I know the subject line exudes progress but is the PRO Tour abandoning rim brakes entirely really a step in the right direction? 🤔

I'm joking, of course, but it is weeks like last week where the bike industry's proverbial & repairable economic slow leak seems quite insignificant to global news that continues to be just so damn bleak.

I first read what happened to USAID via my friend Manuel's post below. He pointed out that USAID's budget is about 0.2% of the federal budget and put it into perspective by pointing out that annual direct federal subsidies to the fossil fuel industry are estimated at around 0.27% of the federal budget or $20 billion.

The total profit for the U.S. fossil fuel industry in 2024 likely exceeds $100 billion. 👀 We all know the future the fossil fuel industry holds...

Manuel also linked to a podcast diving more into an evaluation of the past weeks' Trump administration actions. Believe me, I know you don't tune in here for political news & I'm quite intentional when sharing my views...

So on that note, it's worth explaining that this week's subject line was inspired by both literally Have Heart's Outbreak Fest headlining set finale intro speech to their classic track "Watch Me Rise" and figuratively by paraphrasing the words of Graham Sayle of High Vis who my wife Kristy & I saw perform with our friend Paul van der Zwaard in Groningen last week: "it's the government's job to look after the most weak."

In closing, like Zoe Williams at the Guardian rhetorically asked in her recent op-ed "Who started the culture war between cyclists and drivers?":

"What dark money has poured into which thinktanks to get this culture war started? [...] it doesn’t matter who started it; we all just have to end it.

So whether it is bikes vs. cars or oligarch tech czars, let's keep helping each other build a better future every day despite the cruelty we may encounter along the way.

Thank you for reading,

Jon

p.s.

Here's some nicer, more forward-thinking news to balance your geopolitical blues: European Sleeper's Brussels to Venice route, with stops in Cologne, Innsbruck, and Bolzano/Bozen, kicked off last week! The Summit Series also announced their program to facilitate allyship, representation, strategic recruiting & retention techniques for gender equity in the cycling industry in Paris 25-27, March.

🗓️

Events ( 🎷 Dox Under the Tracks THIS Friday!)

February