Mid-month we received our First Rider of the season. Traditionally, the arrival of the First Rider has varied from early April to late May. So when he showed up on our doorstep on Wednesday, April 15 (otherwise known as Tax Day in the US), he was right on time. We were delighted to welcome Michael Petty from South Lanarkshire, Scotland. He began his tour in Kelowna, BC, Canada and is headed for Boston, MA, USA.
Annually, the office anticipates and plans for the First Rider's arrival by collecting prizes from each department, all with the intention to help her/him continue on her/his journey in style and well fueled. This year's booty included gift certificates to the Old Post Pub and Big Dipper Ice Cream (a well known fact: a cyclists' meal is not complete without dessert, it might even begin with dessert!), any map from our route network, an Adventure Cycling t-shirt of his choice, a one year membership, a solar flashlight and an 8" x 10" print of himself ala Greg Siple's Portrait Gallery style.
We heard from Michael via email about a week after he left Missoula. What he had to say put smiles on all our faces, "arrived at yellowstone, bison behind me and in front of me on the road yesterday, felt like a chicken in a herd of lions! i love this country!" Sounds like Michael gets it, he's definitely no chicken in our book. Ride on, Michael.
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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.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Regional Gathering in San Francisco!
I met up with a great crew in San Francisco last night, mostly members, but we had a few non-members and even one self-proclaimed interloper. Many of the members who attended have been members for 10 years or more!
The group swapped bicycle travel stories, shared ideas about dream bicycling adventures, and had a great discussion about some of the current goings-on with Adventure Cycling's different programs, including: the upcoming release of the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route maps, the new Temporary Route Road Closures board on our Forums (essential for cyclists using our routes this summer), the U.S. Bicycle Route System, and upcoming guided tours in California and Oregon.
Dion reminded the group that through our Adopt-A-Library program you can give an Adventure Cycling membership to your local library or school for half the cost of regular membership and put Adventure Cyclist magazine on their shelves. This is a great way to get more people in your community inspired about bicycling. He also reminded the crew to sign up for Bike Bits, our free e-newsletter that comes out twice a month. I think Dion needs to become our satellite office in the Bay Area!
There was a BIG interest among some of the attendees about social networking spaces specifically for cyclists. Some great resources are already out there, mostly focused on user generated maps. Users have created CycleMap in the UK using OpenStreetMap. Another cool site that displays user generated maps (and user generated info about services) is www.lonelyroads.org.
Adventure Cycling also provides and cultivates social cycling spaces. You can log onto our Forums and exchange ideas and resources for rides, about our routes, and more. You can use our Companions Wanted listings to find people to accompany you on your adventures. We're also working to create community here on Facebook and on our other channels such as through our flickr profile; add us as a contact, join our groups, and share your photos!
The big question for us is how can we best use these tools to inspire more people to travel by bicycle? Any ideas?
Thanks to Teresa, Brian, Nick, Anita, and George for volunteering! Special thanks to Teresa for the great job with coordinating food for the event, and to Nick for the shuttle service.
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News, Networking, and New Media is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
The group swapped bicycle travel stories, shared ideas about dream bicycling adventures, and had a great discussion about some of the current goings-on with Adventure Cycling's different programs, including: the upcoming release of the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route maps, the new Temporary Route Road Closures board on our Forums (essential for cyclists using our routes this summer), the U.S. Bicycle Route System, and upcoming guided tours in California and Oregon.
Dion reminded the group that through our Adopt-A-Library program you can give an Adventure Cycling membership to your local library or school for half the cost of regular membership and put Adventure Cyclist magazine on their shelves. This is a great way to get more people in your community inspired about bicycling. He also reminded the crew to sign up for Bike Bits, our free e-newsletter that comes out twice a month. I think Dion needs to become our satellite office in the Bay Area!
There was a BIG interest among some of the attendees about social networking spaces specifically for cyclists. Some great resources are already out there, mostly focused on user generated maps. Users have created CycleMap in the UK using OpenStreetMap. Another cool site that displays user generated maps (and user generated info about services) is www.lonelyroads.org.
Adventure Cycling also provides and cultivates social cycling spaces. You can log onto our Forums and exchange ideas and resources for rides, about our routes, and more. You can use our Companions Wanted listings to find people to accompany you on your adventures. We're also working to create community here on Facebook and on our other channels such as through our flickr profile; add us as a contact, join our groups, and share your photos!
The big question for us is how can we best use these tools to inspire more people to travel by bicycle? Any ideas?
Thanks to Teresa, Brian, Nick, Anita, and George for volunteering! Special thanks to Teresa for the great job with coordinating food for the event, and to Nick for the shuttle service.
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News, Networking, and New Media is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Idaho, Where ‘Stop’ Means ‘Slow Down’
Since 1982, Idaho law has permitted cyclists to slowly roll past stop signs without coming to a complete stop, if conditions warrant. Officials say the accident record in Idaho, the only state to have such a law, reflects the fact that it’s a safe practice. It’s definitely a more convenient one for town and urban riders--and if you don’t think of Idaho has having urban areas, keep in mind that the population of Boise is more than 200,000.
Now you’re hearing cycling interests elsewhere referring to the “Idaho stop law,” and advocating for a similar ruling in their states. In Oregon, for instance, a long-debated Idaho Stop Law bill failed to make it to a vote in the state legislature just a few days ago, despite the fact that it was proposed by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, a 5,000-member nonprofit based in Portland that believes it would be a good idea. (This animated video gives a good presentation of what it’s all about.)
Similar movements recently fizzled out in Montana and Arizona, while the topic is still being discussed in California, Minnesota, and other places. What about your state? And do you think this is a good idea or a bad one? (BTW, this writer is an Idaho resident who wasn’t even aware of the Idaho stop law until fairly recently, so I was pleased to learn that I’ve been compliant with the law all these years of not coming to a complete halt at stop signs.)
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Now you’re hearing cycling interests elsewhere referring to the “Idaho stop law,” and advocating for a similar ruling in their states. In Oregon, for instance, a long-debated Idaho Stop Law bill failed to make it to a vote in the state legislature just a few days ago, despite the fact that it was proposed by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, a 5,000-member nonprofit based in Portland that believes it would be a good idea. (This animated video gives a good presentation of what it’s all about.)
Similar movements recently fizzled out in Montana and Arizona, while the topic is still being discussed in California, Minnesota, and other places. What about your state? And do you think this is a good idea or a bad one? (BTW, this writer is an Idaho resident who wasn’t even aware of the Idaho stop law until fairly recently, so I was pleased to learn that I’ve been compliant with the law all these years of not coming to a complete halt at stop signs.)
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Friday, April 24, 2009
We Have the Gear for Your Next Tour
You might be gearing up for your big summer tour or just looking for a piece of lightweight equipment to make your next S24O a little bit easier. You should check out the Adventure Cycling Cyclosource Store. Sales from our store help to support the work we do to create bike maps, work to improve cycling and develop the US Bike Route System. We also provide gear specifically for the bicycle traveler, including panniers, trailers, bike maps and lightweight camping items.
Check out our store today and get ready for your next adventure!
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The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
Check out our store today and get ready for your next adventure!
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The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Finding Vicarious Thrills and Instant Inspiration
Not all of us can be on the road at the very moment we'd like to be. For the adventurer it's important to scratch that itch so we look for ways to travel vicariously: ride a new route home, explore the travel options in a nearby community, or cruise the web looking for ride reports, blogs, and journals of those lucky souls who made it out the door.
In order to satisfy my curiosity and keep the touring juices flowing, I make it a personal policy to follow at least one grand tour every cycling season. In the past it's been a dream tour on the Northern Tier Bicycle Route and a group of kids exploring the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail. This year it's Pat Crawford and his journey on the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.
To find an inspiring journal of your own to follow, check out the crazyguyonabike site. You can search for a particular locale or route, time period or other criteria, as you wish. Or we have a list of journals organized by country and route to get you started. I'm off to grab a cup of coffee and read how Pat faired yesterday. Tally ho!
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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.
In order to satisfy my curiosity and keep the touring juices flowing, I make it a personal policy to follow at least one grand tour every cycling season. In the past it's been a dream tour on the Northern Tier Bicycle Route and a group of kids exploring the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail. This year it's Pat Crawford and his journey on the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.
To find an inspiring journal of your own to follow, check out the crazyguyonabike site. You can search for a particular locale or route, time period or other criteria, as you wish. Or we have a list of journals organized by country and route to get you started. I'm off to grab a cup of coffee and read how Pat faired yesterday. Tally ho!
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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.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
sixtyfourdays.com and BTBH, Part 4
This week, a very personal bicycle travel story involving cyclists and a group of young filmmakers, plus the last of Biking Through Black History.
sixtyfourdays.com is a behind-the-scenes video series shot during the filming of the documentary film for thousands of miles in the summer of 2007. Personal and romantic snapshots of the film crew, and the bicyclists that they follow cross-country, mix with narration that details their filmmaking process and the unexpected sites, and beautiful struggles, of a bike trip across America. Part 4 was special to us with rich glimpses of Glacier and other parts of Montana.
If you're feeling inspired to chart your own transformative bicycling journey, you may want to check out some of the mapped cycling routes that we've created. The long days of summer are almost upon us! And, if you do take off on an adventure along one of our routes, consider sharing your photos with our Route Network flickr group.
Now to wrap it up, in the fourth (and last) segment of Biking Through Black History, WPXI looks at the dynamics of touring, what you need for a day ride on the route, and Dr. Thomas describes his inspiration for joining (and succeeding) on the 2007 inaugural tour.
Learn more about the UGRR.
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News, Networking, and New Media is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
sixtyfourdays.com is a behind-the-scenes video series shot during the filming of the documentary film for thousands of miles in the summer of 2007. Personal and romantic snapshots of the film crew, and the bicyclists that they follow cross-country, mix with narration that details their filmmaking process and the unexpected sites, and beautiful struggles, of a bike trip across America. Part 4 was special to us with rich glimpses of Glacier and other parts of Montana.
If you're feeling inspired to chart your own transformative bicycling journey, you may want to check out some of the mapped cycling routes that we've created. The long days of summer are almost upon us! And, if you do take off on an adventure along one of our routes, consider sharing your photos with our Route Network flickr group.
Now to wrap it up, in the fourth (and last) segment of Biking Through Black History, WPXI looks at the dynamics of touring, what you need for a day ride on the route, and Dr. Thomas describes his inspiration for joining (and succeeding) on the 2007 inaugural tour.
Learn more about the UGRR.
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News, Networking, and New Media is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Rock ’n’ roll is Here to Chainstay
There seems to be a growing number of musical performers touring by bicycle these days, which is pretty cool.
One of the first cycling troubadours I recall hearing about was Canadian Jeremy Fisher, who crossed the continent in 2002 on his “One Less Tourbus” show. Then, in the summer of 2006, we at Adventure Cycling helped the Ditty Bops--aka Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald--find their way across America by bicycle. (The most spot-on description of this duo’s music I’ve seen was this from Newsweek: “Sounds like what Betty Boop might have had on her iPod.”)
More recently, the folk/pop group Blind Pilot, whose primary members are singer-guitarist Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, were seen cycling and singing up and down the West Coast. And then we have the upcoming-in-May Utahpia! Bike Music Tour, whose organizers aim to “cultivate sustainable culture in the desert.” The San Francisco-based band Shake Your Peace will perform with power provided by audience members spinning on an electricity-generating stationary bicycle. They’ll also pedal from venue to venue in Utah, eschewing a tour bus.
Finally, the Ginger Ninjas, who pedaled and performed from northern California to southern Mexico in 2007, plan to take their Pleasant Revolution tour to Europe this summer. If you know of any other bands or solo acts who are touring from gig to gig via bicycle, please fill us in--maybe we can craft a feature article in Adventure Cyclist magazine about the movement, and help turn it into a trend.
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael ‘Mac’ McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
One of the first cycling troubadours I recall hearing about was Canadian Jeremy Fisher, who crossed the continent in 2002 on his “One Less Tourbus” show. Then, in the summer of 2006, we at Adventure Cycling helped the Ditty Bops--aka Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald--find their way across America by bicycle. (The most spot-on description of this duo’s music I’ve seen was this from Newsweek: “Sounds like what Betty Boop might have had on her iPod.”)
More recently, the folk/pop group Blind Pilot, whose primary members are singer-guitarist Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, were seen cycling and singing up and down the West Coast. And then we have the upcoming-in-May Utahpia! Bike Music Tour, whose organizers aim to “cultivate sustainable culture in the desert.” The San Francisco-based band Shake Your Peace will perform with power provided by audience members spinning on an electricity-generating stationary bicycle. They’ll also pedal from venue to venue in Utah, eschewing a tour bus.
Finally, the Ginger Ninjas, who pedaled and performed from northern California to southern Mexico in 2007, plan to take their Pleasant Revolution tour to Europe this summer. If you know of any other bands or solo acts who are touring from gig to gig via bicycle, please fill us in--maybe we can craft a feature article in Adventure Cyclist magazine about the movement, and help turn it into a trend.
--
Biking Without Borders is written by Michael ‘Mac’ McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Converse and Share on the Adventure Cycling Forums
If you are new to bike travel, or even a veteran looking for advice, the Adventure Cycling web forums can be a wealth of information. You will find everything from tips on riding the Pacific Coast route, to reviews of a few different road bikes, or a bicycle-friendly town for your next change of scenery. You don't have to be a member to take advantage of this great resource, but membership supports all of the amazing bike touring info that we provide, so consider joining today!
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The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
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The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Ready for Take Off? Get the Addenda!
Now that you've got the Adventure Cycling maps you need for your upcoming bicycle travel adventure, you'll want to do one more thing just before you leave: check online for updated addenda.You know that slip of paper that probably arrived with your map? That's what we call an 'addenda'. Since our maps are only reprinted every 18 months to 2 years, some information may no longer be valid or there may be additions. The addenda are our way of letting you know what we know about those service changes. When we receive an email, correction card, or phone call telling us about a new or closed service on the route, we add it to the appropriate map addenda. Most of the status tidbits come from traveling cyclists and are more appreciated by us than an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet is prized by the touring cyclist.
The most current addenda at the time of sale will be included with your map when it's shipped to you. However, we know that most cyclists are purchasing these maps months in advance of their departure. We highly recommend that before you take off, you check online to see if further additions have been made for your maps. In order to avoid carrying more pieces of paper, simply mark the addenda items directly on your maps with a permanent ink marker. Voilå, an updated map! Now, you're ready for take off.
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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.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bikecentennial on Flickr and Biking Through Black History, Segment 3
To follow on the heel's of last Friday's membership post about our new profile on flickr, if you were a rider on Bikecentennial '76 (or know someone who was), you may want to check out our Bikecentennial group on flickr and add your photos from your experience on that ride. Greg Siple, one of the co-founders of Adventure Cycling and our art director, is keeping an eye on the group, and hopes to hear from cyclists that were part of the trans-continental summer tour that started it all. Please share with other Bikecentennial riders! Learn more about Adventure Cycling's history.
Next, check out the third segment of Biking Through Black History, WPXI-TV's 2007 special on the creation of Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR).
In this 7-minute segment, learn about how "coded songs" were used to develop the routing for the UGRR and about Pittsburgh's pivotal role in helping freedom seekers escape to the North.
Learn more about the UGRR.
"after 5,000 miles"
photo courtesy of ddsiple on flickr, likely photographer: dan burden
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NEWS, NETWORKING, AND NEW MEDIA is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
Monday, April 13, 2009
FORE!
Watching last weekend’s Masters Tournament from Augusta National Golf Club (which IMHO is one of the great TV spectator events in all of sport), I got to thinking about how to blend two of my favorite activities, bicycling and golf. Though the two sports might seem like a bit of a mismatch--sort of like pairing me with Tiger Woods for 18 holes at Pebble Beach--their participatory wells are not mutually exclusive. I personally know at least two people other than myself who enjoy both biking and bunker-avoidance behavior. Heck, even some very well-known cyclists like to get out and swing a club now and then. (In case you don’t recognize him, his initials are L.A.)
The TowCaddy is one option for getting your aerobic spin in before and after a round of golf. It’s the brainchild of Howard Fullmer, a Utah-based illustrator who does work for Adventure Cyclist magazine. “Originally, I just wanted something to get me to the course without having to drive or use gas,” Fullmer said. “But we also designed it to be one of the smoothest non-motorized pull carts on the market.” I’m wondering if you couldn’t take it a step further and use the entire bike-and-TowCaddy setup as a replacement for an electric or gas-powered golf cart. With a bike boasting extremely fat tires, like the Surly Pugsley, you might even be permitted to take the entire rig off the cart paths and onto the fairways. (I’m already mentally designing a shoe with a sole that combines a pedal cleat and soft spikes.)
Perhaps no one has linked together golf and bicycling to the extent that the 40 Over Par boys from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, have. In 2005 they pedaled the Southern Tier Route, hauling their clubs from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, stopping at more than two dozen golf courses along the way. Two summers later they biked and chipped their way along the west coast of Portugal. (For their 2008 tour of the West Coast of America, they swapped golf clubs for an 800-pound gorilla, but that’s another story.)
Maybe this is all pointless. After all, there are those who argue that bicycling is the new golf, when it comes to professionals networking in the great out of doors.
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael ‘Mac’ McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
The TowCaddy is one option for getting your aerobic spin in before and after a round of golf. It’s the brainchild of Howard Fullmer, a Utah-based illustrator who does work for Adventure Cyclist magazine. “Originally, I just wanted something to get me to the course without having to drive or use gas,” Fullmer said. “But we also designed it to be one of the smoothest non-motorized pull carts on the market.” I’m wondering if you couldn’t take it a step further and use the entire bike-and-TowCaddy setup as a replacement for an electric or gas-powered golf cart. With a bike boasting extremely fat tires, like the Surly Pugsley, you might even be permitted to take the entire rig off the cart paths and onto the fairways. (I’m already mentally designing a shoe with a sole that combines a pedal cleat and soft spikes.)
Perhaps no one has linked together golf and bicycling to the extent that the 40 Over Par boys from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, have. In 2005 they pedaled the Southern Tier Route, hauling their clubs from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, stopping at more than two dozen golf courses along the way. Two summers later they biked and chipped their way along the west coast of Portugal. (For their 2008 tour of the West Coast of America, they swapped golf clubs for an 800-pound gorilla, but that’s another story.)
Maybe this is all pointless. After all, there are those who argue that bicycling is the new golf, when it comes to professionals networking in the great out of doors.
--
Biking Without Borders is written by Michael ‘Mac’ McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Connect with Other Cyclists on Flickr!
Adventure Cycling joined flickr over a month ago and we are having so much fun with it, but we want more of you to get involved! Flickr is a photosharing website and it is one more great way to connect with Adventure Cycling members and other cycling enthusiasts.
We have set up groups related to people's Adventure Cycling-related tours, we have also joined several other cycling groups and found hundreds of amazing photos from escapes along our routes. If you want to get in on all the fun, share your photos or just get inspiration from others, come and join us on flickr.
And for a taste of the fun, check out a few of our favorite photo sets:
shanerh's Northern Tier set
goodharbor's 1979 Cross Country set
The Fully Loaded Touring Bikes Group
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The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
We have set up groups related to people's Adventure Cycling-related tours, we have also joined several other cycling groups and found hundreds of amazing photos from escapes along our routes. If you want to get in on all the fun, share your photos or just get inspiration from others, come and join us on flickr.
And for a taste of the fun, check out a few of our favorite photo sets:
shanerh's Northern Tier set
goodharbor's 1979 Cross Country set
The Fully Loaded Touring Bikes Group
--
The Membership Highlights feature, written by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, will appear weekly and spotlight 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. Check back each Friday for a new post!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
First Report - Bridging the Gaps
Hi, Jenn Milyko reporting in from Routes & Mapping. I'll be your source here for reports and pointers regarding our routes (especially the maps!) and other tidbits relevant to our over 38,000-mile cycling network. I also hope to unearth interesting people and places found along the way and solicit your participation from time to time.
Let's kick things off with a few tips on planning a trip where you need additional routing outside of, or to connect to, our network.
To start your research, be sure to check the latest and greatest version of the Adventure Cycling Route Network overview map, available as a pdf download. Once you get to our Route Network page, click on MAP OF ALL ACA ROUTES (located in the navigation bar on the right) to download the map. This handy reference map shows where all 24 of our routes are located and how they intersect. It even includes the preliminary path of the not yet released Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route.
Once you've determined where you may want to veer off our network and onto a route of your own choosing, you have a few options to pursue:
- The Cyclists' Yellow Pages has thousands of listings for maps, books, government agencies, and cycling organizations.
- Every state has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator who is part of their Department of Transportation. These coordinators know the lay of the land in their state better than anyone else. We often go to them when looking at making a route change and highly recommend them. Some states even have a great library of mapped routes. Get links to each state from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- For firsthand, from the road knowledge, make an inquiry on our Forums. With over 3,700 forum members, this is a treasure trove of advice. A quick search may yield the answer to your question or you may want to pose your question to this audience of bicycle travel pros.
With these three tools, you're likely to find the piece of information you are lacking to fill in that blank spot on the map.
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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.
Let's kick things off with a few tips on planning a trip where you need additional routing outside of, or to connect to, our network.
To start your research, be sure to check the latest and greatest version of the Adventure Cycling Route Network overview map, available as a pdf download. Once you get to our Route Network page, click on MAP OF ALL ACA ROUTES (located in the navigation bar on the right) to download the map. This handy reference map shows where all 24 of our routes are located and how they intersect. It even includes the preliminary path of the not yet released Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route.
Once you've determined where you may want to veer off our network and onto a route of your own choosing, you have a few options to pursue:
- The Cyclists' Yellow Pages has thousands of listings for maps, books, government agencies, and cycling organizations.
- Every state has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator who is part of their Department of Transportation. These coordinators know the lay of the land in their state better than anyone else. We often go to them when looking at making a route change and highly recommend them. Some states even have a great library of mapped routes. Get links to each state from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- For firsthand, from the road knowledge, make an inquiry on our Forums. With over 3,700 forum members, this is a treasure trove of advice. A quick search may yield the answer to your question or you may want to pose your question to this audience of bicycle travel pros.
With these three tools, you're likely to find the piece of information you are lacking to fill in that blank spot on the map.
--
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.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Biking Through Black History, Segment 2
photo by Jeff MillerThis week the second of four segments of Biking Through Black History, WPXI-TV's 2007 special on the creation of Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR).
In this second 6-minute segment, WPXI looks at a few of the cyclists who were preparing to ride in the 2007 inaugural tour on the UGRR. Dr. Stephen Thomas, director of the Center for Minority Health (CMH), talks about the significance of tracing a route that thousands of freedom seekers, including Harriet Tubman, once traveled. Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling's new routes coordinator, paints a picture of the route's historical landmarks and natural beauty, and Dr. Mario Browne, CMH's project director, discusses how his desire to connect personally to the route's history inspired him to participate.
Watch the second segment of Biking Through Black History.
The 2,008-mile Underground Railroad Bicycle Route memorializes the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses by which freedom seekers attempted to escape slavery before and during the Civil War. The route passes points of interest and historic sites from Mobile, Alabama, to Owen Sound, Ontario.
Adventure Cycling sell maps for the route and offers a great set of resource pages on its website to help cyclists learn more and plan a tour on the UGRR. This year Adventure Cycling is also running the Heart of the Underground Railroad guided tour on the Ohio section of the route.
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News, Networking, and New Media is written by Winona Sorensen, Adventure Cycling's media director, and appears weekly, highlighting cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Off-road in Andalusia
I hear southern Spain calling.
Several weeks ago I received an email from Oriol Molinos, who lives in that country. He wrote to say this: “In two weeks I’m going to do a 2,200-kilometer bike trip on the TransAndalus trail in Andalucia, in southern Spain. It’s not as long as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, but it is quite a long one by our standards. The work has been done by some Andalucia cyclists, and all the information, including tracks, maps, and roadbooks, are in a PDF to be downloaded free of charge.”
As the guy who originally mapped the Great Divide back in the mid-‘90s, this sounded pretty darn exciting to me. So I wrote back to Oriol, encouraging him to re-contact me after his ride and tell me more about the terrain, track surfaces, and so forth. I heard from him just this past weekend, and here’s what he had to report:
“I just finished the TransAndalus. Most of the path is in dirt roads (up to 70 percent), some in single tracks (1 or 2 percent) and the rest on paved roads. A mountain bike is essential to do the tour, and because of the Andalucian weather, it is possible to do it year-round, but spring and autumn are the best. It’s great to know that you’re passing villages every day, so finding accommodation and food is not a problem, and wild camping is possible almost every day (I did it twenty-one nights from a total of twenty-six). At the TransAndalus website you can download all the roadbooks, maps, and GPS information. Roadbooks have been translated into English, thanks to the volunteer work from some cyclists in England and America. They even have a good active forum, where you can get lots of info about the route.” (Click on the individual eight provinces listed under “The Route” to find the very detailed maps and roadbook PDFs.)
Stay tuned!
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael 'Mac' McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Several weeks ago I received an email from Oriol Molinos, who lives in that country. He wrote to say this: “In two weeks I’m going to do a 2,200-kilometer bike trip on the TransAndalus trail in Andalucia, in southern Spain. It’s not as long as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, but it is quite a long one by our standards. The work has been done by some Andalucia cyclists, and all the information, including tracks, maps, and roadbooks, are in a PDF to be downloaded free of charge.”
As the guy who originally mapped the Great Divide back in the mid-‘90s, this sounded pretty darn exciting to me. So I wrote back to Oriol, encouraging him to re-contact me after his ride and tell me more about the terrain, track surfaces, and so forth. I heard from him just this past weekend, and here’s what he had to report:
“I just finished the TransAndalus. Most of the path is in dirt roads (up to 70 percent), some in single tracks (1 or 2 percent) and the rest on paved roads. A mountain bike is essential to do the tour, and because of the Andalucian weather, it is possible to do it year-round, but spring and autumn are the best. It’s great to know that you’re passing villages every day, so finding accommodation and food is not a problem, and wild camping is possible almost every day (I did it twenty-one nights from a total of twenty-six). At the TransAndalus website you can download all the roadbooks, maps, and GPS information. Roadbooks have been translated into English, thanks to the volunteer work from some cyclists in England and America. They even have a good active forum, where you can get lots of info about the route.” (Click on the individual eight provinces listed under “The Route” to find the very detailed maps and roadbook PDFs.)
Stay tuned!
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael 'Mac' McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The U.S. Bicycle Route System
Membership in Adventure Cycling helps to support all of the programs that we offer. One of our most popular efforts is the development of the US Bike Route System. Read the latest news and updates about the emerging plan for a U.S. Bicycle Route System, a proposed network of signed cycling routes that may someday connect rural, suburban, and urban communities across the country. Learn how to get involved with this effort and join in the discussion that will help shape the future of this project on our USBRS Forums.
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The Membership Highlights feature will appear weekly and spotlight 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.Check back each Friday for a new post!
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The Membership Highlights feature will appear weekly and spotlight 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.Check back each Friday for a new post!
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