximately 265-mile race featuring tons of single track and nearly 30,000 feet of elevation gain. This race is for experienced backcountry endurance riders and traverses some of the most beautiful landscapes Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula has to offer. Soldotna may not be the most conventional adventure biking destination, but its unique location offers plenty of gravel, mountain biking, and bikepacking opportunities.

Monterey, California, is a picturesque town in Central California that follows the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as it weaves along the coast. This classic California town is home to 28,575 people and has a prominent cycling scene. Monterey’s flat topography, mild climate, 190 miles of bikeways, and encouragement of sustainable travel make cycling a great option to explore the city and surrounding area.

This former military base is also the site of the Sea Otter Classic, regarded as the world’s largest cycling festival, attracting nearly 10,000 athletes and more than 74,000 fans every April. The race at Sea Otter is an 18-mile loop that includes an exciting mix of forest roads and singletrack. The Sea Otter Classic isn’t the only thing that attracts thousands of people to Monterey each year — the crown jewel of adventure biking in the region is bikepacking down the Pacific Coast Highway through the Big Sur Mountains. This rugged and mountainous section of road is known for its dramatic landscape where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. Even for an experienced bicyclist, the ride through Big Sur may be the best ride you’ve ever taken. For those seeking a more relaxing experience, the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail is an 18-mile trail protected from vehicles that crosses through some of the best attractions in Monterey. This coastal cycling town provides something for every rider!

Flagstaff, Arizona, is home to about 73,319 people and provides stunning peak views, clean mountain air, and abundant wildlife. Established in 1894, this high desert town is nestled right below the San Francisco Peaks, the tallest mountains in Arizona. There are seven national parks and monuments right in the backyard of Flagstaff, earning it its nickname “The City of Seven Wonders,” but locals might argue that there is an eighth wonder: biking. Driving into Flagstaff, you’ll see cyclists zipping by on some of the city’s 117 miles of bike lanes. Just about every local owns a bike, 5.2% of work commutes are made by bike and most other trips can be made on two wheels in just a few minutes.

Passing through town, you might see bikes adorned with lots of bags, as there are some great bikepacking trails in Flagstaff including the nearly 800-mile-long Arizona Trail (AZT), which passes through the majority of Arizona, and the 250-mile-long Coconino Bikepacking Loop that connects Flagstaff to Cottonwood. Just outside of town, Fort Tuthill Bike Park is a great network of mountain biking trails to build your skills to use on other local trails like the ones in Buffalo Park or Campbell Mesa Loop. If you ever get bored of Flagstaff (you won’t!), Sedona, another world-class biking destination, is just 27 miles north. Close to some of the most remarkable places in the U.S., Flagstaff is the perfect road trip destination for adventure biking.

Burlington, Vermont, lies on a gorgeous hillside overlooking Lake Champlain with a view of New York’s Adirondack Mountains in the distance. Rising from the shores of the lake is the Island Line Trail, a 14-mile-long shared path that offers great views of the lake and downtown Burlington all in one. In the coming years, there are plans to add tens of miles of new bike paths added throughout Burlington as a part of a “quick-build” program by Burlington Public Works.

If you desire more of an off-road experience, you can head over to Catamount Outdoor Family Center to take advantage of their 20 miles of trails that include gravel, wooded sections, open fields, steep climbs, technical terrain, and two pump tracks. Once you’ve tuned up your skills, take advantage of Lincoln Peak at Sugarbush Resort, a lift-serviced area with tons of trails that promise high-speed fun and lots of features. If downhilling isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Many bikepacking adventures pass through the region as well. The Green Mountain Loop runs through Green Mountain National Forest and covers 377 miles of beautiful rolling hills, mountains, and forest, eventually ending up back in downtown Burlington. Backroads, an award-winning travel company, also offers great bikepacking adventures from Burlington to Montreal, Quebec, covering more than 250 miles along the way. In Burlington, there are opportunities aplenty for a two-wheeled adventure!

With more protected bike lanes and low-stress bike networks being built across the country than ever before, we had a tough time picking this past year’s best new bike lanes. While numerous projects deserve recognition, we rounded up the top nine projects worth emulating. 

9. Marin Boulevard Bikeway
Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey



In November, Jersey City and Hoboken completed construction on the Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street bikeway, which was first called for in the “Let's Ride JC Bike Master Plan” as a way to better connect the two cities. The expansion of CitiBike into Hoboken also increased demand to ride between the two cities, says Mike Lydon of Street Plans, who worked on the project’s design. In 2022, CitiBike’s most popular route was between Hoboken Terminal and Jersey City’s Hoboken Avenue and Monmouth Street, which saw a total of 5,500 bike share trips. With the completion of the Marin Boulevard project, those rides can now be made entirely on protected bike lanes.

The bikeway is separated from traffic with plastic curbing and flexible posts, and it includes a textured painted surface that makes the bikeway more visible and improves traction. As a “quick build” project, the cities chose to move forward with somewhat temporary materials to expedite the project and improve safety, something that wouldn’t have been feasible with more permanent materials that require sidewalk reconstruction and drainage work, not to mention a longer timeline. According to Lyndsey Scofield, senior transportation planner of Jersey City, this approach “provides us with more flexibility to iterate on the design over time as we learn what works well and what could be improved.”

After being declared one of Rhode Island’s most dangerous streets, Providence worked with the local community to reimagine Broad Street with protected bike lanes, bus islands, and crosswalk improvements. While balancing the needs of local businesses, bus riders, and people walking and biking, Broad Street now serves as a key component of the city’s Urban Trail Network, improving safety and accessibility for some of the city’s poorest and most diverse neighborhoods to jobs and opportunities citywide, as well as access to three major urban parks and multiple regional trails. Space for the bikeway was created by removing a wide center turn lane, which also helped reduce speeding along the street. 

7. Green Lake Outer Loop
Seattle, Washington

By converting a state highway lane into a two-way protected bike lane, Seattle created a new connection between Green Lake — one of the city’s most popular parks — and neighborhoods to the west. It also improved safety along the notoriously dangerous Aurora Avenue. As part of the project, precast concrete jersey barriers, which were repurposed from a nearby bridge repair project, were used to provide ample protection from adjacent motor vehicles. They also helped accelerate the construction of the project due to their immediate availability. 

According to Brock Howell, a member of the local advocacy group Aurora Reimagined Coalition, one of the primary goals of the project was to provide families the ability to ride around the park’s entire outer loop. The group hopes these improvements are a first phase in what will eventually become a completely redesigned Aurora Avenue, which stretches more than 10 miles from the Seattle-Shoreline border to downtown. “We have more work to do to improve safety along the rest of Aurora Ave North,” says Seattle Department of Transportation Director Greg Spotts, “But we expect this project to lead to safer speeds near Green Lake.” 

6. Hub City Hopper Trail
Spartanburg, South Carolina

As part of the larger 50-mile Daniel Morgan Trail System, the Hub City Hopper Trail — an extension of the Mary Black Rail Trail — demonstrates the benefits of connecting trails to town centers and urban areas. The project makes streets safer for people walking and biking while expanding access to recreational riding opportunities. It’s a trend we hope to see more of in urban and rural areas alike. 

The trail extension is already attracting new development to Spartanburg: A 132-unit housing project, the Fitzgerald, was planned by developers, in part, to take advantage of the city’s investment in the trail extension. In a recent WSPA feature on the project, John Montgomery, chair of the Daniel Morgan Committee, noted that they expect “to continue to see development pop up around the trail, [including] more residential, more apartments, because people see the value in trails and connecting them and promoting health and wellness. It’s a real community builder.” 

In 2021, Spartanburg County received a $23.8 million U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) RAISE grant — one of largest grants awarded by USDOT that year — to install more than 14 miles of multi-use trails and a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge as part of the Daniel Morgan Trail System.

Although it was technically completed in late 2021, we couldn’t resist putting Bloomington’s new 7-Line protected bike lane on our list for 2022. With a population of just under 80,000 people, the 7-Line proves that protected bike lanes aren’t just for big cities like New York or Los Angeles. The project connects downtown Bloomington with Indiana University’s campus and aims to increase bike ridership by providing a safe, comfortable place for people to ride.

In 2015, after Bike Portland called on the city to address a lack of safe space for people walking and biking along Naito Parkway and Waterfront Park, the city responded with improvements that provide plentiful safe space for people walking, biking, and rolling along the parkway. According to Gwen Shaw of Toole Design Group, the adjacent Waterfront Park “became busy with festivals and visitors during the summer months, making the existing conditions of no sidewalk and a standard bike lane a challenge.” Now, with a sidewalk, bi-directional protected bikeway, and pedestrian refuge islands, Naito Parkway offers a complete street that meets the needs of this busy area.

3. Bigelow Boulevard
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Bigelow Boulevard project, which was initiated and managed by the University of Pittsburgh, serves as an example of how institutions can invest in surrounding communities — to the benefit of both. According to Paul Supowitz, special assistant for strategic initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh, the project was driven by conflicts between various road users, congestion, and the need for better connectivity to the city’s bike network. 

Photo Credit: Matt Johnson, Montgomery County Department of Transportation

2. Capital Crescent Surface Trail
Bethesda, Maryland

When it was completed in November 2022, the Capital Crescent Surface Trail became the third project in Montgomery County to include a protected intersection. As part of a larger network, the project links downtown Bethesda to the nearby Capital Crescent Trail, an 11-mile paved and gravel trail that connects Bethesda with Georgetown and Silver Spring. According to Matt Johnson, capital project manager with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, the two-phase project is part of a larger planning effort for the nearby Purple Line light rail project.

In April 2022, New York City announced plans to make the 34th Avenue Open Street permanent. (Photo Credit: John Surico)

One great way to make communities safer and more welcoming for people riding bicycles doesn’t even involve constructing new bike paths or bike lanes — simply remove cars from streets.

Although car-free streets have been a staple of people-centered spaces for decades, 2022 saw new examples come to fruition in communities across the country. San Francisco’s JFK Drive (which became permanent after voters rejected a ballot initiative to re-introduce cars), Beach Drive in Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park, and new car-free developments such as Culdesac in Tempe and Neighborhood Next in San Diego are all examples that advocates and elected officials should seek to emulate in their own communities. 

While many of these projects, including New York’s 34th Avenue, were spurred by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cities are now moving to make them permanent, a trend unlikely to go away any time soon. Although some car-free streets were phased out of existence by many U.S. cities in the latter half of the 20th century, nearly all of those removals and declines can be attributed to other failed policies such as urban renewal, redlining, and auto-centric zoning. With these new wildly popular projects being integrated into low-stress bike networks, we think it's safe to say that car-free streets are making a comeback.

In Arizona’s Verde Valley, PeopleForBikes and other partners are coming together to create a community hub for mountain biking.

Roughly 100 miles north of Phoenix, in the geographic center of Arizona, the Verde River flows from north to south, carving through a stretch of land defined by red rocks, scenic mountain vistas and dense Ponderosa Pine forests. Known as the Verde Valley, this 714-square-mile area encompasses the towns of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Jerome and, most well known, Sedona. It’s here that a 2021 PeopleForBikes grant recipient, Verde Valley Wheel Fun, is building a mountain bike skills park. 

Although Sedona is generally known as a wealthy retiree community with a New Age vibe, the rest of the Verde Valley isn’t all art galleries and five-star spas. As is often the case with centers of wealth, many local residents work in the service industry or trades, raising kids on low-wage jobs. In fact, roughly half of the children attending school in the Verde Valley are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal plan that provides low-cost or free lunches to students. Where the bike skills park is being built, at the Oak Creek Elementary School in the unincorporated town of Cornville, the landscape is more rural and tourists are a rarer sight.

Sedona and the surrounding area is famous for mountain and road biking, a year-round destination for people drawn to two-wheel fun on red dirt and long stretches of pavement flanked by incredible views. Most of the area’s trails are the result of Forest Service and community efforts including the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition, an organization comprised of both road and mountain bikers that’s worked to improve the region’s bicycling environment since 1992. In 2017, the nonprofit began to focus on giving back to the local community beyond trail building and maintenance, launching a series of after-school mountain bike clubs. By 2019, it became its own entity, Verde Valley Wheel Fun (FUN).

“We just started growing faster than we could imagine,” said Kevin Adams, co-founder and treasurer at FUN. “This fall, we’ll start our thirteenth after-school club at 13 different schools here. We keep adding schools based on how fast we can raise money and get bikes.”

With the current programming in place, there will be some 130 kids participating in after-school mountain bike clubs throughout the Verde Valley, coached by 33 trained volunteers. As Adams sees it, one of the benefits of the clubs is that they get young people off their electronic devices and active outside. Since participating in the after-school clubs is a privilege, not a right, youth are also motivated to keep their grades up. Reports from the schools indicate that kids in the yearlong program either maintain or improve their reading levels and math scores. The bike clubs aren’t just for boys, either, with about 40% of participants identifying as female (as well as half of the coaches).

Alongside the $7,500 in funding received from PeopleForBikes, the Trek Foundation committed $60,000 to fund the Oak Creek School Mountain Bike Skills Park. Additional donations from the Catena Foundation, the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona, Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County, Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona and private individuals led to a total of more than $140,000 in funding. The bike park will break ground on January 3, 2022 — the best time to build in the desert — and will take six weeks to complete. A youth-led project to build a fitness course will be located adjacent to the park and is set to be completed this September.

Last year, FUN secured a $15,000 grant from the Outride Fund — the matching community grant program offered by the youth bicycling organization Outride — to build a mountain bike skills park at Mountain View Preparatory, a public K-8 school in Cottonwood. That bike park, which opened in April 2021, serves as a proof of concept for the new project and is part of what’s making the region a true bicycling ecosystem. Outride, a PeopleForBikes partner, believes investing in bicycling communities not only creates a more equitable, accessible and diverse bike industry but also leads to improved health outcomes among youth. 

“So often, bike trails are inaccessible to kids whose parents aren’t cyclists,” said Andy Cunningham, who manages the Outride Fund. “One of the things that’s great about Verde Valley Wheel Fun is that they’re building bike parks adjacent to schools, where kids are actually living. That way, kids don’t need a parent to ride and can go there with their friends.”

Complementing FUN’s after-school programs is Outride’s Riding for Focus program, a middle school bike curriculum designed to be implemented as part of a typical physical education class. Once FUN completed its first skills park, it reached out to the principal of another nearby middle school in the district, the Cottonwood Community School, to see if they’d be interested in applying for a Riding for Focus grant. Cottonwood Community is located downtown in a part of the city that has 85% participation in the National School Lunch Program and a student population that’s about 58% Hispanic. For the school, applying for the program was a no-brainer.

“The outcome of that is going to be a fleet of bikes in the middle school plus a trained P.E. teacher, so those kids are going to learn how to ride safely,” said Cunningham. “Once they have that basic level of confidence, they can actually walk over and ride on the new bike park that’s down the road. It's pretty awesome.”

Outride’s own research has shown that beyond the many physical benefits of riding, biking is a great way for kids to build social connections and community. Youths who regularly engage in physical activity report less depression and anxiety symptoms, have higher self-esteem and also perform better academically than kids who are inactive. Through the Riding for Focus program, kids become excited about P.E. and many gain access to a bike for the first time.

Long term, Outride wants access to bikes and bike programs to be as ubiquitous as our public libraries, ever-present even in America’s smallest towns. That means helping to grow bicycling communities through Riding for Focus and new bike parks, as well as educational initiatives, earn-a-bike programs and even bicycle cooperatives. In the nearby Four Corners region, which encompasses parts of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and the Diné (Navajo) nation, Outride is working with community partners like Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee, a mobile bike shop, and Project Bike Tech to build a bicycling ecosystem. There, like in the Verde Valley and other rural communities, bikes play a crucial role when it comes to connecting people and improving both mental and physical health outcomes for children. 

“In a lot of these small, rural, isolated towns, there’s often not a lot kids can do — especially in the last year, when indoor spaces were shut down,” said Cunningham. “For these kids that can safely ride in a bike park? There must be such a sense of joy and freedom. That’s a pretty cool gift we can bring that hopefully doesn't benefit just children, but families and the whole community too.”

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, our November Ride Spot Challenges are raising money for Silver Stallion, a bike nonprofit serving Dinétah.

At 27,413 square miles, the Navajo Nation is bigger than 10 U.S. states and the largest land area retained by a Native American tribe in the country. Occupying portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah, its geography is defined by arid deserts and high plateaus, mesas, mountains and forests, all largely undeveloped. The Navajo Nation has its own police academy, universities, hospitals, bar association and court system, but to this day, it doesn’t have a single bike shop. 

In 2019, former pro bicyclist Scott Nydam was living in Gallup, New Mexico, a reservation border town, where he ran Silver Stallion Coffee & Bread. It was there that he befriended a customer, photographer Shaun Price. Price is Diné, the preferred term for the people of Dinétah, or the traditional homeland of the Navajo tribe. The pair bonded over bikes and when the shop’s baker decamped for the east coast, they collaborated on turning Silver Stallion into a nonprofit coffee and bike shop, with the goal of teaching local youth barista and wrenching skills that could translate to a job anywhere. 

Today, Silver Stallion operates a brick-and-mortar shop in Gallup, as well as a Mobile Ride Center that hosts community repair events throughout Dinétah. In addition to fixing up people’s bikes free of charge, Silver Stallion helps build trails, refurbishes donates bikes from Free Bikes 4 Kidz, runs bike mechanic programming through the Park Tool school and promotes kid rides and public school partnerships with Outride, All Kids Bike and Project Bike Tech, alongside operating a selection of youth development programming, including National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) teams. Silver Stallion currently contracts with eight coaches and mechanics, all Diné, and hopes to continue ramping up its efforts as funding allows.

“One of my earlier epiphanies was that, in our region, nonprofits come and go but the things that really stick around are hospitals and schools,” said Nydam. “So we’ve taken a pragmatic, structural systems approach to address inequity. We’re not so worried about the finish line — we’re trying to get kids to the start line.” 

Nydam, who himself isn’t Native, raced and worked for BMC and sees the bicycle as a tool that can help transform lives. His superpower is merging decades of industry experience with a vision of a self-sustaining bicycling ecosystem in one of the most underserved regions in the country. Bikes have always been present in the Navajo Nation but what was lacking was a culture and the resources to ensure it thrived.

“Talking with more and more people here, you realize there’s been a lot of initiatives involving bicycling programming,” said Nydam. “The concern is that as soon as someone like myself, or those passionate few that are behind those efforts, step aside or are no longer there, then the operations and the effort also ceases to be there.” 

Nydam is building Silver Stallion to last by empowering youth and cultivating Diné leadership. Part of his strategy also involves partnering with larger nonprofits and government organizations, including the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, the Catena Foundation and the Southwest Indian Foundation. In a region where the bike industry had little to no presence for decades, Nydam is trying to change the narrative.  

During the month of November, PeopleForBikes’ Ride for Gratitude campaign directly benefits Silver Stallion, with $10 being donated for each of the first 500 riders to complete an 11-, 25-, or 50-mile Challenge. Thus far, the Challenges have been incredibly popular, with 500 people completing one within the first week alone. Thanks to our friends at SRAM, a matching $5,000 donation will be awarded if 200 riders complete the Silver Stallion Century Challenge between November 15 and the end of the month. Adding to the appeal are this month’s Challenge patches designed by Price (below), who continues to work with Silver Stallion as a bike mechanic and creative (he also took all of the photos featured in this article).

Although these Challenges were envisioned as a way to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Silver Stallion is in need of support year-round. The socio-economic conditions in the Navajo Nation are bleak, with more than 40% of residents unemployed and/or living below the poverty line. The Diné also suffer from health disparities, including elevated levels of obesity and diabetes. While no panacea, Silver Stallion’s model seeks to empower residents with job training and create an environment where folks can enjoy the many benefits of riding indefinitely. 

“We want kids, families and adults to be riding and thriving on the bike all year long,” said Nydam. “We’re really trying to create livelihoods and a lifestyle that involves bikes.”

Even the name “Silver Stallion” is closely tied to that overarching vision. The original Silver Stallion was an old saloon in Gallup on Route 66 that preyed on Native patrons, taking advantage of the Navajo Nation’s alcohol ban by overserving and encouraging addiction at its border. Nydam decided to recycle the old name and original sign, transforming a symbol of oppression into one of promise.

Interested in supporting Silver Stallion’s bike programming? Make an individual donation or shoot us an email to get involved on a larger scale. 

We recently awarded $50,000 to eight projects across eight states through our spring Industry Community Grants Program. 

PeopleForBikes, a national bicycling advocacy and industry trade organization dedicated to putting more people on bikes more often and making biking better for everyone, announced its latest round of community grants. After a short hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest grant round for spring 2021 totals $50,000 and includes eight projects across eight states. 

PeopleForBikes’ Industry Community Grants Program is funded through the Employee Pro Purchase program, which collects donations from individuals who work in the bike industry and take advantage of pro-pricing discounts on new bikes and bicycling equipment. Batch, Cannondale, Giant, Niner, Shimano, Trek and Vaast currently participate. Since 1999, the PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants Program has funded more than 400 projects in all 50 states totaling more than $3.6 million in direct funds and leveraged more than $775 million. The total funding this year represents more than 2,500 individuals in the bike industry who gave back to grow bicycling through an employee pro purchase. 

“Our industry has a long history of giving back and investing in important bike projects across the country,” said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “We thank the seven companies and thousands of employees that contribute to this important program and are excited for the newest group of inspiring projects that will improve communities through bicycling and leverage even more investment.” 

Recycled Tires as Bike Lane Barriers - Broad Ave. Demonstration Project | $10,000
Memphis, TN 

The Binghampton Development Corporation (BDC), in partnership with the City of Memphis, will use this grant to pilot a 1.2-mile demonstration project using upcycled car tires as bike lane barriers. If successful, the BDC will help launch an employee-owned business to produce the barriers as part of its new Business Hub. 

Families Come Together to Play | $8,000 
Porcupine, SD 

PeopleForBikes’ grant will fund a bike repair station and bike racks for the community center and multigenerational playground on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This project is part of a larger development led by the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation to provide community and recreational spaces for the Lakota people. 

Oak Creek School Mountain Bike Skills Park | $7,500 
Cornville, AZ 

Verde Valley Wheel Fun will use PeopleForBikes’ funding to build a mountain bike skills park on school property to serve the rural school population. A youth-led project to build a fitness course will be located adjacent, providing opportunities and motivation to get students outside and active. 

Mott Park Bicycle Garden | $6,600 
Flint, MI 

An unused tennis court in this urban neighborhood park will become a new traffic garden where local youth can learn bike skills. Spearheaded by the Mott Park Neighborhood Association in collaboration with the Flint Public Art Project, this facility will resemble and reflect the streets surrounding it. 

OSPREYS Bike Rack and Bike Repair Station | $5,000 
Ocean Springs, MS 

Ocean Springs Pedestrians and Residents for Exercise and Youth Safety (OSPREYS) has been working diligently to make its community safer and more appealing for people walking and biking. This funding, matched by a contribution from the city, will be used to purchase and install eight bike racks and two bike repair stations near popular destinations. 

Ben's Bike Playground | $5,000 
Chugiak, AK 

PeopleForBikes’ grant will support the construction of the first pump track in the Anchorage area. The facility will prioritize beginner-level features to attract kids and families and is named for a founding member and beloved coach who passed away in a car crash last winter. 

MKE Modular Parklet | $4,900 
Milwaukee, WI 

The Wisconsin Bicycle Federation will use this grant to build a demonstration parklet including seating, flex space/stage area, bike parking and a small pump track. The parklet will travel to several locations, hosted by business improvement districts throughout the City of Milwaukee, before being awarded to one permanent home. 

Enabling Active Transportation for Low-Income People of All Ages and Abilities | $3,000 
Austin, TX 

Working in partnership with local nonprofits and low-income/affordable housing sites, Ghisallo Cycling Initiative will provide bikes, locks and helmets to residents and use this funding to build and install two bike parking corrals where residents can secure their new bikes. 

Do you work in the bike industry and are interested in supporting PeopleForBikes and our Industry Community Grants Program? Contact PeopleForBikes Director of Membership and Industry Engagement Rod Judd (rod@peopleforbikes.org) to enroll your company in the Employee Pro Purchase program. The more companies we have participate, the more funding we have to support amazing local projects that get more people on bikes.

Introducing Our Spring 2021 Community Grants Recipients 

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

A candid conversation with Charles T. Brown, the lead investigator of a new, groundbreaking report on barriers to biking in the U.S.

Even without the upsurge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. bicycling is on the rise. As the number of bicyclists and bike trips steadily grows, however, communities still struggle to court diverse ridership and create truly inclusive bike cultures. Plus, for many Americans, bicycling remains completely out of reach due to persistent social and physical barriers.

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