Adventure Cycling's Timeline
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1972
June 16: Dan and Lys Burden, accompanied by Greg and June Siple, embark on the Argentina-bound Hemistour cycling expedition
from Anchorage, Alaska.
Greg Siple envisions what will become Bikecentennial '76 as the expedition moves south.
1973
April 3: In the small Mexican town of Chocolate, the group decides to create a mass cross-country ride as part of the upcoming
bicentennial celebrations. June Siple coins the term Bikecentennial to describe the ride.
May: National Geographic magazine publishes article about Hemistour.
May 30: The group sends 30 photocopied fliers about their plans to
prominent members of the cycling community (first publication).
The group places Bikecentennial's first ad, a classified, in Bike World
magazine for $1 (20 cents per word): "TOSRV PLUS HEMISTOUR
EQUALS BIKECENTENNIAL."
Bikecentennial receives a $1,000 grant from Open Road USA that is used
for stationery, postage, and a printed flier.
Dan becomes ill with hepatitis; he and Lys leave Hemistour and return to
Missoula. Out of a small apartment, they begin writing letters and making
phone calls.
1974
Bikecentennial is incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization.
A newsletter called BikeReport is published.
Bikecentennial receives a $5,000 grant from the Bicycle Manufacturers
Association and a $1,000 grant from the Illinois Bicentennial Commission.
Route researchers Jim Richardson and Linda Thorpe become the first to
bicycle TransAmerica Trail.
Huffy Manufacturing pays for a large full-color Bikecentennial poster and
brochure.
1975
Greg and June finish Hemistour and return to the United States. Greg
becomes Bikecentennial art director.
BikeReport newsletter gets new format (April/May issue).
Office moves out of Dan and Lys's apartment to second floor of 430 N.
Higgins.
Bikecentennial's first-ever group tour takes in the Lolo Motorway, or the
Lolo Trail, which 27 years later will become part of the Lewis & Clark
Bicycle Trail. It should have been a mountain bike tour, except that
mountain bikes had yet to be invented.
By the end of the year, at least 40 individuals are hired to work in the office
and on the trail to prepare for the summer of 1976.
1976
TransAmerica Bicycle Trail is completed and published.
Datsun donates six Lil' Hustler pickup trucks for supported tours.
Bikecentennial cross-country ride takes place, with 300 tours lasting 12 to
82 days. Six hundred leaders are trained at one of 22 weeklong classes, and
4,100 cyclists combine for a 10,000,000-mile total. Nearly 2,000 cyclists
ride the entire route. Ages range from 7 to 86. Riders come from all 50
states and 22 nations.
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation presents Outdoor Recreation Achievement
Award to Bikecentennial for successful development of the TransAmerica
Bicycle Trail.
American Youth Hostels presents External Service Award to Bikecentennial
for advancing the concept of hosteling in America.
Bikecentennial receives grants over the previous four years from: National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, American
Revolution Bicentennial Administration, Comprehensive Education
Training Act, Federal Work-Study Program, Youth Employment Service,
Bicycle Manufacturers Association, Bicycle Institute of America, Raleigh
Industries of America, Huffman Manufacturing Company, Coachmen
Motor Home Industries, Nissan Motor Corporation of America, J.C.
Penney, Celanese Fibers, Gitane Pacific, Shimano American, Burroughs-
Welcome.
Goals are developed for the organization:
- Develop three new loop trails, 300 to 600 miles in length, near major
urban areas, ready 1977
- Further develop facilities along the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail
- Develop loop trails near urban areas (five- to 10-year project)
- Introduce new trips to reach a greater number of new people
- Conduct research studies to promote increased safety and proper route planning
- Present education programs on bicycling
- Create guidebooks, maps, and directories to aid bicycle travelers
- Research and develop other long-distance trails, toward eventual development of nationwide network
- Membership is 7,600.
1977
Dave Prouty is named executive director.
Due to poor financial situation, all staff except three are laid off.
Bikecentennial Recycling program is initiated by Greg Siple.
Membership is 7,100.
1978
BikeReport newsletter is redesigned as a newsprint tabloid.
Membership is 4,600.
1979
First edition of The Cyclists' Yellow Pages is produced.
Several staff are rehired.
Office starts registering visitors/cyclists who visit headquarters.
Membership is 7,800.
1980
Great Parks North Route is completed and published.
Membership is 10,950.
1981
Huffy Foundation $60,000 challenge grant is received, to be used for researching and mapping four new routes.
Maps change to sheet format from booklet format.
Membership is 15,000.
1982
Gary MacFadden is hired as executive director (330 applicants).
Office moves to 133 E. Main Street.
1983
Northern Tier Route (Iowa to Maine) is completed and published, with funding from the Huffy Foundation.
1984
Northern Tier Route (Washington to Minnesota) is completed and published, with funding from the Huffy Foundation.
Membership is 17,000.
1985
BikeReport frequency increases from six issues to nine issues annually, with major funding from the Huffy Foundation.
Canada to California Route is completed and published.
Atlantic Coast Route (Virginia to Florida) is completed and published.
California Coast Route is completed and published.
Membership is 18,000.
1986
State of New York contracts with organization to research and map the 250-mile Seaway Trail.
Membership is 19,000.
1987
Atlantic Coast Route (Maine to Virginia) is completed and published.
BikeReport accepts advertising for first time.
Bicycle Forum advocacy magazine is purchased.
Membership is 20,000.
1988
Map correction cards are used for the first time.
First mountain bike tour, "Canyon Country Mountain Bike," is held in Moab, Utah.
John Schubert joins BikeReport as technical editor.
Membership is 21,500.
1989
Cyclosource catalog expands to 24 pages and full color.
Wide World of Travel/Bikecentennial Travel Service program is started.
Computers are first used to prepare Bikecentennial maps.
Leader Connection newsletter is first published.
Organization becomes charter member of the national Mountain Bike Task Force, created to help alleviate growing conflict problems between mountain
bikers and other trail users. Other members include the Bicycle Federation of America, League of American Wheelmen, International Mountain
Bicycling Association, Specialized Components, and Rodale Press.
Membership is 23,000.
1990
To fulfill assignment for the Mountain Bike Task Force, Bikecentennial develops, with the USDA Forest Service Technology and Development
Center, "Mountain Bike Trails: Techniques for Design, Construction and
Maintenance." A copy is supplied to all 2,500 ranger districts in the nation.
First contract maps (Durham and Wilmington, North Carolina) are produced entirely on computers.
National Park Service awards contract to map the Natchez Trace.
Credit card affiliation program is started with MBNA.
Southern Tier Route is completed and published.
In partnership with the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Bikecentennial creates the Blackrock Creek Campground along the TransAmerica Bicycle
Trail in Wyoming. It is the first campground specifically for touring cyclists on U.S. Forest Service lands. Bikecentennial's 50-percent contribution
($6,000) for the campground is raised from the membership.
Membership is 26,000.
1991
Headquarters moves into 150 E. Pine Street.
Organization consults with Seeley Lake Ranger District to help lay out new cross-country ski/mountain-bike trails network (the Seeley Creek
Trails) and with the Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana, to help design new mountain-bike trails on the ski hill.
Elevation profiles are first used on maps.
Events and points of interest are added to maps.
Membership is 27,500.
1992
Bikecentennial is responsible for bringing the 11th National Trails Symposium to Missoula. Co-hosts include the University of Montana,
Missoula Trails Project, and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Some 500 trails professionals from around the nation participate,
many of them attending the open house hosted at Bikecentennial's new Pine Street offices.
National forest mountain-biking maps are created in partnership with the Lolo National Forest (Montana), the Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Wyoming), the Monongahela National Forest (West Virginia), and the Malheur National Forest (Oregon).
ISTEA passes, with Bikecentennial a major force behind the effort.
Membership is 33,500.
1993
Organization changes name to Adventure Cycling Association.
Leadership Training Course (LTC) went from a six-day to a three-day course.
Adopt-A-Route program begins.
Bikes Fly Free program starts through Wide World of Travel.
First "event" tour (Cycle Montana, then known as Parks to Peaks) is held.
Membership is 37,000.
1994
BikeReport becomes Adventure Cyclist magazine as of April issue.
Four-color maps are introduced with revision of California Coast Route.
Mortgage for 150 E. Pine is paid off (except low-interest HUD loan).
AAA of Southern California offers Adventure Cycling maps to its members.
Article about skiing appears in the Adventure Cyclist magazine; members react negatively.
Great Divide Mountain Bike Route planning starts.
Membership is 40,000.
1995
Internet is first used as alternative communications medium, with BikeNet hosted on AOL.
Great Rivers South Route is completed and published.
North Lake Routes is completed and published, with funding from DAL MAC Fund and Cherry Capital Bicycle Club.
Relationship begins with Tanqueray-sponsored American AIDS Rides.
Inaugural Southern Tier "expedition" tour takes place.
Membership is 36,000.
1996
Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Sections 1 and 2) is completed and published, with funding from REI.
Contract is entered into with The Mountaineers publishing company to coproduce national series of guidebooks.
Membership is 36,000.
1997
Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Sections 3 and 4) is completed and published, supported by $10,000 donation from REI.
First website is launched.
Bicycle shop membership program begins.
Drew Walker is first person to ride the entire Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
For first time, TransAmerica Bicycle Trail maps all are produced in new full-color format.
Critical Pathways program begins.
Membership is 34,500.
1998
Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Sections 5 and 6) is published, with funding from REI.
Inaugural expedition tour on Great Divide Mountain Bike Route takes place.
Membership is 34,000.
1999
First Cycle Utah event is held.
First issue of Bike Bits (electronic newsletter) is released.
First full-time webmaster is hired.
John Stamsted completes Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 18 days, 5 hours.
Membership is 34,500.
2000
REI donates $25,000 for development of Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail.
Cycling the Great Divide is published with The Mountaineers publishing company.
Network database is installed, moving away from DOS-based system.
Great Parks South Route is converted to full color, completing conversion for National Bicycle Route Network.
Bill Sawyer is hired as executive director.
Membership is 33,000.
2001
Adopt-A-Library program is introduced.
Western Express Route is completed and published.
Twenty-fifth reunion of Bikecentennial is held in Missoula.
Membership is 36,500.
2002
Organization becomes charter member of America Bikes, created to ensure bicycle provisions included in TEA-21 reauthorization.
Adventure Cyclist magazine is redesigned.
Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail is completed and published, with funding from REI.
Corps of Rediscovery is first to officially ride the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail.
REI donates $10,000 to Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail video project.
Membership is 39,000.
2003
Bicycling the Lewis & Clark Trail is published with Globe-Pequot Press.
Lake Erie Route is completed and published.
Grand Canyon Route is completed and published.
MOU is signed with National Park Service to create bicycle map for Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, with major funding from National
Park Service.
Membership is 41,000-plus.
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