As both an avid mountain biker and a 26-year veteran of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s office, Jeff Carek has spent much of his career easing frictions between cyclists and law enforcement. And after three years as the Education Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, he has been elevated to interim executive director and is a candidate to take over permanently later this year.
In a state that was built on the motor vehicle, Jeff maintains that Washtenaw sheriffs show a healthy support for cyclists who are involved in collisions. But after the recent legislative shift in Lansing, he outlines how more LMB members (either paying or at the new, free Advocacy level) are needed to help overcome the greater opposition to legislation the League has sponsored.
We also talk about urban cycling in Detroit, his love of long-range bikepacking trips to the east coast, and the influence of Evel Knievel on his early cycling development. (Also, there should absolutely be a show called Boat Cops.)
Other links:
The LMB and Michigan Mountain Bike Alliance joined forces in 2022
The Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association (potoMBA)
All about the Barry-Roubaix (the podcast code phrase for Summit Bingo)
About Brendt Barbur, founding director of the Bicycle Film Festival
Get your Bicycle Film Festival tickets
Join the Washtenaw Bike Summit wait list
Share this post