John Burke: the Al Gore of the bike trade?

From http://www.quickrelease.tv At the Taipei Cycle trade show, Trek president John Burke gave an inspiring talk about why the bicycle industry should divert cash from marketing and R&D to help advocates and politicians create a 'bicycle friendly world'.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• al
• gore
• john
• burke
• bicycling
• trek
• bicycle
• bike
• advocacy
• obesity
• inconvenient
• truth

[carltonreid]

Trek and Specialized make utility bikes, too. For sure it's a growth area. Trek and Specialized - and the other 'niche' bike companies - have great distribution into key IBDs and so can make this category work. Electra is a great brand, too. The market needs all of these brands: horses for courses.

[BayAreaBiker2001]

From Sunnyvale, CA. One thing that would get me excited is a bike path along I-80, which extends from San Francisco to New York City. Maybe another next to 101, 280, 680, and 880. This would give bikers the range of mobility that motorists enjoy.

[mikedtn]

Yankeepedaler I am totally with you. I live in Tennessee and I have heard so many here say "I am too lazy to ride a bike I would rather get in my big SUV, burn gas, and bitch about how much it cost to fill up my gas hog on the way to McDonalds at lunch. I myself love riding my bike. The freedom feel is immeasurable.

[pacofuckhead]

It'd be nice to see the presentation, Burke is not all that interesting to watch. Geez.

[ThunderAppeal]

I'm an avid cyclist, but al gore is the biggest douche bag in the world.

[killedagb]

Biking is NOT an INDUSTRY. It is a Culture, a lifestyle, a means for being, and being free. People power.

[rbombard]

Well said, but you're preaching to the choir. Get the message out to the hostile audience.

[stopglobalswarming]

Does this guy ride a bike to work, or is he like Al Gore, riding around in big SUV's and jets?

[stopglobalswarming]

@vferdman AL GORE flew in an Airliner jet to preach about "global warming" on the coldest day on record. Al GORE told the mexicans he invented the internet to try to get votes.

There's plenty of gas if the BIg 3 will make better carburetors/injection systems and quit selling hummers to China. Fuck SUVs. Stop Global SWARMING. 

[stopglobalswarming]

Al Gore is a lying moron. 

[KrunchyJD]

Thats not completely true, I bought a new bike, and I use if for transportation!

[KrunchyJD]

Thats true, but it is till better that someone buys a new bike and rides it then a new car and drives it. A bike is always better for the environment, health, lower pollution etc.

[ubrayj02]

An excellent message, but a boring presentation. He also misses what I think is a key conclusion for anyone trying this stuff out in the industry: we need the right bikes! Big bike brands US "commuter" and "city" bikes are garbage. They have no amenities and sacrifice useful features for weight savings and sporty component sets. Look to the Dutch and others like them for inspiration!