Adventure Cycling Association
Coming up on 40 Years, the Ride Continues
Adventure Cycling Association inspires and empowers people to travel by bicycle. We are the largest
cycling membership organization in North America
with more than 48,000 members. Adventure Cycling
was founded as Bikecentennial; launched in 1976 to
celebrate America’s bicentennial birthday with a
unique 4,250-mile TransAmerican bicycle route and
ride. The event was fueled by the passion of hundreds of staff members and volunteers, who
planned and executed the biggest bicycle tour in U. S.
history with over 4,100 riders making the multi-month
journey. Today, we connect with the bicycling
community in a variety of
ways.
The Adventure Cycling
Route Network is an established cycling route
network featuring rural
and low-traffic bicycling
routes through some of
the most scenic and historically significant terrain
in North America. Since
mapping our first route in
1976, the TransAmerica
Bicycle Trail, the Adventure Cycling Route Network
has blossomed into an awe-inspiring network of
44,662 miles within 100+ maps.
Adventure Cycling has developed the best crosscountry, loop, coastal, and inland cycling routes available, with turn-by-turn directions, detailed navigational
instructions for the tricky sections, and elevation profiles in the high country. Our maps are also waterproof and designed to fit in a handlebar-bag window
or jersey pocket. The maps provide information specifically for cyclists: the location of bike shops,
sources for food and water, and listings of overnight
accommodations including camping facilities, small
hotels, and cyclists-only lodging.
The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is a proposed national network of bicycle routes, which will
link urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety
of appropriate cycling facilities. In some states, Adventure Cycling routes will be incorporated into U.S.
Bicycle Routes, along with other regional and state
routes.
In 2016, we will offer 102 guided bicycle tours which
will visit 40 different states, taking in some of the most
spectacular scenery in North
America. Adventure Cycling
offers supported and selfsupported events and tours
(on-road and off), inn-to-inn
trips, short one- or two-week
excursions, or multi-week adventures. Additionally, Adventure Cycling maintains the
connection to its roots by offering industry-respected educational courses such as Introduction to Bicycle Touring and
Leadership Training.
To celebrate our 40th anniversary we will be running two special cross-country selfcontained tours for those aged 18 to 29, especially
those looking to kick off a “gap year” with a loud bang,
you’ll find an exceptional opportunity to capture a lifetime’s worth of memories on this cross-country tour.
From the Pacific Ocean at Florence, Oregon, we’ll
pedal toward the Rocky Mountains and the broad valleys separating them. We’ll ride a long stretch of the
Great Plains through eastern Colorado and all of Kansas. Then, it’s on to the steep climbs of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, followed by the more undulating
countryside of western Virginia and at last, the Atlantic Coast.
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