That Alaska to Argentina Ride Keeps Giving: Thank You, Greg!

February 17, 2017 - Willie Weir blogs for Adventure Cycling every other week.

I wasn’t able to make it to Missoula, Montana for Greg Siple’s recent retirement bash, so I want to take a moment to thank him for all he has done for bike travel as a co-founder and art director of Adventure Cycling Association. 

Greg’s grand adventure from Alaska to Argentina, starting in 1972, along with the other co-founders, his wife June, and Dan and Lys Burden, proved epic enough that it got the attention of National Geographic magazine. That trip birthed the idea for BikeCentennial in 1976, and the rest is history.

Though he certainly could have, Greg hasn’t amassed an archive of photos of himself bike touring and splashed them across the Internet. Rather, in his constant pursuit of inspiring and empowering travel by bike, Greg has, among many things, quietly taken over 5,000 portraits of bike travelers who’ve visited Adventure Cycling’s headquarters for his Open Road Gallery and splashed their portraits instead.

Greg spoke at Adventure Cycling’s 40th anniversary gathering this past summer, and the video below is well worth your time.

Thank you, Greg. You’ve inspired so many people over the years ... and one of them was me.

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS is posted every other Friday.

Willie Weir is a contributor for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His books, Travels with Willie and Spokesongs, will inspire you to hit the road and might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can also find him at WillieWeir.com, Facebook, and Instagram.