Adventure Cycling Association

2011 — 35 years since the launch of Bikecentennial — was one of Adventure Cycling's best years, thanks to members, staff, and volunteers. Because of their loyalty and generosity, the organization created new routes, made cycling history, improved cycling conditions, and provided lots of inspiration!

• Creating New Routes: After finishing the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route, Adventure Cycling's cartographers completed the Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate. They researched the first half of Bicycle Route 66, and revamped dozens of existing routes and maps. Because of increases in truck traffic near Williston, ND, the team began re-routing the Northern Tier and Lewis & Clark routes to improve safety.
• Making History: Enormous efforts by staff and volunteers resulted in the first new official U.S. Bicycle Route approvals in nearly 30 years. There are now more than 40 states engaged in planning for new U.S. Bicycle Routes!
• Improving Cycling Conditions: With other national groups, Adventure Cycling won a major battle to rewrite national technical guidance on the use of rumble strips to emphasize cyclists' needs. The organization successfully helped oppose efforts to undercut federal funding and policy support for cycling. Adventure Cycling is also building new partnerships with the National Park Service, state departments of transportation, and tourism bureaus to promote and improve the bicycle-travel experience.
• Providing Inspiration: In 2011, Adventure Cycling staff continued to do what its members love best, which is to share expertise and stories about bicycle travel. Adventure Cycling's team published Adventure Cyclist magazine; expanded and improved the organization's website, forums, blog, and social media sites; and added two new websites: one brings together hundreds of bike-travel blogs (BicycleTravelBloggers.org), and another promotes short 1-2 night bike trips (BikeOvernights.org), the "gateway drug" to bike touring.

 

Through it all, members and donors inspired and supported Adventure Cycling's staff. And, during the summer of 2011, around 1,100 of them cycled to Adventure Cycling's offices in Missoula, MT!

More than ever, supporters joined, renewed, made donations, and bought maps. Adventure Cycling now has more than 1,600 life members and its Life Member Fund made the down payment to expand the Missoula headquarters.

Visit Adventure Cycling in 2012 to see the newly remodeled space which will allow the organization to grow its capacity to:

• Create new long-distance and short-distance route maps.
• Provide quicker turnaround on map updates.
• Implement new bicycle-touring education programs.
• Build wider outreach and advocacy to make roads safe for bicycle tourists.

 

Read more about Adventure Cycling's successes in 2011, download our 2011 Annual Report.

Big thanks to our friends from America ByCycle for the wonderful video (posted above).