GEARs and EBC have Merged

Exciting news for the cycling community!

The Eugene Bicycle Coalition and GEARs have decided to unite in our efforts to improve access and safety to cyclists in our community. We anticipate being able to accomplish more with our combined efforts. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. Please read what Sue Wolling had to say about it:

After hemming and hawing for many months about how to get non-profit
status for the Eugene Bicycle Coalition, we have just completed an
agreement with GEARS Cycling Club that will accomplish that for the Bike
Coalition--and hopefully benefit GEARS, as well.

Since GEARS already is a registered non-profit organization, and its
goals include "encouragement of facilities for cycling on public roads
and lands" and "promotion of the regulation and recognition of bicycles
as vehicles for pleasure, health and transportation", it's a good fit for
the Bike Coalition. The simplest approach seemed to be for the Bike
Coalition to become a "committee" of GEARS. This will allow the two
groups to pool their resources--in terms of money, people and
communications--for mutually agreed upon purposes, and yet for each group
to maintain its specific focus: GEARS for recreational cycling and the
EBC for bicycle advocacy.

I'm sure the relationship will evolve over time, and I hope that the
combined group will be stronger and more dynamic that either of the two
groups was alone. So, at this point I'd like to thank the GEARS' board
for their openness and friendly cooperation, and wish us all well! In
the meantime, if anyone wants to show support for bicycling in
Eugene-Springfield, I suggest that becoming a member of GEARS/EBC would
be a great first step! A standard membership is only $12, and you can
find a membership application on the GEARS web site at
www.eugenegears.org.