League of American League of American BicyclistsBicyclists

Representing the interests of the Representing the interests of the

nation's 57 million cyclists.nation's 57 million cyclists.

MissionMission• ToTo promote bicycling for fun, fitness and promote bicycling for fun, fitness and

transportation and work through advocacy and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America education for a bicycle-friendly America

• Represent interests of nation's 57 million cyclists Represent interests of nation's 57 million cyclists • Current membership - 300,000 affiliated cyclists, Current membership - 300,000 affiliated cyclists,

including 25,000 individuals and 700 organizationsincluding 25,000 individuals and 700 organizations

Proud and Rich HistoryProud and Rich History

• Founded as the League of Founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880American Wheelmen in 1880

• Bicyclists, known then as Bicyclists, known then as "wheelmen", were challenged "wheelmen", were challenged by poor road conditions and by poor road conditions and social antagonismsocial antagonism

• Moore than 100,000 cyclists Moore than 100,000 cyclists from across the United States from across the United States joined the League to advocate joined the League to advocate for paved roadsfor paved roads

• The success of the League in its The success of the League in its first advocacy efforts led to our first advocacy efforts led to our national highway systemnational highway system

Why Do Cyclists Join Why Do Cyclists Join the League?the League?

• The League:The League:– promotes & protects the rights of cyclists promotes & protects the rights of cyclists – provides valuable education programs provides valuable education programs – creates better cycling environments creates better cycling environments – promotes cycling through advocacy and eventspromotes cycling through advocacy and events

• Members:Members:– create bicycle friendly communities create bicycle friendly communities – receive all the benefits of membership, including receive all the benefits of membership, including American BicyclistAmerican Bicyclist and and Bicycling MagazineBicycling Magazine publications publications

If you're a cyclist, you If you're a cyclist, you shouldshould be a member. be a member.

League's Key Programs

• Bicycle Friendly America ProgramBicycle Friendly America Program

• Bicycle Safety and EducationBicycle Safety and Education

• National, State and Local Bicycle AdvocacyNational, State and Local Bicycle Advocacy

• National Bike Month™National Bike Month™

Bicycle Friendly AmericaBicycle Friendly America

The League's Bicycle Friendly America The League's Bicycle Friendly America family of programs: family of programs:

• recognizes states, communities and businesses for recognizes states, communities and businesses for their efforts to promote bicycling their efforts to promote bicycling

• Provides roadmap to improveProvides roadmap to improve

Bicycle Friendly Bicycle Friendly CommunitiesCommunities

• The League recognizes municipalities that actively The League recognizes municipalities that actively support bicyclingsupport bicycling

• A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreationresidents to bike for transportation and recreation

• Promotes active, healthy lifestyles, reduces traffic Promotes active, healthy lifestyles, reduces traffic congestion, and improves air quality — and it’s fun!congestion, and improves air quality — and it’s fun!

• 250 communities have applied250 communities have applied• 96 designations given 96 designations given

Bicycle Friendly StatesBicycle Friendly States

• Promotes cycling through legislation, policies and Promotes cycling through legislation, policies and programs programs

• Two part recognition program Two part recognition program – States ranked annually on their level of bike-friendlinessStates ranked annually on their level of bike-friendliness– States that wish to apply for a BFS award designation can States that wish to apply for a BFS award designation can

receive further recognition and promotion of their efforts as receive further recognition and promotion of their efforts as well as feedback, technical assistance, training and further well as feedback, technical assistance, training and further encouragement to improve their bicycling legislation, encouragement to improve their bicycling legislation, projects, and programsprojects, and programs

• Top states in 2008Top states in 2008– WashingtonWashington– WisconsinWisconsin– ArizonaArizona

Bicycle Friendly BusinessesBicycle Friendly Businesses

• New initiative that began in 2008New initiative that began in 2008

• Recognizes employers’ efforts to encourage a more bicycle Recognizes employers’ efforts to encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere for employees and customersfriendly atmosphere for employees and customers

• Honors innovative bike-friendly efforts and provides Honors innovative bike-friendly efforts and provides technical assistance and information to help companies technical assistance and information to help companies and organizations become even better for bicyclistsand organizations become even better for bicyclists

• 19 applications with 13 designations to date19 applications with 13 designations to date

Bicycle Safety & EducationBicycle Safety & Education

• Provide materials and Provide materials and training courses to training courses to help people feel more help people feel more secure about getting secure about getting on their bikeson their bikes

• Bikes are treated as Bikes are treated as vehiclesvehicles

• Cyclists need to know Cyclists need to know how to ride a bike and how to ride a bike and how to operate it how to operate it safely and legally safely and legally

Traffic Skills 101Traffic Skills 101

• Gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride Gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trailsafely and legally in traffic or on the trail

• Covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike Covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniquesskills and crash avoidance techniques

• Recommended for adults and children above age Recommended for adults and children above age fourteenfourteen

• Fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for Fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of riding in traffic a full understanding of riding in traffic

Traffic Skills 201Traffic Skills 201

• For more advanced students with an For more advanced students with an understanding of vehicular cycling understanding of vehicular cycling

• Twelve-hour course includes fitness and Twelve-hour course includes fitness and physiology, training for longer rides, physiology, training for longer rides, advanced mechanics, paceline skills, advanced mechanics, paceline skills, advanced traffic negotiation, foul weather advanced traffic negotiation, foul weather riding and night riding riding and night riding

CommutingCommuting

• For adult cyclists who wish to explore For adult cyclists who wish to explore commuting to work or school by bikecommuting to work or school by bike

• Topics include route selection, bicycle Topics include route selection, bicycle choice, dealing with cargo and clothing, choice, dealing with cargo and clothing, bike parking, lighting, reflection, and foul bike parking, lighting, reflection, and foul weather ridingweather riding

Motorist EducationMotorist Education

• A 3-hour classroom session, A 3-hour classroom session, that can be easily added to a that can be easily added to a driver's education driver's education curriculum, such as curriculum, such as diversion training for diversion training for reckless drivers or a course reckless drivers or a course designed local bus driversdesigned local bus drivers

• Directed towards motorists Directed towards motorists in generalin general

• Topics covered include Topics covered include roadway positioning of roadway positioning of cyclists, traffic and hand cyclists, traffic and hand signals, principles of right-of-signals, principles of right-of-way and left and right turn way and left and right turn problemsproblems

Kids CoursesKids Courses

• RodeoRodeo– Designed for parents, Designed for parents,

instructors explain how to instructors explain how to teach a child to ride a biketeach a child to ride a bike

– Topics include how to perform Topics include how to perform a bicycle safety check, helmet a bicycle safety check, helmet fitting and bike sizing fitting and bike sizing

– Includes 10-minute 'Kids Eye Includes 10-minute 'Kids Eye View' video and a brochure for View' video and a brochure for parentsparents

• Safe Routes to SchoolSafe Routes to School– 7-hour class for 5th and 6th 7-hour class for 5th and 6th

graders graders – Covers the same topics as Road Covers the same topics as Road

I, including on-bike skills as I, including on-bike skills as well as choosing safe routes for well as choosing safe routes for ridingriding

LCILCI CertificationCertification• Becoming a League Becoming a League

Cycling Instructor (LCI) Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified to teach Smart certified to teach Smart Cycling is a great way to Cycling is a great way to help cyclists in your help cyclists in your community community

• Certified instructors can Certified instructors can teach Smart Cycling teach Smart Cycling classes to children and classes to children and adultsadults

• Road I is a prerequisite Road I is a prerequisite for a certification seminar. for a certification seminar. Instructors are trained at Instructors are trained at seminars held periodically seminars held periodically throughout the yearthroughout the year

National, State & Local National, State & Local Bicycle AdvocacyBicycle Advocacy

Advocating for BicyclistsAdvocating for Bicyclists

Advocating for Advocating for bicyclists is one of bicyclists is one of

the most the most important goals important goals of the League of the League

National Bike Summit National Bike Summit

• Annual conference in D.C. that Annual conference in D.C. that focuses on making a powerful focuses on making a powerful case for expanding Federal case for expanding Federal support for bicyclingsupport for bicycling

• Fellow advocates, industry Fellow advocates, industry leaders and retailers make their leaders and retailers make their voices for change heard in voices for change heard in WashingtonWashington

• A “smart” transportation A “smart” transportation movement is needed to solve the movement is needed to solve the challenges of climate change, challenges of climate change, obesity, congestion, pollution, obesity, congestion, pollution, safety, and dependence on safety, and dependence on foreign oilforeign oil

The League Works with The League Works with America Bikes to…America Bikes to…

• Request Congress to pass an Request Congress to pass an Economic Stimulus billEconomic Stimulus bill that that includes a balanced set of includes a balanced set of transportation investments with transportation investments with explicit funding for bicycle and explicit funding for bicycle and pedestrian projectspedestrian projects

• Enact a Enact a Federal Transportation Federal Transportation BillBill that requires a Complete that requires a Complete Streets National Policy, a Fair Streets National Policy, a Fair Share For Safety for cyclists Share For Safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and federal and pedestrians, and federal policy and funding that develop policy and funding that develop comprehensive bicycling comprehensive bicycling networks  networks 

Advocacy AccomplishmentsAdvocacy Accomplishments

• National Bike Bill Passed 5.21.08National Bike Bill Passed 5.21.08– Recognizes increased and safe bicycle use for transportation and Recognizes increased and safe bicycle use for transportation and

recreation is in the Nation’s interestrecreation is in the Nation’s interest

– Supports policies that increase bicycle use Supports policies that increase bicycle use

– Encourages the Department of Transportation (DOT) to Encourages the Department of Transportation (DOT) to reestablish the federal bicycle task force to include representatives reestablish the federal bicycle task force to include representatives from all relevant federal agenciesfrom all relevant federal agencies

• The Bicycle Commuter Act became effective 1.01.09The Bicycle Commuter Act became effective 1.01.09– Cyclists on the same footing as people who get tax breaks for Cyclists on the same footing as people who get tax breaks for

taking transit or driving (or parking) their cars to and from worktaking transit or driving (or parking) their cars to and from work

National Bike Month™National Bike Month™Bike Month is Bike Month is EveryEvery May May

If you spent even some of your daily drive time pedaling, the rewards would be:

• A BETTER BODY Most weeks, 7 out of 10 of us fail to get the minimum recommended 30 minutes of activity per The result:– Ride your bike to work, and you no longer need to make time to exercise– Rack up just 3 hours of riding time a week, and you can slash your risk of heart

disease and stroke in half. starting any new physical activity• MORE MONEY The average annual price of keeping an automobile

running: at least $3,000– The cost of running a bike for a year: less than $300

• CLEAN AIR A bike is a simple way to improve the environment– The number of communities that will fall out of compliance with the Clean Air

Act is expected to triple within a decade– Motorized vehicles are responsible for 70% of the carbon monoxide, 45% of

the nitrogen dioxide and 34% of the hydrocarbons people produce

Benefits of MembershipBenefits of Membership

PublicationsPublications• American BicyclistAmerican Bicyclist

– League magazine published League magazine published six times a yearsix times a year

– Focuses on world of cycling Focuses on world of cycling and important issues in and important issues in bicycle advocacy and bicycle advocacy and education education

– Promotes cycling, cycling Promotes cycling, cycling events and enjoying the events and enjoying the benefits of the cycling benefits of the cycling lifestylelifestyle

• American Bicyclist UpdateAmerican Bicyclist Update– A bi-monthly enewsletter A bi-monthly enewsletter

that includes news and that includes news and agenda items for bicycling agenda items for bicycling enthusiasts enthusiasts

Ride ResourcesRide Resources

• Resources available under Resources available under the Find It section the Find It section bikeleague.orgbikeleague.org– Include local clubs, Include local clubs,

advocacy organizations, advocacy organizations, rides, instructors and much, rides, instructors and much, much moremuch more

• Site also offers hundreds Site also offers hundreds of tips on how to commute of tips on how to commute by bicycle, help your kids by bicycle, help your kids ride safely, and brush up ride safely, and brush up on your own skillson your own skills

Special OffersSpecial Offers

• Bicycle Roadside AssistanceBicycle Roadside Assistance

– For Silver Spoke -Members OnlyFor Silver Spoke -Members Only

• Bicycle RetailersBicycle Retailers

– A network of bike shops offer discounts to League membersA network of bike shops offer discounts to League members

– Bicycle Manufacturer DiscountsBicycle Manufacturer Discounts

– 5% discounts on the purchase of Bike Friday® bicycles5% discounts on the purchase of Bike Friday® bicycles

• Bicycle Manufacturer DiscountsBicycle Manufacturer Discounts

– 5% discounts on Bike Friday® bicycles5% discounts on Bike Friday® bicycles• Other DiscountsOther Discounts

– Gear, Tours, Lodging, Car Rentals, Sports Equipment Gear, Tours, Lodging, Car Rentals, Sports Equipment Shipping and much more!Shipping and much more!

Working for a Bicycle Working for a Bicycle Friendly AmericaFriendly America

Visit Visit bikeleague.orgbikeleague.org today! today!