Randy Neufeld, Director of SRAM Cycling Fund talks to ECF about why he thinks the bike industry should support bike advocacy groups and how Velo-city Vancouver is a unique and exciting opportunity to grow cycling.  

Next week, Vancouver will be playing host to many people from different parts of the world, all interested in one thing: cycling, and making it a part of everyday life. Among the supporters, lobby groups, and participating organizations that will make their presence at the Velo-city conference will be Randy Neufeld, Director of SRAM Cycling Fund. Passionate about integrating cycling into the communal fabric of cities around the world, Randy is making his way to Velo-city in order to gain tips, collaborate with other organizations and learn as much as possible about how the cycling industry can participate in, as he states it, “grow cycling […] mostly because it’s good for the world we live, play and raise our families in.”

Adamant about cycling’s bright future in America, Neufeld states: “bicycling is the United States is gaining momentum, particularly in cities […] and many advocates feel it is close to a tipping point where it can break out into mainstream transportation and spread beyond the cities.”

 Of course, while cycling’s path in the United States seems paved for success, there are still a few considerable obstacles along the road that SRAM and other organizations strive to navigate around.

"Only 0.02% of the federal budget, and roughly 1.5% of transportation dollars has been spent on cycling infrastructure” says Neufeld.

Moreover, Congress is currently acting as a speed bump in the acceleration of cycling into the mainstream; by blocking attempts to provide the necessary funding to cycling and walking infrastructure.

 "The issue of funding for cycling has become a sore point for many ultra-conservative groups, who deny funding for cycling safety and infrastructure because they argue that it is a local issue and not a national responsibility” explains Neufeld.

SRAM and Randy Neufeld couldn’t disagree more with this point of view.

“We sell a product that is used almost exclusively in the public space”, Randy states, “and Velo-city is a unique and invaluable opportunity to engage with elected officials, professionals and advocates as they work on bicycling’s future”.

By being where the action is, Randy wants to ensure that the bike industry is a part of changing what we think of the term cyclist; so that it will no longer be exclusively applied only to those clad in lycra, but also to the father dropping his kids off at school in a cargobike, to the student picking up her weekly groceries, or to the commuter going to work. Velo-city conference is just one of the first opportunities for Randy and SRAM to get the wheels turning on this goal.

 A Study Tour in the Netherlands which Randy Neufeld took part in. 

About the Author

Alexandra Cutean is the Communications Assistant at ECF and a long-time cyclist. With a background in conflict resolution and European Affairs, she spends most of her spare time looking for new places to visit, and mapping out bike routes.