Planet Bike has been a long-time supporter of youth cycling initiatives. We are thrilled to be a sponsor of the National Youth Cycling Research Initiative. Read below to find out more information on this exciting new project:

The Youth Cycling Alliance (YCA) announces the National Youth Cycling Research Initiative in collaboration with the UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, Social Sector Solutions (S3) Program. The research grant seeks to gain input from youth cycling organizations, “map” the national youth cycling network and understand the dynamics of youth cycling programs operating in the United States.

Formed in 2016, the YCA aims to promote youth cycling in the United States by providing data driven research and leadership to support the establishment, expansion and sustainable development of youth cycling organizations and programs across the country. The YCA will focus on increasing awareness, creating opportunities for funding, building stronger connections between youth cycling organizations and the programs they operate and promoting best practices and models for cost-effective program delivery.

“With leadership from NICA and Trips for Kids, the Youth Cycling Alliance was formed in order to address the dire need for a coordinated approach to strengthening and empowering the organizations across America that are effectively working to get #morekidsonbikes. While there are many great organizations across the country doing great work with youth, there has never been a focused effort to bring these groups together to share resources and create a unified approach to ensure that kids who ride and those that want to ride can continue to receive support and guidance as they grow into their teenage years.” -Austin McInerny, NICA President

To advance the YCA’s mission, the organization has partnered with UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business’ S3 Program to:

1. Build a comprehensive database of youth cycling organizations operating in the United States;

2. Conduct in-depth analyses of the leading national-level youth cycling organizations to understand their programs, participation, funding and operations and evaluate the
opportunities and challenges they face;

3. Create a national youth cycling network datamap that enables geographic awareness and organizational connectivity; and

4. Identify potential major funding opportunities to support youth cycling program
development both within and outside of the bicycling industry.

The partnership represents the first major effort to map the nationwide network of youth cycling organizations and programs and to understand the dynamics of the 12.5 million young riders between the ages of 6 and 17 that participate in cycling each year in the United States. While cycling is the most popular outdoor recreational activity, only 24.2% of this age demographic participate, according to the Outdoor Industry Association 2016 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. The research data and analysis generated by the YCA/S3 project will help establish the national network of youth cycling organizations and facilitate a programmatic approach to planning for the future and inspiring the next generation of young riders.

“This project is ultimately about getting more kids on bikes, getting more kids outside and getting more kids leading healthy active lifestyles. This is about the future of cycling in the United States and doing the work that needs to be done to move the needle from 24% participation to 100%.” – Nat Lopes, YCA Director of Strategy

Do you work with kids and bikes? Help us build out the most comprehensive national youth cycling database ever, by completing our YCA Survey and sharing it with other youth cycling-related organizations and programs.

Youth Cycling Alliance Project Partners and Sponsors: Special thanks to Planet Bike,
National Interscholastic Cycling Association, Trips For Kids, League of American Bicyclists, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Little Bellas, Project Bike Tech and the generous individual donors for making this project possible.