The SRAM Cycling Fund announced that it will make a $200,000 donation this year to the Bikes Belong Coalition to develop an unprecedented broad-based political network of Americans who support government investment in bicycle facilities. Bikes Belong will partner with America Bikes—the national coalition of eight leading national cycling non-profit groups—to develop a network of hundreds of thousands of individuals who will get involved in the movement and contact their U.S. senators and representatives to encourage increasing the federal investment in bicycling.

“This is the most important year yet for federal bicycling funding with a new transportation bill, the economic stimulus package, and climate change legislation,” said Bikes Belong executive director Tim Blumenthal. “SRAM’s generous support will help us develop a powerful campaign to get individual Americans to speak up for bike funding and its many tangible health, economic and lifestyle benefits.”

“We plan to adapt many of the database, networking and fundraising techniques that were used so successfully by the Obama campaign,” Blumenthal said. “Our goal is to engage hundreds of thousands—ideally millions— of Americans. We want people who support cycling to join the movement and contact their U.S. senators and representatives to encourage increasing the federal investment in bicycling.”

This is the third in a series of awards made by SRAM’s Cycling Fund, which was created on September 30th, 2008. During the next five years, the Fund plans to award $10 million in grants to support committed national advocacy efforts that enhance cycling infrastructure, safety and access. Information about the SRAM Cycling Fund is available at www.sramcyclingfund.org.