About
Frederick Bicycle Coalition Inc.
Mission Statement
Working with government, organizations, and individuals, Frederick Bicycle Coalition Inc. promotes greater access for bicyclists and others in the Frederick county area.
Principles
While Frederick Bicycle Coalition Inc. primarily works to improve access for bicyclists, efforts in the way of trail creation and the like shall not necessarily exclude access to pedestrians and other users.
Tax information
The Frederick Bicycle Coalition operates as a non-profit corporation and is a 501(c)3 tax exempt corporation under IRS rules. Donations may be tax deductible as the law allows. No information here should be taken as tax or legal advice, please consult an appropriate professional to determine whether you may deduct any contributions on your tax filings.
What we do
Frederick Bicycle Coalition’s activities include but are not limited to:
- Advising Frederick City and Frederick County governments on issues related to bicycling access and safety.
- Providing educational opportunities in the form of safe cycling techniques, bicycle maintenance, flat tire repair, etc. to local Scouts, schools, or other organizations and groups as may be advantageous to promote cycling in the Frederick County area.
- Fund Raising events
- Advocating both the government and the private sectors to provide more access to safe, secure bicycle parking areas
- Advocating Frederick City and Frederick County for increased and improved bicycle signage
- Advocating for safe bicycle trails for cyclists and others.
- Advocating for safe bicycle routes to schools
How we raise money
Funds for Frederick Bicycle Coalition may come from several sources including but not limited to: promotional bike rides; the sale of Frederick Bicycle Coalition calendars; the sale of admission tickets to an annual Bicycle Swap Meet, bicycle races, raffles and grants. Funds raised through these and various other methods support the organization and provide for its activities.
Activities FBC and board members have done to promote cycling:
- Representation at Fort Detrick Safety Days Symposium
- Representation at Fort Detrick Employees safety days
- YMCA Frederick safety for children
- Church bicycle rodeos
- Frederick Boy Scouts Bicycle Merit Badge clinic
- Youth safety clinics
- Support of Frederick Bike to Work Day
- Representation at many Frederick City government meetings
- Representation at MORE trail maintenance and repair events
- Financial and in kind support to: Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE), League of American Bicyclists, International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA)
Board Members:
Tom Rinker- President
As a representative of the cycling community, Tom Rinker has promoted bicycling by his regular attendance at both Frederick city and county meetings. Tom (and his business, The Bicycle Escape) are members of M.O.R.E, IMBA, The Frederick Peddlers, and The League of American Bicyclists. The shop regularly leads rides, volunteers time for trail maintenance, and supports these and other events by supplying such items as prizes and food for participants.
Roger Rinker- Founder’s Chair
Roger has volunteered time leading educational and safety seminars for Fort Detrick, Boy Scouts of America, churches, and various community/civic organizations. He provides bicycle support for various Frederick events and often attends city and county meeting as a representative of the cycling community. Roger also has 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector.
Joe Whitehair – Communications Director
Joe Whitehair is a Frederick City resident and has been a cycling advocate for the past 9 years working with regional and national trail advocacy groups and government representatives to build trails, improve trails, provide additional mountain bike access and secure trail construction funding. He has served as a trail liaison at several local trails working as a bridge between mountain bikers, land managers and other user groups. As well as serving on the Frederick Bicycle Coalition board, he is currently severs the board of the local mountain bike advocacy group MORE as the Maryland At Large representative.
Anna Kelso- Treasurer
A passionate advocate for cyclists’ rights, Anna Kelso dedicates her professional and recreational life to the love of cycling. Anna began racing in 2002 on the University of Georgia Cycling team where she earned a degree in Environmental Economics. After receiving a masters in Forest Resources at Penn State, Anna moved to D.C. where she accepted a job with the US EPA. In 2009, Anna took a leave of absence to work with the League of American Bicyclists as a policy analyst. Today she lives in downtown Frederick where she can easily ride to trails right from her door.
James Johnson- Secretary
James Johnson, Secretary of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition, has been active in the cycling community for 12 years. He has worked in bike shops in the Maryland area for over a decade, and in Frederick shops for 6 years. His work extends to volunteering for local bike safety seminars, trail work, and the founding of dirtdata.org, a website devoted to mapping the vanishing dirt roads in the Frederick area. As the advocacy coordinator for Bike Doctor Frederick, he is working to further the cycling cause for local and visiting riders.
Brandon Furlong – Membership and Social Director
Brandon is an active road cyclist and bicycle commuter who rides wherever and whenever possible. In addition to handling membership duties for the Frederick Bicycle Coalition, Brandon is a full time employee at the Bike Doctor Frederick.
