Adventure Cycling Association is a nonprofit member organization focused on
travel by bicycle (bicycle touring). Headquartered in
Missoula
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
, Montana, Adventure Cycling develops
cycling routes, publishes maps, provides guided trips, and advocates for better and safer
cycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
in the U.S. The organization grew from a mass cross-country bicycle ride in 1976 to celebrate the
U.S. Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
. Adventure Cycling also publishes a magazine, ''
Adventure Cyclist''.
Adventure Cycling celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016 by hosting the Montana Bicycle Celebration in Missoula, promoting events like Bike Your Park Day and Bike Travel Weekend, and publishing its first-ever coffee table book, ''America's Bicycle Route: The Story of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail''.
Origins
Adventure Cycling Association was founded in 1973 as
Bikecentennial
Bikecentennial '76 was an event consisting of a series of bicycle tours on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail across the United States in the summer of 1976 in commemoration of the bicentennial of America's Declaration of Independence. The route cr ...
by Dan and Lys Burden and Greg and June Siple during the couples'
Hemistour bicycle ride from Anchorage, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. They planned Bikecentennial as a cross-country bicycle ride to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States. More than 4,100 cyclists took part in the event, riding all or part of the coast-to-coast,
TransAmerica Bicycle Trail during the summer of 1976. Once the event was completed, Bikecentennial lived on as a
501(c)(3) nonprofit member organization to serve the needs of traveling cyclists, developing more bicycle routes and publishing maps. In 1974, Bikecentennial began publishing ''Bike Report'' magazine, which later became ''Adventure Cyclist'' when the organization changed its name to Adventure Cycling Association in 1993.
Overview
Adventure Cycling's mission is "to inspire, empower, and connect people to travel by bicycle." Its membership has grown to over 50,000 members, and its route network is one of the largest in the world, encompassing over .
Adventure Cycling is also leading the development of the
U.S. Bicycle Route System, which when complete will offer more than of routes for cyclists.
Adventure Cycling's headquarters are located in Missoula, Montana, in the northern Rocky Mountains. Many traveling cyclists make a point of riding through Missoula, where they stop at Adventure Cycling to enjoy free ice cream, catch up on email, ask advice, and get a tour of the building. Many cyclists also have their photos taken, and some end up in Adventure Cycling's National Bicycle Touring Portrait Collection.
Membership
Adventure Cycling is the largest nonprofit membership bicycling organization in North America with over 50,000 members. Individuals or families can join, as well as bike clubs and bike shops. There is also an option to join as a lifetime member.
''Adventure Cyclist'' magazine
''
Adventure Cyclist'' is published nine times per year for members of Adventure Cycling Association. It covers stories of bicycle travel in the U.S. and around the world, reviews bicycles and gear, and publishes essays and photos.
Route network
The
Adventure Cycling Route Network comprises more than of routes for bicycle touring and is the largest such network in North America.
Tours
Adventure Cycling organizes bicycle tours all over the U.S., including
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
. Tours range in duration from a few days to a few months and in difficulty from family-friendly rides to expert-level tours through the high mountains. Adventure Cycling tours are self-contained, van-supported, fully supported, or inn-to-inn.
Cyclists can also take education courses through Adventure Cycling, such as their leadership training courses, which are mandatory for cyclists interested in leading Adventure Cycling tours.
For young people interested in leading tours or building their outdoor leadership skills, Adventure Cycling offers a two-track Young Adult Bike Travel scholarship program.
Bicycle tourism
Adventure Cycling promotes bicycle tourism, in which cyclists ride from town to town and stay in campgrounds or motels, eat in restaurants, buy from grocery stores, and otherwise contribute to the economy of small towns.
Bicycle Travel Awards
Adventure Cycling Association presents four awards every year to individuals or groups who have made a positive impact in the world of bicycle travel.
See also
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Bicycle touring
Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Bicycle touring can range from single-day trips to extended travels spanning weeks or months. Tours may be ...
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Bikeway safety
There is debate over the safety implications of cycling infrastructure (e.g. cycle tracks, protected intersections). Recent studies generally affirm that segregated cycle tracks have a better safety record between intersections than cycling on maj ...
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Cycling infrastructure
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History of cycling infrastructure The history of cycling infrastructure starts from shortly after the bike boom of the 1880s when the first short stretches of dedicated bicycle infrastructure were built, through to the rise of the automobile from the mid-20th century onwards and the ...
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Long-distance cycling route
Long-distance cycling routes are designated cycling routes in various countries around the world for bicycle tourism. These routes include anything from longer rail trails, to national cycling route networks like the Dutch LF-routes,the French Ve ...
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National cycling route network A national cycling route network is a nationwide network of designated long-distance cycling routes found in various countries around the world for the purposes of bicycle tourism. They are often created and maintained by the government of the co ...
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United States Bicycle Route System
The United States Bicycle Route System (abbreviated USBRS) is the national cycling route network of the United States. It consists of interstate long-distance cycling routes that use multiple types of bicycling infrastructure, including off-road ...
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National Association of City Transportation Officials
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is a coalition of the Departments of Transportation in North American cities.
Founded in 1996, NACTO has participated in a number of research initiatives dealing with surface tran ...
References
External links
Adventure Cycling AssociationAdventure Cyclist magazine
{{Authority control
Cycling organizations in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in Montana
Sports organizations established in 1973
1973 establishments in Montana
Cycling in Montana
Organizations based in Missoula, Montana
Bicycle touring