Richard Fries, a highly respected journalist, marketer, and ambassador for cycling, has joined the Bikes Belong team as a professional advisor to the Bikes Belong Foundation.

A resident of Lexington, Massachusetts, Fries is well-known as one of U.S. cycling’s most accomplished writers. He is a veteran race announcer and television commentator. He has published Bike Culture Magazine (formerly The Ride) since 1993. He served as the Marketing Director of Pedro’s USA before taking over as Marketing Director for the Audi Best Buddies Challenge rides, which raises funds to help citizens with intellectual disabilities.

Fries will help the Bikes Belong Foundation develop new support for its efforts to get children riding bikes (primarily through the Safe Routes to School program). He’ll also focus on projects that promote safe bicycling by fostering mutual respect among motorists and cyclists.

"Richard has long been one of bicycling’s best advocates," says Bikes Belong executive director Tim Blumenthal. "He is articulate, well-connected, and creative. All of these skills, plus his infectious enthusiasm, will help us garner new support for the foundation’s key projects."

“A lot of people know of my passion for the sport of cycling, but I’m even more passionate about the bike as a means of transit,” said Fries, a lifelong bicycle commuter. “I’ve made a lot of contacts over the years. I cannot wait to plug them all together for Bikes Belong to benefit not just cyclists, but our entire society.” 

The Bikes Belong Foundation, which launched in the summer of 2006, is the sister organization to the Bikes Belong Coalition, which began in 1998. The Foundation’s work on the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and Bicycle Friendly Communities is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Centers for Disease Control, Harvest Foundation, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, REI, and the bike industry members of the Bikes Belong Coalition.

The Bikes Belong Coalition is dedicated to getting more people riding bicycles more often. Founded and funded primarily by the U.S. bike industry, the coalition supports bicycling by maximizing government funding, forming national partnerships with influential groups, and promoting the many important societal benefits of cycling.