Trek ramps up advocacy effort in UK with Go By Bike Campaign

Buy a Trek this month and the company will offer you the chance to join either CTC or the London Cycling Campaign, you will also receive cycling information and maps from sustainable transport charity Sustrans. The initiative is part of Trek's second annual Go By Bike Campaign which runs until June 30th.

Customers who purchase a Trek from participating dealers will be offered a free one-year membership to either London Cycling Campaign or CTC. Sustrans will then send customers a ‘Free Your Bike’ pack, which includes tips on cycling, and a local National Cycle Network map. On top of that Trek dealers will include a free helmet, for those who want one, to customers who purchase a bike during the campaign.

Last year, Trek UK launched a successful promotion called Go By Bike - we carried the adverts for it here on road.cc – which aimed to encourage people to take up cycling, either for recreation or commuting. That campaign consisted of special offers and information about the benefits of cycling both for their personal health but also for the planet at large.

This year Trek wanted to go further by offering more than a sales discount. Advocacy is a significant effort for Trek as a company – in the US it's advocacy arm, 1 World 2 Wheels is an influential organisation so the company felt it was a natural direction for the Go By Bike campaign to take in the UK – hence their partnership with LCC, CTC, and Sustrans.

Trek is alone amongst the major bike brands in channeling both funds and manpower in to promoting cycling as a responsible lifestyle choice – that position sets it apart from its rivals in the US, and is say insiders a by-product of the fact that big though it is Trek is still a privately owned company with no shareholders to please. It will be interesting to see if this month's Go By Bike Campaign marks a shift towards a more advocacy led approach in the UK too.

“Trek has never been in the business of just selling as many bikes as possible-it has always supported cycle advocacy across a number of different projects. The Go By Bike Campaign offered an opportunity to support specific organisations who in turn could help support the customer, especially those new to cycling,” said Andrew Griffin, Marketing Manager at Trek.

“We wanted to provide the customer with more than a bike when they leave the store. Providing free membership to these organisations allows the customer access to more cycling information and support than you could wave a stick at and, in turn, the customer is supporting the organisations involved,” he added.

“It’s fantastic that Trek are supporting UK cycling and providing more people with the opportunity to do more with their bikes. Here at CTC, we focus on the social side of cycling as well as protecting and promoting the rights of cyclists. Go By Bike is a great initiative that has our full support, especially as it’s helping and encouraging more people to cycle.” Jonathan Sharpe, CTC Marketing Manager.

“We share Trek’s view that with just a little bit of support new cyclists can get so much more out of owning a bike, and fully realise the joys and utility that a bike offers. People join London Cycling Campaign for the offers, information and services, but they stick with us because they become part of a campaign to create a cycle-friendly London. Trek’s enthusiasm for advocacy is what really attracted us to this partnership,” said LCC’s Marketing Manager Lucy Cooper.

Sustrans Marketing Manager Monica Ogden said: “We’re delighted to get involved in this campaign because it builds on people’s enthusiasm for cycling when they first wheel home a brand new bike.

“Bikes can have a tendency to gather dust in sheds if their owners don’t know how to carry out basic maintenance or are unaware of traffic-free or traffic-calmed routes nearby. Our information packs show people where their nearest section of National Cycle Network is for their everyday journeys as well as inspiring them to enjoy exploring further afield, whether on a day trip or adventure holiday,” Odgen added.