Our Mission

Mission Statement: “Asheville on Bikes cultivates the culture of urban and commuter cycling through advocacy, education, & celebration. We believe that cycling has a direct impact on the health of our community.”

Breaking down the Mission Statement:

“Asheville on Bikes” means that we are a group, and we stick up for each other and are interested in any planning decision that impacts our diverse membership. When we speak about an issue publicly, we are not just 1 point of input in a public hearing process; we are hundreds of members speaking with one voice about something that matters to all of us. To fit yourself within the phrase, “Asheville on Bikes,” you should join Asheville on Bikes.

“cultivates the culture of urban and commuter cycling” means that we are about a much broader set of goals than what many people think of when they think “cyclist.” Our membership and fans include many accomplished cyclists, in that fast, confident, spandex, sense of the word. But we also represent many people who you might only think of as your neighbor. We are four year olds learning to ride, we’re moms, we’re bosses, we are programmers, we are front-of-house, we are husbands, we are church members, we are hula-hoopers, we are beer drinkers and we are tee-totallers. What unites us is that we want to go about our lives on a bike or on foot, safely, while contributing to the cultural fabric of Asheville. An “Urban Cyclist” includes someone who rides once a year; it also includes a generation of riders who have not yet ventured out on Asheville’s streets and roads because they feel unsafe or haven’t been born yet. Though our mission is strong on people who bike, we advocate for a multi-modal transportation network which includes safe access to biking, walking, and transit.

“through advocacy” means that we expect to work to convince other people to take actions that we want them to take, to build better transit, better roads, and better public places. That’s advocacy. As an organization, we don’t believe that we can continue riding bikes without also seeking changes to our roads, greenways, and public spaces.

“& celebration.”  We also believe biking should bring joy. Riding a bike means smiling. Close your eyes and imagine the first day you learned to ride a bike on your own. That feeling, that smile, that pride, that overflowing desire to tell your friends the story, and that confidence are all emotions that we actively work to create more of in the world. Our first events were rolling costumed rides that ended in great parties. We still throw the parties, and we still host fun rides that are open to all. We do these things because cycling, feelings of joy and friendship, and good parties all go hand in hand. We celebrate all of that.

“We believe” means that we have a particular position and beliefs. It’s ok to believe different things than we do. We like you just the way you are, but we make no apologies for the things we have found to be true and important.

“that cycling” means that we are fundamentally interested in life that happens on, near, because of, and through the riding of bicycles. Because riding a bike ties into other modes of transportation, like walking, riding a bus, visiting our airport, getting your kids to school, carpooling, and even car driving, we also spend time advocating for pedestrians and transit.

“has a direct impact on the health of our community” means that we believe that increases in cycling and better multi-modal transportation are good for each person that makes up the greater Asheville community. If we biked more we would live several years longer at full health, spend less on medical expenses, spend less on automobiles, pollute less, have more disposable income, see more customers, have homes that are worth more, and outperform similar sized cities as we grow. Even car drivers would benefit from increased cycling because commute times, traffic jams, and collisions involving cars decrease as cycling and multi-modal transportation options improve. In short, there are no downsides to increases in cycling.

How do we do it?