Dream Bikes, a brat, and a beer

It must have been around five years ago when I was working at a food pantry in Madison. Toward the end of work that night I asked Mike, the pantry manager, if there was anything that I could do to help out. "Well John, what these people really need is a job," Mike replied. "If I could do anything to wave a magic wand, it would be to open businesses near this neighborhood."

For the past few years I had been thinking about all the bikes that sit in garages of homes in really nice neighborhoods, not being used, and what it would take to get those bikes into the hands of kids who've never had a chance to own a bicycle. Put those two ideas together and we get Dream Bikes, the used bicycle store we helped open in a underserved neighborhood of Madison. Trek got the ball rolling and the local Boys & Girls Club joined forces to find the right kids.

Three years later we've sold thousands of used bikes to people who need them, and most importantly we have provided around 50 jobs to kids who needed a good job experience, a safe place to work, some money, and a lot of pride in a job well done. The Madison store has been such a success, we opened a store in Milwaukee. Next spring Dream Bikes #3 opens in Chicago. Once again changing the world with the bicycle.

On Monday the 22nd Tania and I are hosting the first annual Bike Drive at the house. Bring your bike to donate and stop by for a brat and a beer from 6-8. Bikes are the life blood of Dream Bikes and Dream Bikes needs bikes!!  If you don’t have a bike please join us and make a $25 donation to Dream Bikes. If you can't make it and want to help, send a direct donation to:

DreamBikes - Madison
4245 W. Beltline Highway
Madison, WI 53711

Jb

Mission accomplished.

I've been lucky enough to do some amazing rides in my life, including six previous l'Étapes du Tour, but this year’s edition of l'Étape was one was the BEST. Here's my recap.

The team started out as me, my wife Tania, and Nick Schaefer, better known as Mr. Trek France. We started in Modane, and it was super-fast, even for me. The first 15k were pretty much downhill and we were lucky enough to start in the first wave. On some sections we were cruising along at 35 miles per hour and it felt like we were doing really well. The night before I had put together the game plan as I always do before a big event; where I need to be on the route and at what time. I will take five key points and put down the numbers and stick it in my pocket.

After the first fast 15k we hit the base of Col du Telegraph, and up we went. The Telegraph climb was 13k long at a 7% gradient and we continued to do well. This was a beautiful day, bright blue sky with a few clouds and as we reached the top of the mountain, the views were amazing; so good that I stopped along the way to take a few pictures. The descent down the Telegraph was fast and I looked forward to the Galibier. At 17K to the top at 7.7%, this was going to be the ball game. If we could make it up the Galibier in one piece, I knew that we would finish.

Something funny happened up the Galibier, I was having fun! Before I even knew it, we passed the 12k mark, then the 8k mark and I thought, "I can do this." As we approached the top, the views again were amazing, you could look back from the top and see the road winding below filled with riders, it was super cool. I was told that the views at the top of Galibier are amazing and it did not disappoint. I thought we had seen the best as we hit the summit, but I was wrong, the view from the top looking down the other side was even better. We reached the top 1:20 ahead of schedule.

Now for the best part of the ride: downhill 47K to Le Bourg D’Oisans. This is definitely the strongest part of my riding; very long downhills that are not super steep so that you can get some good pedaling in and just cruise. This was an exciting descent with around 5 tunnels along the way. The scariest part of the ride came as I went into one of the tunnels and it was pitch black. I must have been going 35-40 miles an hour and there was no light, just the sounds of bicycles. Bicycles in front and…bicycles behind. Putting on the brakes was not a good option. I was happy when I saw light at the end of the tunnel! Down the hill we continued to go until we reached the village.

In this town, seven years ago at my first Étape, I was caught by the sweeper wagon and not allowed to go any further. I had a score to settle. We pulled into Bourg D’Oisans an hour and thirty minutes ahead of schedule, took a right at the roundabout and then before you know it, there it was… Alpe D'Huez… the legend of them all. 12k to the top, but the number I was focused on was 6k to the Trek Travel rest stop. By this time, I was definitely feeling tired, but kept the pedals moving until we arrived at the rest stop where guide Doug had an absolutely awesome spread. I had a few Cokes, a sandwich, a handful of M&M'S and I was ready to roll. Before my first Ironman my good friend Bart Knaggs told me, “Eat real food.” I have followed this advice in all of my endurance events: I play to my strengths!

As we headed back onto the course, I wasn’t feeling so good, but figured I could rally for the last 6K. We kept knocking them down and I had hoped to launch an attack with 3k to go. A few years back at L'Étape I was able to launch an attack at 3k from the top of the Hautacam to take down my friends Steve Malchow and Tony Smook but as we passed the 3k mark I didn’t have it. My wife did. I told her go catch the boys which she promptly did, catching and passing our friend Dr. T in spectacular fashion at the end. With 1.5k to go I found a little something and attacked with Trek's HR Director Mark Joslyn and Creative Director Eric Lynn. We passed 30 people before the finish line and left nothing in the tank.

Awesome course, awesome day, awesome support from Trek Travel, awesome bike, most importantly awesome friends.

Jb

Game time. L'Étape du Tour

At the start of L'Étape du Tour. 15 min before we go. Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier and Alpe d'Huez. It doesn't get any better than this. Awesome team today. Nick Schaefer, aka Mr. Trek France, Dr. T., Mark Joslyn, and Tania on the team with a bunch of others including Dan "titanium" Titus. Check out Dan's bike.

Game time!!! Hope we make it.

Jb

Trails and fees - your thoughts?

On Saturday I rode my bike 80 miles out to Paoli and back to Madison. There are some great new bike trails and instead of riding the roads, I decided to try the trail. This was a great day; 75, sunny, and lots of people on the bike trails. All good until my wife, Tania, and I came upon an intersection and were stopped by someone from the Dane County Parks Dept. who wanted to know if I had my trail pass. "No, I don’t have a trail pass”, I replied. “Well,” responded Mr. Dane County Parks, "that will be $20 for a trail pass for the year and a $5 fine for not having one.” I happily accepted my fine, which is much better than the speeding ticket I received in the past. Smaller fine, no points, and no police lights.
 
As I rode back to Madison I thought about whether charging a $20 fee for using the trail is a good idea or a bad idea. I started with the good idea first:
1.  Cars pay taxes to use the roads. 
2.  The county needs the money and they are providing me with a service 
3.  It is the law. 
 
Then I moved over to the bad idea side of the argument: 
1.  Bike trails are freeing up the congested roads.
2.  Bike trails help the environment.
3.  Bike trails get people active. 
These are all good things and shouldn't the county be encouraging this behavior instead of handing out tickets?
 
I don’t know, what do you think? A. Counties should charge for people to use bike trails. B. Counties should not charge for people to use bike trails.

Jb

My favorite ride of the year

Last weekend was my favorite ride of the year, the Trek 100. This was the 22nd annual event benefiting the MACC fund, a great organization that champions the fight against childhood cancer. Over the last 22 years Trek has raised over $10 million to help this great cause. A few reasons why I think this is one of the BEST rides in the country:
1.  The ride starts at Trek!
2.  The University of Wisconsin marching band is always on hand to send the riders off.
3.  The route is designed so that there is very little traffic. I counted less than 20 cars in 100 miles!
4.  The rest stops are the BEST. A few examples: A stop with bratwurst and a polka band. Or the stop with bread pudding and ribs. Or, how about the Hawaiian themed-stop featuring piles of fruit? This year they added a chocolate fountain.

5.  The finish party rocks. Great music, great fun, great food, and the BEST Wisconsin beer from Capital Brewery.
6.  The Trek 100 has raised over $10 million since it started 22 years ago, when the cure rate for childhood cancer was 35%. Today it is 80%. We have made a difference.

A new twist to the Trek 100 this year is a special Trek 100 online auction. There are awesome items including a VIP trip to the 2012 Tour of California, a Trek Top Fuel 9.8 or Superfly Elite with a tour of Trek and our mtb trail network, and a three-day stay at my house in Santa Barbara with bikes, and a guide supplied for your stay.

He stays on the bus

I flew to Belgium on Tuesday with Joe V to attend Wouter Weylandt's funeral. I never met Wouter, but everyone associated with the LEOPARD TREK team is a part of a family. The team does such an awesome job of representing Trek around the world that I wanted to be there and pay my respects and represent everyone from the Trek family.

The plane arrived an hour late getting into Brussels, so I changed in the men's room at the airport and we drove to Ghent. We parked and walked to the church. The site was amazing. A beautiful old European church with what must have been a couple of thousand people outside. We went in and paid our respects to the family and took our seats for the service. Near the alter, they had a slide show and I love pictures, so I checked out all the photos. I can tell you that Wouter had a lot of friends, and that Wouter lived a very full life.

After the funeral, Joe and I joined a reception for close friends and the team. I met Wouter's father and we had a good conversation. Fabian Cancellara and Flavio, the team owner, came over and we  talked with Wouter's father about what we could do for the family. I let him know that Trek was there to help. Flavio went through a list of things that he was doing for the family. Wouter's father then looked at Flavio and said "I only have one request right now. Do you think it would be possible where the pictures of the riders are on the bus, that the picture of Wouter could stay on the team bus? He really loved being part of LEOPARD TREK." Before he finished Fabian, in a very clear Swiss way, looked at Wouter's father and said "He stays on the bus."

Photo by LEOPARD TREK

Jb.

 

If you ever have a problem with your Trek

Last week I flew home from a trip to Asia. Flight arrived in Detroit at 11 am, my flight home to Madison was at 2 pm. I check the board and there is an earlier flight. I am going to see if I can catch it. I get to the gate only to find out that it is full. No luck there so I wait around for the 2 pm flight. 2 pm comes and goes. Plane gets delayed till 3:30. Beautiful day outside, weather is good in Madison.  I have my day lined up. Bike ride when I get back home, visit a Trek party in honor of two 30-year employees, and attend a cookout for a very good friend who has spent the year fighting breast cancer. Head to the gate for the 3:30 flight, it gets pushed back to 4:30. I ask, "Is there anything anyone can do for me? I need to make it back to Madison." I happen to have Diamond status, which is the highest frequent flyer level, but, it doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere. To top that off, I am traveling with three other people from Trek who all have Diamond status. No one cares. Long story short; 2 cancelled flights, 6 delays, and I get into Madison at 11:30 pm. There are people dying of cancer who have real problems, so this isn't a tragedy, but...the tragedy to me is that no one cared.

I always have a way of bringing my story around at the end. So JB, what is the point of the story?  The point of the story is this; if you ever have a problem with your Trek product, go see your local retailer. We have a great group of dedicated retailers and they will take care of you. You don't need Diamond status and every Trek customer is part of our Trek family.

If you don’t feel like you have been taken care of, get in touch with Trek customer service. They do a great job of taking care of people. If you don’t feel that you are being taken care of then, send me an e-mail. During the season I get 1-2 notes a week from customers who do not feel like they have had good service. I read every note that comes in and then I send it to Jason Shumacher, our customer service manager, who helps me solve the problem. Jason and I have a very high success rate in solving people's problems, and we care.

Jb

A sad day for cycling

This  morning I heard the news that Wouter Weylandt of the Leopard Trek Team died from a crash during Stage 3 at the Giro. I was shocked and saddened to hear this news. On behalf of the entire Trek family our hearts go out to Wouter's family.

Jb.

12 reasons to start using a bike for transportation

Yesterday I had my first commute to work on my bike. 31 fun-loving degrees and 22.4 miles each way.  My best year for riding to work before last year totaled 3 commutes. My total last year was 33 trips to work and 217 miles around town on my commuting bike. As we head into the riding season, check out 12 reasons to start using a bike for transportation and then set a goal to have your BEST cycling season of all time!

Jb.

An important day for cycling in Washington

 Yesterday I was in Washington DC to testify before the Congressional Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This was the first time that anyone from the bicycle industry has ever testified before this committee. I was among twenty witnesses and it was a big plus that the bicycle industry was on the guest list. We are making progress. I was told that I did “Ok.”  My response: “It is hard not to when you have such an AWESOME cause.” Below is my statement to the committee.

 

Subcommittee chairman Mr. Duncan, ranking member Mr. DeFazio, and committee members, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is John Burke, CEO of Trek Bicycle Corporation. I’m here to speak on behalf of the U.S. bicycle industry and the Bikes Belong Coalition, our nonprofit association.

Trek is based in Waterloo, Wisconsin—a rural town of 3,000 people between Madison and Milwaukee. Our company generated more than $800 million in sales last year and we sold 1.5 million bikes worldwide. We employ more than 1,100 people nationwide.

The U.S. bike business generates more than $6 billion in annual retail sales.¹ Between 15-20 million bicycles are sold in the U.S. each year²— more units than cars and trucks combined.³ More than one million Americans work in bike or bike-related businesses.⁴

There are more than 4,000 independent U.S. bicycle retailers:5 time-tested community businesses that are often cornerstones on main street throughout America. The U.S. bike industry provides a growing number of high-paid, professional jobs in design, engineering, management, marketing, and logistics.

The federal investment in bicycling
The federal investment in bicycling is providing tremendous benefits to our nation. It is boosting our economy, making our transportation system more efficient, improving the health of Americans, and enhancing the quality of life in communities coast to coast.

Few other federal investments—if any—provide so many tangible benefits for so few dollars. Since 1999, about 1.⁵ percent of annual federal transportation funding has been spent on bicycling and walking infrastructure,⁶ and these dollars have provided an outstanding return by supporting 12 percent of all trips. Bicycling has become safer, more convenient and more appealing. These investments have also helped bicycling grow—in some places, dramatically.

This investment has helped the bike industry

• The federal investment in new trails and new paths has contributed to steady increases in the sales of bikes and bike equipment.⁷
• More Americans are riding bikes than ever, especially for commuting and short trips that would otherwise be made by car.⁸ Beyond the transportation, health, pollution and government budget benefits, this increase in short bike trips has helped the bike business develop a new category of bikes and equipment that is now producing significant sales.
• In Minneapolis, Trek and other leading bike companies sell seven or eight times as many bikes as we do in some similar size cities, because Minneapolis has done such a great job of building new trails and paths that make it easy and safe to ride. The federal investment has played a key role in making this possible.
• Talk with the CEO of any bike company: where riding is safe, convenient and easy, the bike business is strong and bicycling is thriving. But the benefits to the bike industry are only the beginning of this great economic story.
• Bicycle commuting has increased 64 percent nationwide in the last 20 years.⁹
• Annual bike fatalities have dropped 21 percent nationwide since the late 1980s.¹⁰
• More than four BILLION bicycle trips—a record—were taken in the United States in 2009.¹¹

This investment provides other economic benefits
The economic benefits of the federal investment in bicycling are not limited to the bike industry. Here are just a few examples of the ways that towns, cities, counties and states are gaining, too.

In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, $4.5 million in Transportation Enhancements funding was spent in the year 2000 to develop the Longleaf Trace Trail. As a result, annual sales at the nearby Moore’s Bicycle Shop doubled, and this has generated an additional $175,000 in sales tax for the state.¹² The federal investment made this possible.

In my state, Wisconsin, a recent study pegged the annual economic value of bicycling at just under $2 billion.¹³ Bike manufacturers generate $594 million for our state, and tourism and recreation produces $924 million in benefits.¹⁴ A $9 million annual federal bike/ped investment in Wisconsin projects and programs has helped make this possible.

Minnesota provides similar numbers: $481 million spent annually on bike equipment by residents, nearly 6,000 bike business jobs, and $40.6 million per year generated in state and local taxes.¹⁵

In western Pennsylvania, more than $40 million in annual direct spending and another $7.5 million in wages are tied directly to the Great Allegheny Passage, a 132-mile trail. More than 25 percent of businesses along the trail are in the process of expanding.¹⁶

Back in Minneapolis, a $7.5 million federal investment helped build theMidtown Greenway, which is now used by an average of 3,500 bike riders a day. The Greenway transports more people than 77 percent of Minneapolis city roads.¹⁷

New bike tourism success stories are being created nationwide—in urban, suburban and rural areas—as new trails and paths are enjoyed by individuals and families who spend money on lodging, food, fuel and equipment.

New bike infrastructure projects are putting lots of people to work. Recent bike infrastructure projects—for example, those in Baltimore—often create more new jobs per million dollars invested that comparable highway projects.¹⁸

The cost-effective federal investment in bicycling is helping cities andtowns save money. That’s why nearly every U.S. city mayor has become a major proponent of bicycling. They see more bicycling as a way to reduce road congestion and wear and tear, cut parking construction and maintenance costs, and improve the overall quality of life in their communities.

Here’s a specific example:

Portland, Oregon, has spent $57 million since 1990 to improve its bike infrastructure.¹⁹ That's roughly the cost of building a single mile of urban, four-lane highway. The city—population 600,000 with a metro area total of two million—now boasts more than 400 miles of bike lanes and paths.²⁰ The percentage of Portland residents who commute by bike has increased from less than one percent to nearly six percent.²¹ This has helped the city save money, and it is only the beginning: Portland plans to keep investing in bike infrastructure and has set a goal of 20 percent of all city trips by bike by 2020.²²

Today, mayors and governors all across the U.S. recognize that everything they do to support bicycling will ultimately save money. They need your continuing help.

Summary and comments on the next Federal Transportation Bill
In a growing number of U.S. cities and towns, the percentage of all trips made by bike now exceeds five percent.²³ In some places, this figure is more than 20,000 trips per day. That’s significant—and the cost of developing safe and convenient infrastructure was small.

Bicycling is precisely the type of cost-effective investment that afiscally challenged government should make because of the tremendous, multiple returns.

Many of these benefits are economic—for the bike industry, for bikefriendly cities and towns, and for individuals who can safely replace some short car trips with bike rides. Americans who bicycle save money, improve their health, and live more active, energetic lives. They help governments save, too, and help our nation address major societal challenges at the same time.

The federal investment has helped rural communities develop mountain bike trails and rail-trails: these routes have provided crucial tourism dollars and tax revenue.

The federal investment in bicycling not only helps people who ride bikes, but also people who don’t: every time an American decides to bike instead of drive, one less car is on the road. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said it well: “So, even for those folks who have no interest in bicycling, this relatively low investment actually pays dividends for those who still choose to drive. Everybody wins.”

That’s bang for the buck…and why I urge you to continue to provide strong federal support for bicycling. We need to continue to diversify our investment in transportation and provide options for state and local officials—and the public.

I would like to close with one specific recommendation for the next federal transportation bill: we need to maintain the integrity of the Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School programs within the Highway Trust Fund. These programs are doing great things for bicycling, our communities, our businesses, and our nation.
Thank you.
______________________________
1 “Bicycle Industry Overview 2009.” National Bicycle Dealers Association. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://nbda.com/articles/industry-overview-2009-pg34.htm>.
2 Ibid.
3 U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “NationalTransportation Statistics 2010.” Table 1-17.
4 Outdoor Industry Foundation. “The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy.” 2006.
5 “Bicycle Industry Overview 2009.”
6 Federal Highway Administration. “Federal-Aid Highway Program Funding forPedestrian and Bicycle Facilities and Programs.” 2009.
7 “Bicycle Industry Overview 2009.”
8 Pucher, John and Ralph Buehler. “Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large North American Cities: Lessons for New York.” Feb. 2011.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 U.S. Department of Transportation, Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. “The National Bicycling and Walking Study 15-Year Status Report. May 2010.
12 Peel, Jeff and James Moore. “Bike Trail Boosts Business in Mississippi.” Bikeleague.org Blog, 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. [Optional:] <http://www.bikeleague.org/blog/2011/03/bike-trail-boosts-business-in-mississippi/>.
13 Grabow, Maggie, et al. “Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin.” University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jan. 2010.
14 Ibid. p. 31
15 Venegas, Ernesto. “Economic Impact of Recreational Trail Use in Different Regions of Minnesota.” November 2009.
16 Campos, Inc. “The Great Allegheny Passage Economic Impact Study.” Aug. 7 2009.
17 Bikes Belong Coalition. “The Federal Investment in Bicycling: 10 Success Stories—Midtown Greenway.” <http://www.bikesbelong.org/top10>.
18 Garrett-Peltier, Heidi. “Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Road Infrastructure. Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dec. 2010.
19 Geller, Roger. “Build it and they will come: Portland Oregon’s experience with modest investments in bicycle transportation.” City of Portland, Oregon. Mar. 2011
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid.
22 Ibid.
23 Pucher, John and Ralph Buehler.