Adventure Cycling Association

Adventure Cycling Association was founded in 1973 under the name of Bikecentennial by Dan and Lys Burden and Greg and June Siple to create a cross country bicycle event to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States. More than 4,000 cyclists took part in the 1976 inaugural tours. Once the event was completed, the organization lived on and became Adventure Cycling, a non-profit member organization. Adventure Cycling's mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fun, fitness, and self-discovery. Adventure Cycling calls itself America's bicycle travel inspiration and resource, offering many programs for cyclists, including a national network of bicycle touring routes and organized trips. Its most popular route is the TransAmerica Trail (formerly the Bikecentennial Trail) which runs between Astoria, Oregon and Yorktown, Virginia. The route network contains more than 38,000 miles of road and mountain bike routes.

Adventure Cycling has also developed the [http://www.adventurecycling.org/outreach/pedalpioneers.cfm Pedal Pioneers Guide] , a manual for planning and leading youth bicycle tours. The guide is a detailed how-to for adults who want to plan and execute youth bicycle touring projects, whether a weekend tour of local roads or a cross-country adventure that takes an entire summer.

Adventure Cycling's headquarters are located in Missoula, Montana in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Many cyclists make a point of riding through Missoula, which is considered the mecca for bike travel. Cyclists who come during regular business hours or on Saturday mornings during the summer can enjoy free ice cream, a place to catch up on email, plenty of good advice, and the chance to be photographed.

ACA bicycle routes

*Adirondack Park Loop Bicycle Route
*Allegeny Mountains Loop Bicycle Route
*Atlantic Coast Bicycle Route
*Florida Connector Bicycle Route
*Grand Canyon Connector Bicycle Route
*Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
*Great Parks Bicycle Route
*Great Rivers Bicycle Route
*Green Mountains Loop Bicycle Route
*Lake Erie Connector Bicycle Route
*Lewis & Clark Trail Bicycle Route
*North Lakes Bicycle Route
*Northern Tier Bicycle Route
*Pacific Coast Bicycle Route
*Southern Tier Bicycle Route
*Tidewater Potomac Heritage Bicycle Route
*TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route
*Underground Railroad Bicycle Route
*Utah Cliffs Loop Bicycle Route
*Washington Parks Bicycle Route
*Western Express Bicycle Route

ee also

*bicycle touring

External links

* [http://www.adventurecycling.org Adventure Cycling Association]