Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are among the most spectacular parks in North America. The waterfalls in Zion and the hoodoos in Bryce are stunning. Visiting by bicycle allows you to absorb it all at a much slower pace.

On March 2nd, to celebrate the release of our newest route, we announced a giveaway for two complete Bicycle Route 66 map sets. Randomly chosen from over 430 comments, the winners are:

Now that most of us have dug out the record snowfall this winter, it is time for us to focus on some awesome spring riding to prepare for the summer. A favorite time and destination for many is M.O.B.; May in the Outer Banks.

Maybe you've already seen Clif Bar's new Organic Energy Foods sitting on the shelf of your local bike shop. With flavors such as banana beet ginger and pizza margherita, these seem more like baby food purees for adults. Looking at these off the bike, they don't appear to be super appetizing, and would be easy to pass up. Two or three hours into a ride, however, these have what your body craves. 

I love seeing the world on the seat of a bicycle, as much as I enjoy seeing it from the seat of a bicycle.

A benefit of adding the newly minted Bicycle Route 66 maps to our existing route network is its intersections with that network. This post lays out three examples.

EuroVelo works across dozens of nations to develop routes. Continuing from the April issue of Adventure Cyclist, here are two more examples of their sophisticated coordination efforts.

During the month of March, we are featuring a series of guest posts that showcase the volunteers and advocates who provided behind-the-scenes support to bring Bicycle Route 66 to life. This week, Kevin Mussett, board member of the Oklahoma Bicycle Coalition, shares how Bicycle Route 66 and USBR 66 designation has been a central focus for their efforts to attract bicycle tourism and make Oklahoma safer and more bicycle friendly. 

Adventure Cycling Association will celebrate its 40^th anniversary in 2016, the anniversary of a 4,250-mile Trans-American bicycle ride called Bikecentennial during America’s bicentennial and brought together by the enthusiasm of thousands of cyclists, volunteers, and supporters.  

Leaving a bike unattended outside freaks me out. Even if I'm just running into a gas station or coffee shop for a few minutes, I'll be parked as close as possible to the largest window I can find to keep an eye on my bike at all times. I don't really know why I'm so concerned about the safety of my bike. Unlike a small child, a bike can be replaced, and I have no qualms with leaving a small child to fend for themselves for a few moments. Clearly I'm not a parent.

During the month of March, we are featuring a series of guest posts that showcase the volunteers and advocates who provided behind-the-scenes support to bring Bicycle Route 66 to life. This week, Brent Hugh, Executive Director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation shares how Adventure Cycling's Bicycle Route 66 is an important part of their larger initiative to build a statewide bicycle plan and connect destinations through trails.

Come join us for the 2015 Columbia River Gorge Fully-Supported tour in June! This tour is a week-long, fully supported bike tour that explores the Columbia River, the North Oregon and Southern Washington Cascade Mountains and Central Oregon near the lower Deschutes River. 

Ask anyone who knows me well, and they'd tell you I have a sweet tooth ... Well, a whole mouth full of sweet teeth. Pedaling a bicycle long distances has allowed me to consume way more sugar than I should have, without it showing to a great degree on my person, so far.
 

During the month of March, we will be featuring a series of guest posts that showcase the volunteers and advocates who provided behind-the-scenes support to bring Bicycle Route 66 to life. This week, Ed Barsotti, Executive Director for the League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB), shares the story of how the LIB worked collaboratively with a committee of stakeholders to create the Illinois Route 66 Trail, which provided a template for the creation of Bicycle Route 66 in Illinois. 

It’s been nearly 6 months since I last was on tour. As I sit here writing and look out the window, I reminisce about the great week I had on the Sierra Sampler with a fantastic group. Here in Missoula, winter has come and gone, and on my daily commute I think about where my travels will take me next.

Traveling Bicycle Route 66 on two wheels doesn’t have to be all about the riding. There’s plenty more to see and do. You can Paddleboard in Chicago, float the Niangua River in Missouri, ride past Mickey Mantle's childhood home in Oklahoma, get artsy at Cadillac Ranch, Taste the best chile sauce in New Mexico, and walk amid the hardwood trees of Petrified Forest National Park.

Another rushed reflection of an amazing journey. When I start a bike tour, the end is always something that I cannot fathom. I am nervous about the miles, the climbs, the arrangements, the weather, and full of wonderment for what lies ahead each day. The excitement of the days take over and I just focus on each day’s goals, assuming the very end will be this triumphant occasion — there will probably be a parade.

Something struck me yesterday while I was paging through Adventure Cycling’s Tours catalog—how varied the offerings are, even within tour types. For example, take our Fully-Supported tours. Sure, we offer rides only in North America. But, whether you prefer dirt or pavement, bayou or sageland, a rolicking crew of 100 or a more intimate circle of 25, Adventure Cycling has a spot waiting just for you.

I recently sat down with Adventure Cycling Cartographer and Assistant Director Jenn Milyko to chat with her about the project that has been occupying her department's time for the last four years, the development of Adventure Cycling's exciting new Bicycle Route 66.