USBRS in My Backyard: The People and Stories Behind the Routes

June 3, 2015

It's the people, places, and stories that connect and inspire the U.S. Bicycle Route System, so we thought we'd share our growing collection of USBRS in My Backyard photos. These photos are taken by the cyclists, planners, business owners, agency partners, advocates, and volunteers that have helped implement these U.S. Bicycle Routes or enjoy riding them. We hope you enjoy these great photos and stories as much as we do. 

MICHIGAN - USBR 10, 20 and 35

Josh DeBruyn, his son Clayton, and his wife Dana took this shot while on a family ride on the Pere Marquette Trail, also designated and signed as USBR 20. Josh is the state's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator and has worked with partners and stakeholders to designate all three of Michigan's USBRs - 10, 20, and 35, the most of any state in the lower 48 (Alaska has six USBRs and 1,414 total miles). The Great Lakes state ties with Florida for second most total mileage with 1,008 designated miles of routes.

VIRGINIA - USBR 1 and 76

Charlottesville Community Bikes volunteers show their support for the USBRS in Virginia. Virginia is home to USBR 1 and 76, following the Atlantic coast and the TransAmerica Trail and totaling 838 miles. These routes have been designated and signed since 1982 and see hundreds of cyclists each year. As a Charlottesville resident says, "U.S. Bicycle Route 76? It's everywhere in this town!"

TENNESSEE - USBR 23

Members of the Fogbees bike club and Bike Walk Tennessee went for a ride on USBR 23 and stopped to refuel at the Rosepepper Restaurant in Nashville. Tennessee designated USBR 23 in 2013 and plans to sign the route. A work group is now working to designate USBR 21, 121, and 80, and is the first state to hire a coordinator dedicated to implementing U.S. Bicycle Routes. 

ARIZONA

Arizona's Cyclists stop in Tombstone, Arizona along USBR 90 for a photo op with an Old West carriage. Arizona is working with local stakeholders and its neighboring states to designate four USBRs through its diverse southwest landscapes, possibly as soon as fall 2015.

MISSOURI - USBR 76

Missouri's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, Ron Effland reported, "I have talked with several cyclists to ask how the signs looked and if they were helping. Most have said they don't need a map in Missouri any longer because the signs are at each turn now. They said they really appreciated the USBR signs in Missouri because they were able to put down their maps for a while and just ride." USBR 76 was designated and signed across the state in 2013 and two grand openings celebrated the occasion in Farmington and Springfield. 

MINNESOTA - USBR 45

Minnesota is celebrating USBR 45––its 2013 designation, 2015 realignment and new signs––with an inaugural tour called Headwaters to Hills this summer. USBR 45 is also the Mississippi River Trail, which follows the river for 800 miles from its headwaters. The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Transportation are organizing the tour, kicking off with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the headwaters where riders will dip their tires, and then riding for 470 miles along the route. 

IDAHO - USBR 10

Idaho now has its first U.S. Bicycle Route - USBR 10 was approved by AASHTO last month! The Pend Oreille Pedalers bike club celebrated with a bike ride on the route in Sandpoint, and Jim Mellen captured this shot in front of the Cabinet Mountains and Lake Pend Oreille. The group collaborated with the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance and Idaho Transportation Dept. to designate USBR 10.

FLORIDA - USBR 1 and 90

Florida joined the USBRS last year when the state designated USBR 1 and USBR 90, which totals over 1,000 miles of routes! USBR 1 follows the Atlantic coast through the Sunshine State and runs through Titusville, where these cyclists stopped for this shot in front of the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (on the horizon).  

WASHINGTON, DC - USBR 50

Rails to Trails Conservancy staff took a ride on Capital Bikeshare in DC, stopping to show their support for the USBRS on the Met Trail. Washington DC designated USBR 50 in 2014 along the C&O Canal Towpath, which connects through Maryland to the Great Allegheny Passage, for 335 continuous miles of off-road cycling. 

WASHINGTON STATE - USBR 10

Washington Bikes volunteer John Pope enjoys a ride in Anacortes on U.S. Bicycle Route 10, also Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route. Washington Bikes worked in partnership with Washington State Dept. of Transportation to designate the route in spring 2014. 

ILLINOIS - USBR 36 and 37

Illinois may take the cake for the state to designate a USBR the fastest. Once we got trails superhero Steve Buchtel of Trails for Illinois on board, it took a span of about 4 months before the state had its first two U.S. Bicycle Routes - 36 and 37 around Lake Michigan. Mini Abe approves!

MAINE - USBR 1

Maine is home to USBR 1 which follows the East Coast Greenway, and the state plans to sign the route soon. Local transportation planner Jim Fisher shot this photo at Gordon's Wharf on USBR 1 in Sullivan.  

OHIO - USBR 50

Cyclists hang out in Dayton on USBR 50 with the Wright Brothers (top), who owned a small bike shop called Wright Cycle Co., before they started flying. Bike Miami Valley is working to make Dayton a bicycle tourism destination, and USBR 50 will bring many cyclists all the way from Washington DC. The route was designated in 2014 and the state plans to sign the route. 

Thanks to everyone who provided these awesome photos! If you live in a state with a designated U.S. Bicycle Route (check this list) and you'd like to send us a photo, contact advocacy@adventurecycling.org. We'll send you a complimentary USBRS poster you can use for the shot. We still need photos from Utah, Maryland, Alaska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Kentucky, preferably along the designated USBRs and with a sign if available. 

Happy bike trails!

Photos (from top) by Dana DeBruyn, Vince Caristo, Mark Holcomb, Dan Minjares, Greg Hoffman, Brian McEntire, Liz Walton, Jim Mellen, Stacie Human, Kelly Pack, Michelle Pope, Thomas Photographic Services, James Fisher, and Jordan Hart.

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Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. is generously sponsored by Exodus Travels, Planet Bike, Ortieb USA, SKS USA, Town Pump Hotel Group, and the Knickerbikers Bicycle Touring Club of San Diego. In-kind sponsors include Bar Mitts, Bike2Power, BikeFlights.com, Bike Touring News, Club Ride, Cygolite, Ortlieb USA, Osprey Packs, Planet Bike, Revelate Designs, Road Holland Cycling Apparel, Rudy Project, Sierra Trading Post, and TiGr Locks. 

Over the years, the U.S. Bicycle Route System has been supported in part by grants from the Tawani Foundation, Lazar Foundation, the SRAM Cycling Fund, and Climate Ride.

Learn more about the campaign and make a donation at adventurecycling.org/beapartofit.