INTERBIKE 2016: The Youth Cycling Alliance, 500,000 #morekidsonbikes, and a big group hug!

Archive Post from October 16th, 2016

What happens when you bring 750 bike and bike-related companies and organizations, 1400 brands, and 20,000+ cycling and mountain biking enthusiasts together in Vegas for a three-day, non-stop celebration of all things BIKES?
Interbike 2016 happens.

#tfkmarin Re-Cyclery Bike Shop Manager Andy Phelps holding down the fort at #Interbike2016!

Last month Trips for Kids made our annual pilgrimage to the Interbike trade show to meet, connect, engage and to spread the word about Trips for Kids and our fabulous programs.
But this year we were also on a mission.
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Echoing Interbike 2016’s theme of “Unity”, and working in partnership with Hilride Progression Development Group, Trips for Kids hosted the first ever National Youth Cycling Development Leadership Meeting at this year’s event, bringing together a diverse group of leaders and representatives from national and international cycling and mountain biking organizations, including People for Bikes, League of American Bicyclists, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), Cycle Kids, Little Bellas, Project Bike Tech, Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association, Specialized and Planet Bike.

The kick-off meeting of the Youth Cycling Alliance, held at this years #Interbike trade show.

Serving as the official kick-off meeting for the Youth Cycling Alliance, the open discussion identified many opportunities and emphasized the urgency for advancing youth cycling development and enhancing and expanding the quality, range and geographic scope of the existing programs in order to meet the overwhelming need for these programs in communities across the country.
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Of particular importance? The need to expand equity in these programs in order to specifically engage more women, kids, minorities, physically challenged and underserved populations. According to Trips for Kids Acting Executive Director Kim Baenisch, “We will only truly succeed when we expand equity, access, and opportunity to all communities”.
In the spirit of expanding our programs to reach even more underserved children, Trips for Kids also held a press conference to announce our goal of reaching 500,000 underserved kids in the next ten years. Through an aggressive outreach program, Trips for Kids consultant Nat Lopes of Hilride outlined Trips for Kids’ plans to reach 500 chapters across all 50 states, significantly increasing our impact and reach as we work to expand our programs, helping to bring life-changing, confidence-building outdoor cycling activities to the kids that need it most.

“We will only truly succeed when we expand equity, access, and opportunity to all communities." -Kim Baenisch, Acting Executive Director, Trips For Kids

But we haven’t been able to transform the lives of over 172,000 kids worldwide - and won’t be able to reach 500,000 more - without some help along the way.
Since our first trail ride nearly thirty years ago, over 350 bike and bike equipment manufacturers have donated over six million dollars of in-kind product to Trips for Kids. Yes, you read that correctly: $6,000,000. And so we took the opportunity at this year’s Interbike to thank our top donors and supporters for helping us achieve the success we’ve had over these past three decades

Thanks to our incredible sponsors! We couldn't change lives without your help!

Without support from companies like BRAIN, Clif Bar, CST, Dirt Rag Magazine/Bicycle Times, Haro Bikes, KMC, Marin Bikes, Park Tool, Planet Bike, Primal Wear, Raleigh, Ritchey Design, Shimano, Sock Guy, Thule, Topeak, SRAM, Voler Apparel and Interbike themselves, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

So a big GROUP HUG to all of these outstanding companies! Make sure to visit our photo gallery on Facebook to see all of the awards from our Interbike press conference (and then make sure to support these great companies!).

And with that (and a few more days of bikes bikes bikes bikes), Interbike 2016 was another success. A huge thanks to everyone who took part in the inaugural Youth Cycling Alliance meeting, and a huge thanks again to our fantastic sponsors and supporters.
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Can’t wait to do it all over again next year! ​