USA Cycling and the League of American Bicyclists have announced a new partnership to further develop the sport of cycling by working together to create a nation where everyone recognizes and enjoys the many benefits and opportunities of bicycling.
As the National Governing Body for the sport of cycling in the United States, USA Cycling, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., has offered its support to the League to help promote and enhance advocacy efforts and programs.
“The League plays a critical role in America in advocating for and promoting cycling, so we are thrilled to work with them,” said Derek Bouchard-Hall, USA Cycling’s President & Chief Executive Officer. “In fact, the League has a very long legacy in advocating for cyclists — our entire sport owes them a debt of gratitude for their important work dating back to the 1800s when the bicycle was first becoming popular.”
The League, based in Washington, D.C., is a leader in the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone. For more than 135 years, the League has been dedicated to protecting the rights of bicyclists and working to make bicycling is safe, comfortable, and open to all.
“We are very proud to partner with USA Cycling to help promote the sport of cycling,” said Bill Nesper, Executive Director of the League. “We have shared interests and objectives, and our work strongly supports each other’s missions.”
Initial actions within the partnership will include the encouragement of each organization’s membership programs to build a greater base of support for bicycling throughout the U.S. and working together to amplify campaigns and grow programs focused on advocating for cycling safety and cyclists’ rights. For instance, USA Cycling will seek to engage its community in the League’s efforts to promote bicyclists’ interests at the local, state and national level, while the League will help USA Cycling communicate to the League’s membership the joy and excitement of participating in competitive cycling events of all types. A longer-term goal of the League and USA Cycling is to significantly expand the bicycling movement by engaging more individuals in advocacy and competitive cycling, increasing the exposure, access and appeal to bicycling at the local and national levels.
More about USA Cycling
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States at all levels and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports enthusiasts just beginning in the sport to seasoned professionals. It may be best known for the identification, development and selection of cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but equally important is its support of amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing. Recently, it has broadened its mission to support enthusiasts and the events in which they participate like gran fondos and fun rides.
USA Cycling’s headquarters is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the center of the US Olympic movement with peer institutions such as the United States Olympic Committee, US Anti-Doping Agency, and dozens of other US national governing bodies. USA Cycling began in 1920 as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved through the decades to become United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s roughly 60,000 members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.
More about the League of American Bicyclists
The League is a national bicycle advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. which has been leading the movement to create safer roads, stronger communities, and a bicycle-friendly America since 1880. Through information, advocacy and promotion, they work to celebrate and preserve the freedom cycling brings to Americans.
The League’s advocacy efforts span the spectrum, from lobbying Congress for a fair share of funding to giving local advocates the tools to win campaigns for bike-friendly policies in their towns. At the federal, state and local level, their efforts unite the voices of bicyclists and efforts of advocates nationwide.
The League is the producer of the National Bike Summit, the sponsor of National Bike Month℠ (and the National Bike Challenge), and the creator of programs to educate and encourage safe bicycling nationwide, reaching thousands of individuals through their Smart Cycling Program each year. Whether one needs to know state bike laws, how to gain funding for a bike lane, or how to engage diverse stakeholders in a community, the League gives the advocacy community the tools they need to make bicycling better.
