The National Bike Travel Weekend interactive map, DIY resources, and over 150 nation-wide ambassadors will connect and inspire thousands of adventurers to go on a bike overnight in celebration of Adventure Cycling Association’s 40^th anniversary.

MISSOULA, MONTANA, November 10, 2015 — Adventure Cycling Association invites people of all ages and abilities to join the largest-ever weekend of bicycle travel across America and Canada on June 3 - 5, 2016 — by registering a bike overnight trip or joining an existing one on the National Bike Travel Weekend interactive map.

“Our goal is to inspire new and experienced bike travelers alike to enjoy an overnight bicycle trip with thousands of other people throughout North America on the same weekend,” says Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association. “National Bike Travel Weekend is for big groups, small groups and solo bike enthusiasts. It can be one night or two nights, travelers can sleep outside or indoors, and the distance covered can be one to 100 miles — whatever works for you.”

Everyone who registers a National Bike Travel Weekend trip at adventurecycling.org/biketravelweekend/ by May 16 will be entered into a drawing to win a commemorative Salsa Marrakesh touring bicycle and will receive a National Bike Travel Weekend sticker. The first 500 people to register will receive an Adventure Cycling key chain. 

Dozens of National Bike Travel Weekend trips are already logged onto an interactive map for others to join or to view for inspiration. Organizers of the trips have the option of making their bike overnight open to others, creating connections and new friendships between adventurers. In addition, participants can connect with over 150 National Bike Travel Weekend ambassadors with questions about going on a bike overnight. These ambassadors, located all over North America, are eager to share their local and regional knowledge of bike-friendly routes and overnight accommodations. Additional DIY resources are available on Adventure Cycling’s blog.

Some examples of planned National Bike Travel Weekend trips include:

• Thirty-five miles on car-free trails to Fairport, New York with the Finger Lakes Cycling Club;
• Fourteen miles on back roads to Sequim Bay State Park, Washington.;
• A combination of the northbound Pacific Surfliner train and a 10-mile ride to a hotel in Lompoc, California. 

A variety of media tools are available to individuals and organizations wishing to organize a trip, including the National Bike Travel Weekend logo, sample social media posts and images, a template press release/newsletter article, and a downloadable fill-in-the-blanks poster. The official National Bike Travel Weekend hashtag is #biketravelweekend.

The inaugural National Bike Travel Weekend is being launched as part of Adventure Cycling’s 40^th anniversary celebration in 2016. Adventure Cycling was founded as Bikecentennial and started as a 4,250-mile TransAmerica Trail bicycle ride with over 4,100 participants in the summer of 1976. 

In addition to National Bike Travel Weekend, Adventure Cycling will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bikecentennial with two other major events. The Montana Bicycle Celebration, July 15 - 17, will include parties, nationally acclaimed speakers, bike rides on the Bitterroot Trail, music, art, film, and Bikecentennial reunions in Missoula, Montana, the home of Adventure Cycling’s headquarters. Registration is available at adventurecycling.org/MTBikeCelebration. Bike to Your National Park Day / State Park Day on September 24 will celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial and National Public Lands Day, in addition to Adventure Cycling’s 40th, with DIY rides in national parks, state parks, and other public lands. Major sponsors of the 40th Anniversary events include the Montana Department of Commerce and Salsa Cycles, with support from Osprey Packs.

For more information about Adventure Cycling’s 40^th anniversary visit http://www.adventurecycling.org/40th

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Adventure Cycling Association inspires and empowers people to travel by bicycle. It is the largest cycling membership organization in North America with more than 48,000 members. Adventure Cycling produces cycling routes and maps for North America, organizes more than 100 tours and leadership courses annually, and publishes the best bicycle-travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine. With 44,662 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike-travel adventures. Phone: 800-755-BIKE (2453). Web: www.adventurecycling.org. 

CONTACT
Lisa McKinney, Communications Director
lmckinney@adventurecycling.org
Direct: (406) 532-2759 / Twitter: @advcyclingassoc

IMAGES & INTERVIEWS
Download event logo and web-ready photos here. For high-res images, or to arrange an interview, please contact Lisa McKinney.

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Tweet: Sign up for National Bike Travel Weekend, June 3 - 5 & win a Salsa Marrakesh touring bicycle! http://bit.ly/1X09Put #biketravelweekend

Facebook/Newsletter: Don’t miss the largest cycling weekend in North America this summer! Adventure Cycling Association wants you to gather up your family, friends, bike clubs, youth groups or adventure buddies, and go on a bike overnight to your favorite campground, park, public land, hotel, cabin, B & B, hostel, or friend’s backyard during the first-ever National Bike Travel Weekend, June 3 – 5. Register for your chance to win a Salsa Marrakesh touring bicycle, explore the interactive map of National Bike Travel Weekend trips, get inspired, and connect with one of over 150 ambassadors from 41 states. www.adventurecycling.org/biketravelweekend #biketravelweekend #bikovernights