Pedro’s recently announced they’re stepping up their dedication to mountain bike access by pledging $20,000 to IMBA’s Public Lands Initiative. By committing to such a big chunk of change for mountain biking, Pedro’s is reinforcing their dedication to the sport. “20 plus years ago, Pedro’s was founded with a mission to support the mountain bike family. During last week’s Bicycle Leadership Conference, there was a ‘moment’ that occurred at the Conference – a game changer for the US mountain biking trail systems,” said Pedro’s Matt Simpson. “We had made the decision as a team to reenter mountain biking; this pledge was our opportunity to walk our talk.”

IMBA’s Public Lands Initiative is a new drive for the organization that intends to, “…improve access for mountain bicycling, protect public lands and engage the bicycling community in critical U.S. public lands issues.” The initial funding goal for this initiative is $300, 000. At its inception, companies and organizations like Specialized, Trek and Bikes Belong have all stepped up to pledge significant financial support.

Other companies are likely to follow Pedro’s lead by also committing to the Public Lands Initiative. For its part, Pedro’s will raise the $20,000 over two years by joining with partners such as BikeReg.com, Root 66, and 3point5.com, “…to create innovative partnerships aligned to achieving the stated goal.”  $20,000 is the minimum Pedro’s expects to throw down, and they hope to double that amount in the following two years.

Rich Cook, IMBA’s development director, states, “It’s bad public policy to limit a popular outdoor activity at a time when the nation is growing obese, kids are disconnected from nature and threats to healthy ecosystems are not being addressed. Mountain bicycling offers a real solution to all of these issues and we need every rider involved.”

Pedro’s is helping. Bikes Belong is fighting. Trek and Specialized are committed. What are YOU doing?