Adventure Cycling Association

Hello,

So much has happened for Adventure Cycling in the last month and a half: our wildly fun and successful Jubilee in the Desert 50th Anniversary kickoff event in Arizona, a member meeting and building sale vote, and the resignation of our Executive Director, Andy Williamson. I’d be lying if I said my head wasn’t spinning.

Leadership transitions and the lost opportunity to access capital from building sale proceeds to rebuild programs have real impacts. But as staff have been meeting the last weeks to discuss how to pivot, I’m reminded of what we’ve accomplished, how resilient we are, and how passionate our community is.

Flexibility and durability are both attributes of an adventure cyclist, so maybe it’s not a surprise that they’re also attributes of this small but mighty team. Time and time again, I’ve been impressed by what my coworkers can accomplish: their ideas, their follow-through, their commitment to meeting the current challenges (and there have been many!).

Our finance team is currently closing out the books for 2025 (Go! Go! Michelle and Jake!). And even though the financials are not yet audited, we want to share that 2025 is looking like it turned out far better than projected. This very team turned around a year forecasted for another deep deficit and ended it net positive thanks to a bit of good fortune, a lot of close management of costs to maximize programmatic progress, creativity around generating revenue, and last but not least, your generous support.

Right now, I’m working with the team to outline, for you, what went right in 2025 and what we’re planning to do throughout 2026. (We call it our “workplan.”) This team is ambitious, and we want to accomplish a lot this year. Financially, we’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re working hard to get there. We won’t be able to do it without your additional support.

As you may remember, our Plan B, if we didn’t sell the building, is to raise an additional $750,000 in donations each year for the next three years. That’s on top of our already lofty fundraising needs (we are a non-profit organization, after all). Most members voted not to sell the building. We respect the outcome of the vote and must now place our trust in you, our community, to help fund what comes next. Your increased support this year will give us the funds we need to innovate our way back to a point of sustainability — to return value to Adventure Cycling programs and membership in a way that not only makes members want to stay and support us but attracts new people to discover what we are all about. We are grateful for this opportunity and for your engagement as we chart the way.

I’m not technically asking you for these donations now (though it would be so appreciated if you decide to give today). I’m letting you in on staff’s next step. We’re going to give you a financial look back at 2025 and our 2026 workplan in the next few weeks. And then we’re going to fundraise like never before.

(…while keeping you updated on our programs, impact, and finances throughout the year.)

Thank you and stay tuned!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

January is a fun time for the communications team. It’s when we reach out to winners of our annual bike giveaway and our year-end fundraising giveaways!

Winner of our Priority Gemini Smart.Shift Gravel bike:
✨Wolfgang S.✨

“I came from Europe to live in the U.S. and work at Ohio University in 2013, and I purchased a touring bike from my first salary (instead of getting a car as everyone told me I should—I still don’t own a car). I soon discovered Adventure Cycling and became a member. I drew much inspiration from the stories of cyclists who ventured out on long distance tours across the U.S. and beyond…. “Epic” became a new word in my cycling vocabulary, and “life changing” seemed to be a perfect description of what I was in the middle of. As I went on my first few tours, discovering my new home and getting to know its people by bike, I began to really appreciate the work of ACA: mapping routes that are safe, beautiful, and attractive; offering accurate information that would be hard to find anywhere else, and representing the interests of bike travelers in ways that mattered. Here, for example, was someone who understood the problem of rumble strips! And who offered the resources and know-how that went into building the USBR network…. In 2023 I finally did the Southern Tier route using ACA maps, an unforgettable experience.”
– Wolfgang S., Athens, OH

Thank you for your support, Wolfgang; we hope the Priority Gemini aids you in many more adventures. And thanks to everyone who renewed, joined, and donated in 2025. Your support is what made 2025 successful!

Renew and donate again this year, and you’ll automatically be entered into our 2026 bike giveaway.

The Co-Motion Tumalo!

Built by Co-Motion Cycles, the Tumalo is a lightweight off-road touring and bikepacking bike designed for stability, traction, and confident handling on dirt and gravel. Read more about the Tumalo, the Share the Joy giveaway, and how to be entered to win.

Talk of giveaways reminds me …

Cyclists who want to participate in a Drop-in Ride should register by March 15 to be entered to win one of many giveaways.

On top of those prizes, you’ll also be entered to win one of three amazing bicycles from our amazing partners, Salsa Cycles, Otso Cycles, and Tout Terrain Bikes.

I’ve highlighted Otso and Tout Terrain giveaway bikes, now’s time to spotlight the …

Salsa Cutthroat GRX

What better bike to ride on the Great Divide than the one inspired by the Great Divide? It’s thoughtfully designed with plenty of rack and bag mounting points, low gearing for long climbs, and a carbon frame for speed.

If you’re planning to tour this riding season, we hope you’ll consider participating in a Drop-in Ride in celebration of 50 years of epic bicycle travel.

More than 500 cyclists have already signed up! As of writing this, 14 cyclists have posted on Companions Wanted in search of riding buddies for their Drop-in Ride. Don’t leave ‘em high and dry. Join in!

(Reminder that posting to Companions Wanted is a benefit of your membership!)

Since we’re getting so good at real talk these days …

Guided tours signups are looking awesome! I love how stoked y’all are on guided tours this year. Seats are getting quite limited!

What I can’t understand, however, is the lack of overwhelming love for the Red Meadow Ramble tour.

Maybe it’s the perceived effort involved with getting to northwest Montana for a long weekend tour. Maybe Montana is a giant blank spot in people’s minds (with the exception of whatever fables Yellowstone, the TV show, has planted there). Maybe you don’t think it’s worth it.

Well, last weekend I sent an email to a group of friends to plan a summer long weekend tour, and one of my suggestions was the Red Meadow Ramble route.

This is an actual quote in response to my email:

“Red Meadow is a classic but we’ve done it a few times (would do it again, that just makes it lower on my priority list, personally!).”

It’s only “lower” on the list because of how many times we’ve done it. That’s how great the Red Meadow Ramble is. Worthy of multiple goes.

I think you’ll like it.

If you must fling my recommendations to the wind, I hope you’ll look at a few others that still have saddles to be filled.

To finish this update on my favorite topic …

The Golden Gravel Trail is set to launch March 10.

Are you ready?

Highlights

• Free to everyone as a celebration of 50 years of bike travel
• Digital route with everything you know and love about Adventure Cycling routes like riding and weather conditions
• 3,804 miles: Our longest route released since the Northern Tier in 1984
• Diverse and iconic terrain we think will rival the popularity of the Great Divide
• Traverses my home territory of northwest Oklahoma – don’t knock it ‘til you’ve ridden it!

Mark on your calendar. Get it through the Adventure Cycling shop for free. Ride it.

Tag us @adventurecycling on your socials, and tell us all about your triumphs and travails through our Adventure Cycling is Everywhere storytelling campaign.

Until that special launch day, happy tailwinds,
Jess