What Vélo Canada Bikes does

Vélo Canada Bikes is a Winnipeg-based, membership-driven nonprofit founded in 2012 (previously operating as Canada Bikes) that functions as the national umbrella voice for everyday cycling advocacy in Canada. Its core programs include the annual Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo citizen science census — a volunteer-driven national count of cyclists and, from 2026, broader micromobility modes — supported by the in-house pedalpoll.app web platform and the third-party CounterPoint field-data application, with methodology co-developed alongside Simon Fraser University and Dalhousie University. The organization also runs the National Bike Summits (held 2017-2019 in Ottawa), the annual Bike Day on the Hill lobbying event, monthly cross-country advocacy calls, a Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Active Transportation, and a tiered membership and donation program.

The organization does not sell products or software licenses; it is funded through individual, family, and organizational membership dues ($15 to $3,000 CAD annually), recurring and one-time donations (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual cadences), project grants from federal and academic sources (Infrastructure Canada's Active Transportation Fund 2023-2025, SSHRC, Mobilizing Justice at the University of Toronto), and supporting corporate partners (MEC, CAA, The Co-operators). Its constituents span individual cyclists and households, bike shops and bicycle businesses, local and provincial cycling advocacy organizations, engineering/planning/construction firms, and complementary nonprofits in health and environment sectors. Its go-to-market is community-led: content marketing via a bilingual website and newsletter, social media presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube, supplemented by in-person summits, webinars, and direct engagement with Parliamentarians.

Name

Vélo Canada Bikes

Legal name

Vélo Canada Bikes

Website

https://velocanadabikes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vélo Canada Bikes is a Winnipeg-based, membership-driven nonprofit founded in 2012 that serves as the national umbrella voice for everyday cycling advocacy in Canada, running the Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo citizen science census, National Bike Summits, Bike Day on the Hill lobbying event, and tiered membership and donation programs for cyclists, bike shops, advocacy organizations, and government partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individuals, households, bike shops, cycling organizations, nonprofits, and businesses at various tier levels ranging from $15 to $3,000 CAD per year.
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donation options available to supporters, with payment frequencies including monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Vélo Canada Bikes is a national nonprofit cycling advocacy organization that mobilizes members, partner organizations, and policymakers to promote everyday cycling and active transportation in Canada. It delivers its mission through a tiered membership program, citizen-science data collection (Sondo Vélo / Pedal Poll), national convening events (National Bike Summits, Bike Day on the Hill), and policy-research tools such as a Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for active-transportation infrastructure.

Product overview

Vélo Canada Bikes is a membership-based non-profit advocacy organization (not a technology product company) that offers a portfolio of programs and events to promote cycling in Canada. The core offerings include: the Sondo Vélo citizen science bike counting program, National Bike Summits (annual conferences held 2017-2019), Bike Day on the Hill advocacy events, monthly advocacy calls, and a membership program with multiple tiers. The organization also provides a Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Active Transportation as part of its data and evidence initiatives. There is no unified software platform—the organization is an advocacy body whose "products" are programs, events, and membership services rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Tiered annual membership for individuals ($25 Individual / $50 Family / $100 Advocate), bike shops ($150), businesses ($500), and nonprofits ($150) that supports Vélo Canada Bikes' national cycling advocacy work, grants members access to advocacy resources, and is offered to Canadian cyclists, retailers, and aligned organizations.
• Sondo Vélo (Pedal Poll) National citizen-science program and accompanying web application (pedalpoll.app) that lets Canadian cyclists record their rides, route conditions, and barriers, generating open data on everyday cycling experiences for use in advocacy and infrastructure planning. Targeted at individual cyclists across Canada who contribute data and at policymakers who consume aggregated insights.
• National Bike Summit Annual national advocacy event convened in Ottawa that brings together cycling advocates, bike-industry representatives, and federal policymakers to coordinate on active-transportation policy, with editions held in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Aimed at member organizations, bike businesses, and government stakeholders engaged in cycling policy.
• Bike Day on the Hill Advocacy day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa that mobilizes Vélo Canada Bikes members to meet with federal parliamentarians and push cycling and active-transportation policy priorities. Targeted at VCB members and federal political stakeholders.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Active Transportation Analytical tool provided by Vélo Canada Bikes to help advocates, planners, and policymakers quantify the economic, health, and environmental returns of investing in cycling and active-transportation infrastructure. Targeted at municipal/provincial planners, advocacy organizations, and engineering/consulting firms.
• Monthly Cross-Country Advocacy Calls Recurring virtual convening for Vélo Canada Bikes members and partner organizations across Canada to coordinate active-transportation advocacy campaigns, share updates, and align national messaging. Targeted at the 60+ partner organizations and engaged members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully advocated for establishment of National Active Transportation Strategy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Senator Nancy Greene RaineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017Partnered with Senator Nancy Greene Raine for the first National Bike Summit in 2017, in conjunction with National Health and Fitness Day.
• MitacscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMitacs is a partner in the Sondo Vélo 2026 micromobility census project. Mitacs is a Canadian organization that connects industry with academic research capabilities.
• CapaCITY/ÉcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Sondo Vélo 2026 micromobility counting project, contributing to the development of the new micromobility survey categories.
• CITIES FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Sondo Vélo 2026 project, supporting micromobility counting methodology development.
• Stuckless Consulting Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Sondo Vélo 2026 micromobility counting project.
• CounterPoint AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the CounterPoint application used for cyclist and micromobility counting data collection during Sondo Vélo events.
• Cities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab (SFU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. Provides academic expertise for the Sondo Vélo project methodology and analysis.
• Healthy Populations Institute (Dalhousie University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Contributes academic expertise to Sondo Vélo project research and analysis.
• Local Cycling Advocacy OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations across Canada that provide in-kind support for Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo counting events, including volunteer mobilization and local coordination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Transportation Alternatives: New York City-based active transportation and cycling advocacy organization running campaigns, volunteer mobilizations, and city-level policy advocacy. Comparable in operating model (volunteer-powered advocacy, event-driven campaigns) although focused on a single city.
• HUB Cycling: Metro Vancouver-based cycling advocacy organization running cycling counts, commuter events, and policy advocacy in BC. Comparable as a Canadian regional peer working in cycling data collection and local advocacy infrastructure that VCB supports nationally.
• PeopleForBikes: US-based national cycling advocacy and industry trade association that convenes bike businesses, runs industry data programs, and lobbies federal policymakers. Highly comparable to Vélo Canada Bikes in role, structure, and advocacy model, just at a larger US scale.
• Bike New York: NYC-based nonprofit running major cycling events (TD Five Boro Bike Tour), education programs, and advocacy. Comparable as an event- and education-led cycling nonprofit that mobilizes large volunteer bases for community-facing programs.
• League of American Bicyclists: The oldest US national cycling advocacy organization, providing a national voice for cyclists, federal policy advocacy, and member-based programs. Closest direct comparator to Vélo Canada Bikes' role as a national umbrella and Bike Day-style Hill advocacy.

Regional players

• Cycling UK: The UK's national cycling charity (~70,000+ members) that campaigns on cycling policy, produces route data, and supports local advocacy groups. Comparable as a national membership-based cycling advocacy charity in another geography.
• Bicycle Network: Australia's largest cycling membership organization, providing rider services, advocacy, and commuter infrastructure data. Comparable in mission and member-driven advocacy structure, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Canada_Bikes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@velocanadabikes
• Facebookfacebook.com/CanadaBikes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/velo-canada-bikes
• Instagraminstagram.com/velocanadabikes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vélo Canada Bikes