Corporate Spotlight: BikeFlights.com

January 11, 2018

Corporate Member BikeFlights.com has you covered when you’re looking to ship your bike before or after your adventure. In this Corporate Spotlight, we talk with Sue George, BikeFlights.com’s Director of Communications, to learn a bit about the history of the company, why they’ve long supported the mission of Adventure Cycling, and how their service helps fill in the missing logistical puzzle piece of bicycle travel. They also generously offer Adventure Cycling members a discount!

Tell us a bit about BikeFlights.com and its history.

BikeFlights.com is a bicycle shipping service born out of the need to adventure with your bike. We help cyclists of all types ship their bikes to wherever they want to go, so they never have to leave their bike at home. Since 2009, we’ve served over 250,000 cyclists. 

What services or products do you provide for touring cyclists?

We provide one-way, round-trip, and multi-city bicycle shipping. Multiple shipping speeds are available, including ground and one-, two-, and three-day options. Our BikeFlights.com website is mobile friendly, so it’s easy for the touring cyclist to book his or her shipment while on the road. We also sell bicycle shipping boxes, and we can drop ship them to and from your start and finish locations and all points in between. You can learn more about how to pack up and ship your bike on BikeFlights.com’s “How To Pack Your Bike” page.

Why have you chosen to support Adventure Cycling through corporate membership?

We love to support fellow cyclists who are using a bicycle as a means of adventure. When traveling by bike, you really get to see local towns and experience their cultures. Traveling by bike has had a positive impact on us and we want to make it easier for others to experience that, too.

What are your favorite things going on in cycling right now?

We love seeing the increase in standard tire volumes on both mountain bikes and gravel bikes. It’s opening new avenues to explore because now you can take your bikes to more places. 

We’re also excited about youth cycling programs, such as NICA, which are getting more young people into the sport.

We love to eat good food, so it’s been great to see more cycling events offering options to enjoy local, farm-fresh food before, during, or after their rides.

And we’re seeing more and more kinds of organized tours and events offered. It’s making it even easier for cyclists to get out there and experience different places — you no longer have to figure out all the logistics all on your own.

Where would you like to see cycling in America in five years?

We’d like to see cities adopt more off-road riding opportunities to reflect the growing need for riding off-road. We get tired of riding roads filled with cars and breathing exhaust. We’d like to see more cities follow Bentonville, Arkansas’ lead in creating off-road, natural-surface riding options that are easily accessible to riders of all ages and skill levels.

We’d also like to see the income gap taken out of cycling so that more low-income kids can get bikes to ride, and we think Trips for Kids is doing a great job toward that goal.

What is your favorite service or program that Adventure Cycling offers? What do you like best about Adventure Cyclist magazine?

Maps. You make some of the best maps! As for the magazine, it inspires people to get out and ride by telling other people’s stories. One of the coolest features is the Open Road Gallery, with photos of people visiting headquarters and the stories about their travels.

Has any of your staff ridden Adventure Cycling’s mapped routes?

Our owner, William Alcorn, has ridden a few mapped routes from Portland to the Coast. Several of our staff members have ridden on the C&O Canal. Others have ridden various pieces of other routes.

What cycling related benefits do you offer your staff?

We’ve always offered flexible schedules in general, so that staff can pursue their riding goals while also working for us in the industry. In 2016, we started a month-long sabbatical program. After two years of being with the company, staff are eligible for this perk, and we encourage them to take on a bike riding or charity-related project.

Is there anything else about your company that you’d like to share with our readers?

Don’t wait for a bad experience traveling another way with your bike. Try BikeFlights.com today. Once you try us, we know you’ll come back and use us again!

BikeFlights.com has been a long-time supporter of Adventure Cycling, not only through corporate membership, but also as a sponsor of the The Greg Siple Award for Young Adult Bicycle Travel, and by offering an exclusive discount to our members. Become an Adventure Cycling member today to receive 10% off the price of all bike shipping boxes and cases, compliments of BikeFlights.com!

Photos courtesy of BikeFlights.com

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