Launched yesterday, the Trek Foundation will seed cycling infrastructure and mountain bike trail development projects.
“This world needs more people to ride bikes, and if that’s going to happen, they need great places for bikes that are safe and close to home,” said John Burke, President of Trek. “The Trek Foundation will accelerate this commitment to invest in great places to ride.”
How exactly will it do that? Get the lowdown on Trek Foundation’s plans for building urban and MTB trails.
Trek Gears Up, Forms Nonprofit Foundation
July 28, industry leader Trek Bicycle unveiled its Trek Foundation, which will operate as an inclusion-focused nonprofit arm of the brand. Through it, Trek will channel funding toward developing public cycling access — both on- and off-road.
Once the organization is fully up to speed, Trek plans to extend the foundation’s reach across the U.S. For now, the brand kicks off its nonprofit journey with Trek Trails initiatives in Arizona and California, at the locations below:
- Verde Valley (Oak Creek School, Cornville, Arizona)
- Harmon Canyon (Harmon Canyon Preserve, Ventura, California)
- Elings Park (Santa Barbara, California)
- Larsen Meadow (Los Padres National Forest, Solvang, California)
Trek’s Diverse Initiatives
Though the nonprofit’s to-do list is small, the initiatives sound ambitious and diverse. Trek Foundation organizers are focusing not just on physical barriers to cycling access but socioeconomic barriers, too.
The Verde Valley project, for example, will be the test case for Trek’s FUN afterschool mountain bike program. According to Trek’s press release, “FUN organizes and operates after school mountain bike programs that include skills training for elementary school kids in the rural Arizona community. The program [provides] underserved children with the opportunity to learn to ride a bicycle for the first time and discover the joys of mountain biking.”
Harmon Canyon, Elings Park, and Larsen Meadow projects will showcase The Trek Foundation’s off-road work. There, organizers will funnel support toward projects that will restore, preserve, and extend MTB trails; improve trail easements; and work with local authorities to educate patrons on outdoor stewardship.
Trek Project Expansion
Over the coming weeks and months, The Trek Foundation will look to expand its reach beyond its initial four projects. Foundation members have established specific criteria for reviewing proposed undertakings.
On its donation request page, Trek asks applicants, “Does your project: 1. Help preserve land in perpetuity? 2. Offer trails that will be open and free to the public? 3. Have a plan to activate the trails with the local community?”
These criteria, it said, “are designed to ensure the trails funded result in meaningful, long-lasting contributions to the community, its riders, and the planet.” Learn more about the foundation, or apply for a donation.
