As leaders in the cycling industry, we are responsible for making our workplaces, communities, and world genuinely inclusive.
The Cycling Industry Pledge (CIP) works to hold companies accountable to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cycling community with signees making a commitment to actions outlined in the pledge.
CIP was inspired by the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge created by Teresa Baker.
Why a Pledge is Needed
The cycling industry is the most discriminatory out of all outdoor industries on gender-based exclusion*.
Cycling companies hold an influence on how people interact with the bike industry. As representatives of the bike industry, they invite the types of people who choose to recreate outside and shape how they behave. Day-to-day, they manage countless employees who do the same. In the way they operate, they can elevate inclusion to the front of our workplace culture.
Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion effectively engages and supports all underrepresented groups.
To do this, they must address honestly and head-on the concerns and needs of their diverse employees to increase equity for all. Gender, racial, and ethnic diversity does not stand alone: it intersects with age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, and other categories of identity. We are committed to empowering people who are underrepresented in groups such as those above. We support ongoing advocacy efforts for body-positive culture, women, indigenous rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, and differently-abled cyclist enthusiasts.
Gender and racial inequality prevail in bike shops, professional cycling, and media representation within the cycling industry.
Professional cycling is among the worst in professional sports with disproportionate funding, payouts, support, and attention for women and transgender people. In bike shops, women disproportionately experience sexism and exclusivity more than men.* LGBTQ+ and people of color are subject to inequities around the world, especially in the United States, but we have a valuable opportunity to take on gender, racial, ethnic, and other divides by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our cycling communities.
Spending from cycling contributes significantly to local, state, and national economies, as well as internationally – the second-highest spending for any outdoor activity*.
Advocating for inclusion is not just for social good, but it also improves the economy, corporate performance, and employee engagement. Cycling companies with diverse groups of employees, athletes/ambassadors, and media representation perform better and leave our outdoor spaces in better hands for the next generation.
CIP Principles
We commit to sharing our progress with RAR to evaluate progress towards weaving DEI within our company.
We will track our own progress, share an annual update with RAR, and hold ourselves accountable to the goals we have set via CIP.
We advocate supporting other companies in the bike industry in their pursuit of inclusion.
We will do this by building a culture of collaboration, enhancing existing programs, and making a commitment to serve the greater cycling community.
We recognize that the commitments above won’t solve our challenges overnight, but we believe they represent incremental progress toward building a more inclusive bike industry.
We hope this list of signatories will grow over time, and we invite other bike industry companies around the world to join us.
We believe the bike industry will reach its full potential when it represents everyone who rides a bike.
By committing to CIP and advocating for diversity and inclusion within our workplaces, industries, and broader business community, we create a landscape that includes and empowers everyone.
CIP Actions
In signing the Cycling Industry Pledge (CIP), I will help craft a specific set of actions for my company. We recognize that these four outlined actions are not the complete answer. Still, we believe they are concrete steps toward building more diversity, equity, and inclusion and forming a more accountable network within the cycling industry.
1.
Practice upholding the RAR Guiding Principles These ten guiding principles are designed to help facilitate safer spaces for learning and exploration with care, respect, and intention.
- Commit and acknowledge that the ten principles are to guide our company on a path to more inclusion and understanding of different backgrounds and experiences.
2.
Advocate to hire a diverse workforce and executive leadership.
- Broadcast job opportunities and internships to underrepresented populations in your workforce and executive leadership.
- Explore diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) education for your teams.
- Build workplaces that enable challenging conversations about DEI.
3.
Visibly engage in supporting broadly representative cycling teams, events, athletes, and ambassadors
- Uplift underrepresented voices and stories in our media to provide the next generation a collection of role models who represent all backgrounds. Recognize the difference between tokenization and representation when it comes to content. Holistically support inclusion within all companies’ practices and policies.
- Support athletes and ambassadors with gear and funding to achieve their goals and showcase them in our media because they represent our brand’s core values.
- Commit to supporting events and races that encourage more inclusion and diversity within the sport.
4.
Share the Pledge with other companies in the cycling industry.
- Encourage other companies to begin their paths to inclusive representation by sharing your commitment to this pledge.
- Be vulnerable and open to real conversations about the challenges we face together in the bike industry and understand that change starts with you.
CIP Benefits
By joining CIP, all members receive these core benefits:
Education & Resources
Learning from CIP-specific newsletters to further your DEI education. Newsletters will also share DEI initiatives and trends within the industry so you can get inspired by what others are doing.
Accountability & Networking
Being a part of a network that can hold each other accountable. RAR will offer an accountability group for companies who want a working group to share their pledge progress. RAR will also provide one-on-one connections for those who want to get in touch with similar-sized companies.
Industry Assessment
Receiving an annual update from RAR on the CIP Network’s collective progress. With data results and insights, the assessment highlights the key areas we need to be better in and how we can collectively improve.
Exposure & Job Promotion
Broadcasting to the RAR community and cycling community at large about your commitment to advancing DEI within your company. Paid members get access to up to two job announcements via our website and social media. RAR will also feature your company logo on our website and social media when we highlight signees.
Invaluable Commitment
Belonging to the CIP Network is being a part of a conscious collective dedicated to positive social change in the cycling community. When you join, you are holding yourself accountable, and asking the cycling community to help you hold yourself to a higher standard of inclusion.
RAR Community
Additional networking opportunities with our community through RAR’s newsletter and programs. When requested, RAR can directly connect you to our Chapters, Gravel, and Scholarship programs.
CIP Membership Cost
We have a new membership cost because we believe that the work that goes into CIP should be acknowledged as paid labor. The cost to join is based on your number of full-time equivalent employees.
| 1 employee | $50 |
| 2-5 employees | $100 |
| 6-10 employees | $150 |
| 11-35 employees | $200 |
| 36-100 employees | $250 |
| 101-500 employees | $300 |
| 501+ employees | $400 |
When you fill out the enrollment form you can choose a payment level.
If you are an existing member you can pay here.
Sign the Cycling Industry Pledge
The CIP Network aims to foster empathy, understanding, and eagerness for the growth necessary to make progress toward true equity in cycling spaces. By signing CIP, you are taking an active role in that progress. You join a network that cheers each other on, holds each other accountable, shares information and education, and reminds one another of why we are all here.
*CIP enrollment is currently closed. An announcement will be made when enrollment opens again.
If you signed CIP in 2020 and filled out the end-of-year survey then you are automatically enrolled for another year. There are new membership costs that you can pay here.
