Happy First Birthday Freewheel!

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” – Bill Gates

Three hundred and sixty five days ago I woke up sick to my stomach.  It was Day 1 at Freewheel. After months of planning, I was ready to make the first deliveries for my new company.  So I had butterflies from anticipation. But there’s no question I was also scared. I was starting a new company after taking the leap from a steady 15-year career.

This morning I woke up eager to guild on our first year's success and to think big about what's possible over the next decade. (Note: prior blog and Facebook posts have covered a lot of specific highlights over the last year.  So check those out if you haven’t.).  

Here in Seattle, population growth and development are on track to make our notorious traffic and congestion even worse. Moving goods through the city is going to get tougher. And with transportation making up the bulk of our carbon pollution we have to analyze and address freight.

In my opinion, Freewheel can be a big part of a future, more sustainable urban environment. Here are some broad questions I have about how we can get there.

-       First, what % of urban deliveries can legitimately be done by bike?  Incredibly, a European study concluded up to half.

-       Second, what type of urban planning or polices can Seattle adopt to transform urban delivery? Congestion is in the news, but not how cargo delivery contributes to it or how it can be changed.

-       Three, what is more likely to lead the shift for appropriate goods away from vans/trucks onto cargo bikes: business decisions, traffic and congestion, consumer demand or government policy?

-       Four, can Seattle become a national leader developing a new model for sustainable urban deliveries?

I'm really curious what you think.  Please leave your thoughts below or feel free to shoot me a note if you’ve got ideas to share or want to get involved – [email protected].

Thank you to all the great companies we’ve partnered with over the last year.  It’s just awesome to think about the year we’ve had and the possibilities ahead. Ride, Freewheel, Ride.

Dan Kohler
co-founder & ceo