Colorado Member Meetings

Adventure Cycling is headed to Colorado! Adventure Cycling's executive director will be presenting at gatherings in Ft. Collins, Denver, and Colorado Springs during the first week of December. Check out the schedule:

Dec. 1st, Ft. Collins

6:30 to 8:00 pm @ New Belgium Brewing Company, 500 Linden Street;

Dec. 3rd, Denver

7:00 to 8:30 pm @ REI’s flagship store, 1416 Platte St., 3rd floor; If you want to use transit, check out this trip planner from Denver’s RTD web page.

Dec. 4th, Colorado Springs

7:00 to 8:30 pm @ Old Town Bike Shop, 426 S. Tejon St.

At all of these events, Jim will provide the latest news and resources on bicycle travel, including new bike-friendly routes, maps, tours, and policy initiatives at the national level — such as an official U.S. Bicycle Route System, now being considered by Congress. There will be time for Q&A, and for folks to share stories and tips. Whether you’re a bike travel veteran or a newcomer, there will be new insights and inspirations for you. Refreshments will be provided at all three events. Feel free to bring your friends to these free events.

Please RSVP for any of these events (so we know how many people to expect) by emailing Beth Petersen at bpetersen@adventurecycling.org or 800-755-2453 x211, ideally by November 30th.

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MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS is posted each Friday by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator. It spotlights the various benefits of membership, what we have accomplished thanks to member support, and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.

Water Break--Racing in the Andes of Venezuela

Colombia is known for its world class cyclists. Venezuela ... not so much. It is hard to promote a non-motorized sport in a country where the gasoline is cheaper than water.

We did, however, discover a thriving cycling culture in and around the small town of Guarico, Venezuela, not far from the major city of Barquisimeto. It just so happened that they were having an annual bike race (all up hill) as we passed through on our heavily loaded touring bikes.

I'd like to say that I dropped my panniers, entered the race, and stood on the winner's podium. Not even close. I volunteered to help at one of the watering stations. No fancy containers of energy drinks or packets of high fructose goo. This was your no-frills station, with small plastic bags of water, tied up like mini water balloons and delivered to exhausted and sometimes wobbly cyclists speeding by.


It was an all ages race. And I hate to admit this, but the kid in the above photo would have probably beaten me to the finish line. It took some practice to get the timing right, and several of my water bags dropped to the roadside. Perhaps due to the fact that I was trying to take photos as well.

This guy sums it up. Passed his prime. Struggling. But still participating with a grand thumbs up!


I've never been a racer, choosing instead to pedal up scenic mountain passes at whatever speed strikes my fancy. But that doesn't mean I can't admire the beauty, the power and the passion of those who fly passed me sans panniers.


photos (Guarico, Venezuela-2007) by Willie Weir (click the top photo for larger image)

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS appears on Friday afternoons. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist compiles his favorite writings over the last twelve years. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their local adventures and life without a car at www.yellowtentadventures.com.

Twin Bridges Cyclists' Only Campground

I'm so excited about this news, I can hardly sit still! Back in May, we mentioned that Twin Bridges, Montana, was setting up a cyclists only campground. Little did we know (though we did suspect) the impact it would have on this small, rural community.

Bill White, the chief organizer of the campground, reports they had more than 245 cyclists stay overnight and they have determined that those folks brought at least $10,000 into their local economy. Not bad for a town with a population hovering around 400.

Bill went on to say, "The project has to be one of the highlights of my life. I met some wonderful people and am already looking forward to next year. ... The Town Council turned from skeptical to firm believers. There was absolutely NO misuse of the facility by cyclists. Many actually requested cleaning supplies be stocked so they could clean the facility themselves! The donations were surprising. Only a few left nothing...that surprised everyone. Donations ranged from $.76 to $100."


If you are interested in creating something similar, Bill says he's happy to share his experience and help you make it happen. You can contact him through the campground website. Also, remember we have resources available on our website in the Outreach & Education pages. And Amy, our memberships blogger, recently posted about our list of suggestions for helping your town be a bicycle travel friendly destination.

Are you ready to help your community bring a few more dollars and cents into the economy while helping your fellow traveling cyclists on their journey?

photos by Ed Walter

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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 from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure.