Finding (and Founding) The Line
I've been working on something for a while with a bunch of great people (see below), and I figured I'd share what we are doing. The vision for it is simple and HUGE.
Simply put, we started with the idea that there is something about bikes...Bikes make the world better. Give a person a bike and you change them. So how do we get more people on bikes?
The Line wants to change the conversation about access to the sport of bicycling, and put bikes, skills, and knowledge out there on a national level. We help customers, clubs, and businesses use and maintain high quality bikes - from individual rentals and clinics to fleet leases and trailhead rental kiosks at the point of use.
Why Don’t More People Bike?
About 4 years ago we asked the question – why don’t more people do this? That led to another question? How many people want to do this? Which of course led to – why don’t they? It turns out the trail riding population is relatively small, and the size of the business is also relatively small, estimated between $7B and $9B. According to the Sports and Fitness industry Association, nearly 9M biked off road in 2022. The core demographic is primarily white, wealthy, and male.
This reality makes for interesting conversations when it comes to investment in trails or access to programs, particularly on public lands. We do know bike riding is seen as a staple in outdoor recreation, mobility, and enjoyment. Mountain biking and other forms of trail riding have grown, and with it the focus on trail access and trail building in communities all over the country.
With e-bikes, more people see bikes as a viable commuting and transportation option. Bike tourism is growing. Bentonville, Arkansas famously created a community around mountain bikes, and has seen growth and development of their community as a whole.
In the 2021 OutdoorIndustry.org participant study a record 168M people participated in outdoor activities. Biking ranked third. but we also know there is a significant drop off as people age. So, given all the interest why is the sport still so small? Why aren't more people heading out to ride?
Three Barriers
We’ve pinpointed three barriers:
Equipment – bikes are expensive, difficult to maintain, transport, and store.
Perception of risk – both physical and social – mountain bikes and trail bikes have been marketed as an “extreme” sport, and people perceive that tremendous physical skills and fitness are necessary.
Lack of knowledge of where to go. Trails and even trailheads can be difficult to find and intimidating when riders don’t know what to expect and whether they have the right skills.
Why The Line?
We believe biking is for everyone. Bikes connect us to the outdoors and deliver a feeling of freedom.
Our mission is to make bicycles and skills more accessible to everyone, so everyone can experience the challenge, fun, and joy of finding their Line.
I’ll post again with more of this journey and how we are going to disrupt the current thinking on how to grow the sport by overcoming these hurdles. Meanwhile, check out our website and try one of our bikes!
Special Thanks:
Co-Founders: Sheryl Tullis | Stephen Murakami | Alexandra Kunz
Advisors: Dan Nordstrom - Outdoor Research | Simon Lawton - FluidRide | Yvonne Kraus - Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance