Still Time to Plan a Fall Tour

Though this is the first week of September, there is still time to plan and enjoy a great fall bike trip. In much of the Western Hemisphere, weather can be amenable clear through October. Daylight hours will be shorter, but with Daylight Saving Time lasting to the end of October, those hours will be available when you need them most. You can use the later sunrise to have a leisurely morning, to linger over your coffee or to treat yourself to a breakfast at a cafe before getting rolling. Nothing wrong with slow starts on tour.

Some suggested fall touring routes include Adirondack Park Loop, Allegheny Mountains Loop, Grand Canyon Connector, Florida Connector, Great Rivers Route, North Lakes, Pacific Coast and Utah Cliffs Loop. (I also hear that the Black Hills of South Dakota are nice this time of year. I hope so!) If you want to camp on any of these routes, be sure to check the status of campgrounds. They often start closing after Labor Day weekend.

For those wanting to create a route of their own, be sure to check the very first GeoPoints Bulletin post for tips on doing so, as well as Winona Bateman's more recent Web Resources for Touring Cyclists post.

photo courtesy of DewCon's photostream on Flickr

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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures and persons fromAdventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.

Join Us For a Workshop on U.S. Bike Routes at Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference

It's free.

There's food.

And the topic is about making people's dreams come true.

What more do you need to know to be convinced that you should participate in a workshop on Implementation of the U.S. Bicycle Route System?

This collaborative and dynamic workshop on implementing U.S. Bike Routes will take place at at the Chattanooga Convention Center (Room 6) on the first day of the Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference in Chattanooga, TN on Monday, September 13, from 1 - 4 pm.

Whether you are a transportation professional, work on local trails, promote urban mobility, have an interest in the health and well being of the country or simply love to bicycle, this workshop will bridge the gap for all interests and help participants get involved with building what will likely become the largest cycling route network on the planet.

The workshop will be packed full of resources covering:

• Selling the System: Economic, transportation, environmental and health benefits
• Leveraging the Project: Building partnerships between state agencies and cycling/trail groups
• Making it Consistent and Comfortable: Review route criteria and development
• How To: Steps to get started or participate in implementation of routes
• Strategies: Gaining buy-in from local communities, transportation agencies, as well as natural and recreational resource managers
• Collaboration: Coordinating across state lines

Feedback from the workshop will be incorporated into the U.S. Bicycle Route System panel session scheduled for Thursday, September 15, from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. during the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference. Conference attendees can also visit the USBRS poster exhibit on Wednesday, September 15 (3:15 - 4:00 p.m.) and Thursday, September 16 (9:30 - 10:15 a.m.), to see which states are engaged and which routes are currently under development.

This workshop will be co-hosted by professionals already working to create this national network of cycling routes, including Ginny Sullivan (Adventure Cycling Association), Eric Weis (East Coast Greenway Alliance) Mary Anne Koos (Florida DOT), Byron Rushing (Georgia DOT), Tom Huber (Wisconsin DOT), and Josh DeBruyn (Michigan DOT).

Not unlike the highway system that started with a vision, the U.S. Bicycle Route System will link urban, suburban and rural routes, serving as a trunk line for connecting city, regional, and statewide cycling routes. This network will also connect bike routes across state lines.

If you're planning to attend the Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference, please consider arriving in time to participate. Contact Ginny Sullivan (gsullivanATadventurecyclingDOTorg) to RSVP.

Image by Casey Greene/Adventure Cycling Associaiton

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.

What to Wear?

I'm inspired to write this post because I'm helping one of my girlfriends suit up for a tour and she feels bummed by her lack of real choice in attractive and functional ladies cycling wear. Also, one of my favorite writers, Heidi Swift, is leading a discussion on her blog about what women really want in cycling apparel. I'm the type of girl who's always been content to wear guy's clothing a size smaller, but it made me wonder: could it be better? What could cycle-apparel companies do for women tourists to make them feel more comfortable, confident, and, of, course, stylin'?


So let's get it all started with what I want. I'll lay it on the table by saying I'm not that crazy about the current fuchsia-tinted-everything for females. I can't count the number of times I've checked out a jersey or jacket, to find that the ladies version was available only in pink. Also, for me, functionality is the bottom line. I want high-quality pads in my bibs, and clothing made to fit well. Due to the exceptionally long hours cyclo-tourists spend on bicycles, I find high-quality bottoms to be constantly on my wish list...and, as much as I'd like to, I can't always wear running shorts and a tee shirt when I ride.

Tell me. What would you like to wear?

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SHIPPING NEWS is brought to you by Sarah Raz, Sales representative/outreach coordinator/lover of all things outdoors.