Adventure Cycling Association

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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 30,000 miles of road and mountain bike routes.

Adventure Cycling has also developed the 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.