Manfred Neun (born 21 August 1950) is a German entrepreneur and a key figure in cycling advocacy. He is the former president of the European Cyclists' Federation and actively advocates for cycling and utility cycling in Europe and abroad. Life and business Manfred Neun was born in 1950 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany where his parents ran a nursery. He started his professional life by undertaking a banker’s apprenticeship and also managing the horticultural enterprise that his parents owned. He also managed a medium enterprise designing, assembling and trading bicycles and bicycle parts. In those days he earned the nickname the “Father of the Trekking Bike" with a 1986 example of his bike on display in the Deutsches Museum. Currently he is involved in two family businesses but is on a sabbatical leave due to his presidency. He currently lives with his family in Memmingen, Germany. He has a brother, Dr Hansjörg Neun, who has been director of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) since May 2005. In their youth, the two brothers shared a passion for sailing with Manfred also partaking in other outdoor sports including walking, mountaineering, skiing, sailing and cycling. Academic career Neun studied economic psychology at the University of Augsburg in the 1970s with a focus on health, behaviour, energy use, transport development and transfer economics. After his degree, he was involved in research studying economic psychological aspects related to public and private transport in an urban environment. He was lecturer at four universities (University of Augsburg, Heidenheim University; University of Ulm and the Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education) and held various lessons on topics such as planning, human resource management and organisational development. Academic approach to cycling In ECF, Neun thought to adopt a more scientific based approach to Velo-city conferences and cycling advocacy in general. This scientific approach was woven into the growing number of themes, case studies and best-practise examples at the Velo-city series. This approach was prepared together with Dr. Martin Held and Dr. Bernhard Ensink and started in 2007. Neun also took initiative in implementing the Scientists for Cycling network during a Velo-city Global Conference in 2010 in Copenhagen which seeks to unite scientists and professionals for increased interdisciplinary research on utility cycling and advocating pro-cycling policies. Neun is regularly invited to attend conferences and speak at universities. His latest academic work has been