By Stan Purdum
Recent news from the non-profit Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), which is dedicated to opening the door to cycling adventures for all, reminded me of how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to twice take extended bicycle tours across the United States, as well as a host of shorter ones.
In its nearly 50 years of existence, the ACA has mapped more than 52,000 miles of routes, both on and off pavement, and supported those who wish to tour on two wheels with maps, information, inspiration and advocacy for improved cycling infrastructure. Here’s a brief summary of the group’s history.
I used ACA maps when I rode my 1995 tour across America, essentially following the original route the ACA — originally known as Bikecentennial — developed for the purpose of organizing a cross-country bicycle ride to celebrate the United States Bicentennial in 1976. The maps were a great help.
The recent news from the ACA, however, is about its efforts to keep the organization financially viable. You can read the whole story here, but in short, the ACA has been impacted by 1) its member demographic aging out of bike travel and not renewing membership, 2) the fact that younger cyclists perceive the ACA brand as older and pavement-centric, with programming not well aligned with growing bike travel types, including gravel and trail, 3) the availability of free cycling route mapping on the internet, and 4) the decline of income from its organized tours program.
Thus far, the ACA has responded by increasing the cost of membership, downsizing its magazine, restructuring its staff, and deciding to sell their headquarters building in Missoula, Montana, and replace it with a smaller space.
The ACA has been a great resource for people who want to break into touring by bike, and I hope the organization’s efforts to find a sustainable way forward are successful.
Knowing how intent I was to cycle across America, I suspect I’d have figured out a route to follow on my own, but I’m certain it would have been a lot more work to do so. Obtaining the ACA’s map set for the route they have designated as The TransAmerica Trail greatly simplified the task and put me on scenic, low-traffic roads. The maps supplied me not only with directions, but also with information about resources, food stops, bike shops and other services along the way.
Unlike some other riders I encountered on that journey, I did not undertake my ride to “find myself.” I was already pretty well self-acquainted and was not looking for an opportunity for introspection. But the trip fed some other yearnings I had, including wanderlust and a thirst for adventure. Traveling self-supported increased my feelings of self-sufficiency and skills at problem solving, and the whole trip contributed to an improved mood, a feeling of accomplishment, relief from work stress and a temporary reprieve from the humdrum of routine. And though I didn’t know the term at the time, the trek also transported me to a “flow state”: a condition of deep absorption and enjoyment during an activity and a feeling of being fully immersed in the present moment.
This is reflected in the title I chose for the book I wrote about my trans-America trip: Roll Around Heaven All Day. Although at the time, I was still in the active ministry as a United Methodist pastor (I’ve since retired), the book, despite referencing “heaven” in the title, was not about religion but about the pleasure (and even the problems) of cycling through landscape that was new to me and having the freedom of the road.
The title came from a song composed by B. Smith and H. Gillespie and performed by Louie Armstrong (which I received permission to quote in the book). The salient lines are:
That lucky old sun has nothing to do,
But roll around heaven all day.
The trip made me feel as lucky as that old sun. I wish ACA every success in finding a viable financial solution so it can encourage, equip and inspire new generations in cycling adventures.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
This is indeed sad news. I have been a member since 2003 when I was preparing to ride half of Northern Tier with ACA in 2004 (thanks to the VA for letting me take 6 weeks off!) It was the springboard to creating tours for me and my friends using their maps and as they lament other on-line sources. Yes, I’m in that senior demographic and yes I don’t ride gravel (southern Wisconsin has no gravel roads).
A quality organization that deserves to be around a long time.
Adventure Cycling is a great organization. One of the things I particularly like about it is its ongoing dedication to its original mission: to make it easier for people to travel by bicycle. I have now used its maps for several shorter trips, and two trips across north America (Northern Tier and Southern Tier). I met others doing similar journeys on both trips; I saw places I would never have seen otherwise; I met others, not riders, from whom I learned how much – unlike a too-easy current perception of very little – we as humans and Americans have in common.
Anyone who wants to tour in North America, especially in the USA, should turn to Adventure Cycling for its maps and friendly advice.
Thanks for your comments!