The 2025 Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC), hosted by PeopleForBikes, united the bike industry’s top minds for three days of inspiration, education, and action. With nearly 300 industry leaders in attendance, the 2025 BLC delivered a powerful message: our strength lies in collective action.
PeopleForBikes President and CEO Jenn Dice opened the conference with a motivating keynote acknowledging the bike industry’s current headwinds alongside PeopleForBikes’ unwavering commitment to helping businesses push forward.
“The only way around this is through it,” said Dice, pointing to record numbers of Americans riding and billions in state and local funding for bike infrastructure nationwide as reasons for optimism.
WTB CEO Patrick Seidler received a Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his decades of advocacy and leadership. Highlights from Seidler’s achievements include helping inspire the creation of Safe Routes to School and securing more than $250 million in funding for bike projects in his backyard of Marin County, California, over the last 30 years.
Jenn Dice and Christy LaCurelle, president and CEO of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), announced the launch of a new national e-bike rider education program aimed at increasing safety for riders and communities. The free, public-facing curriculum will be available at eBikeCourse.com starting March 26, marking a major step forward in responsible e-bike use and rider empowerment.
Industry data experts from PeopleForBikes’ Nerd Collective unveiled new research offering the industry’s first-ever look at direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales. The collective also provided other key insights for bike businesses, including the importance of expanding channel strategies, enhancing IBD e-commerce visibility, and tapping into adjacent industries to adapt to changing consumer behavior.
Other speakers discussed the regulatory future of e-bikes in the U.S., global trade dynamics, and the urgency of updating rules to protect responsible innovation. Sessions on tariffs, domestic manufacturing, and international policy emphasized that loopholes and inconsistent enforcement could stifle responsible growth and innovation in the bike market without modernized regulations. At the same time, voices from across the globe reminded us that bicycling is more than business — it’s a powerful solution to some of today’s most pressing health challenges. From Olympic legacies in London and Los Angeles to mentoring youth
through cycling, the conference showcased how better biking can shape healthier people, stronger businesses, and more connected communities. Bicycles can enhance longevity, fight obesity, support mental health, and reduce healthcare costs — making them a key part of a more enduring healthcare future.
The BLC closed with the BPSA Awards, recognizing leaders who continue to push our industry forward:
Rising Star: Peter Woolery, Bicycle Market Research
Outstanding Service: Claudia Wasko, Bosch eBike Systems Americas
Lifetime Achievement: Bob Margevicius, Specialized Bicycle Components
Outstanding Service to the PeopleForBikes Coalition: Mike Mercuri, SRAM
SAVE THE DATE: 2026 BLC | Dana Point, California, March 17–20, 2026
About PeopleForBikes
PeopleForBikes is a national bicycle advocacy nonprofit and the U.S. bicycle industry’s trade association representing more than 340 bicycle industry supplier members and nearly 1.4 million individual supporters. Through our three areas of influence — infrastructure, policy, and participation — we accelerate the construction of safe, fun, and connected places to bike, advance pro-bike and pro-bike-business legislation, and reduce barriers to welcome more people to the joys of riding a bike. Our goal: become the best place in the world to ride a bike.
