TREK
COVER STORY
42 percent were people taking the white bikes out for single rides, more suggestive of tourists. However one reads such statistics — credit card data indicating home addresses will help paint a clearer picture of who’s riding and who’s not — it’s clear Burke has much bigger plans for the South Coast and BCycle. Burke said his people are “talking” with the City of Goleta and administrators at UCSB about extending the distribution of his BCycle fleet further up the coast. And likewise, he added, they’re also talking ASSISTED PEDAL POWER: BCycle staff and some of their fleet at their Santa Barbara with officials in Montecito, headquarters Carpinteria, and as far south as Ventura. plastic packaging material, a major pivot to alternaFor the time being, it’s all just talk. But the pros- tive fuels — but riding a bike, he insists, makes a big pect of a regionally integrated market of that size difference. If just one percent of American motorconjures images of thousands — not just hundreds ists got out of their cars and onto their bikes, that — of shiny white pedal-assist electric bikes with would reduce carbon emission by 17 times Trek’s wicker baskets suitable for a small dog hanging in total global carbon footprint. To increase its number of riders, Burke said front of the handlebars. In person — to the extent a Zoom conversation Santa Barbara should look to countries like Dencan be said to be “in person” — Burke comes across mark as a model for cycle-friendly changes to bigger than he actually is. He speaks slowly and adopt. “People need to feel safe on the road,” he said. deliberately. There are no dangling modifiers or “It’s pretty simple.” It’s not enough to paint a green thoughts that trail off into the void. He knows what line on the street, he said. There has to be a genuine he intends to say, and he says it clearly. sense of separation between cyclists and cars. This He took over a company started in 1976 by his does not always require massive investments in new father, Richard Burke, at the height of America’s infrastructure; even a lane marked off with plastic road bike Renaissance — inspired by the environ- bollards, he said, will suffice. Over the past 10 years, slightly less than 4 percent mental movement, high gas prices, and a rediscovered love of the great outdoors — to prove high-end, of all Santa Barbara City commuters get to and handcrafted bikes could be made right here in the from work by bike. Although the pandemic has United States. In year one, the company sold 906 witnessed an explosion of interest in cycling — and bikes. Burke’s father would, however, eventually certainly an acute shortage in bicycle inventory—it succeed beyond imagination. remains unclear what long-term difference that will John Burke jumped in at age 24 in 1984, working in make on commuting numbers. The city, however, is sales and service. When he took over in 1997, the com- currently moving forward on several bicycle infrapany had expanded well outside the United States structure projects long in the gestation process. borders and was grossing $300 million a year. Now, If Burke is correct, these could make a difference. Trek is grossing $1 billion and claims 22 percent of The $20 million bike lane linking Las Positas the United States’ market share for bike sales, slightly and Modoc roads with the bike paths that end up at more than Trek’s two closest competitors combined. UCSB should be ready for riders by this December. Along the way, Burke found time to start a bicy- Construction begins next spring on new bike lanes cle advocacy group—PeopleForBikes—that lob- that connect the city’s Westside with its downtown, bies Congress for bicycle infrastructure and rates and likewise with the project extending the Chapala cities on their bike-ability. (Santa Barbara, by the Street bike lane to Alamar Avenue. Work on the way, comes off better than average, but surpris- De la Vina bike lane extension — to Padre Street ingly not by that much.) He’s written three books, —also begins this fall. At that point, the build-iteach detailing a handful of simple-sounding policy and-they-will-come theory can be put to the test in steps to save either the world or the United States. a meaningful way. He briefly toyed with running for president as Given Santa Barbara’s environmental ethos, an independent candidate in 2020 and has been Burke said, the numbers should definitely go up. unstinting in his criticism of Donald Trump’s tax And given the toll global warming has taken on policies. Drop the tax rates, he advocated, but plug Santa Barbara in the past few years, he said the the loopholes so companies like General Electric need for change should be obvious. “Santa Barbara can’t make $12 billion in profit and pay zero taxes. has had a front row seat to the destructive conseBurke is positively evangelical about the immi- quences of climate change,” he said. “And if you’re nent perils posed by climate change; the fire and waiting around for someone else to solve the probbrimstone is here and now. There are many changes lem, you’re not paying attention, and you’re going his company is making to address this—no more to be waiting a long time.” n
NICK WELSH FILE PHOTO
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AUGUST 26, 2021
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