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Building Sale Discussion Area / just another reflection from a young-ish (or middle age?!) member
« on: January 15, 2026, 06:36:49 pm »
I have always tended to be a silent lurker that keeps my thoughts and opinions to myself, but the opening of the 2nd vote has made me feel like it is important to be engaged in this moment for the ACA. I don't know if this will have any impact but I can at least head into this vote feeling like I wasn't just in the "do nothing" crowd.
I still don't know which way I am going to vote.
When I first heard about the sale, I was extremely sad. The building has meant so much to me. At 30 years old in 2015 I had never rode more than 5 or 6 miles on a bike at a time, much less with a loaded touring bike. And yet, I got a Trek 520 off of Craigslist, bought panniers, bought those classic Transamerica PAPAR! maps and shipped everything across the country. I did this because I heard Willy Weir give a talk about bike travel and Adventure Cycling. I did this because then, looking at Adventure Cycling, stopping in their building to buy maps (it turns out they were in my home state of Montana!), and looking at their magazine, I saw myself in the people that were in the building, that were featured in their magazines, and I felt like I could do this. And I did! The summer of 2015 I had the most life changing experience riding my bicycle across the country on the TransAmerica Trail and up to the Northern Tier, from Yorktown, Virginia to Seattle, Washington. I remember the excitement I felt to stop in the building, get my photo taken, weigh my bike, and continue on my way. Later that summer I went back to that building and saw photos of so many people I had met along the route. Many who are still my friends.
Since that time I have proudly taken many people to Missoula and to the building. This past summer I took my partner there and it was closed. As we were standing there another guy, just a few years older than me walked up. He was on vacation to Missoula with his wife and said that he had always wanted to take her there to show her the place/organization that had meant so much to him when he did his cross country bike tour many years ago. We shared our experiences and it felt like a community. But we were both disappointed to not be able to go in the building.
I know my vicinity to the ACA headquarters perhaps skews my perspective on the importance of the building. But I would be lying if I said the building wasn't a big part of what I have loved about the organization. I probably would not have signed up to be a member had I not walked into that building to buy maps and had conversations with the staff. That's my story.
I also don't know what everyone's story is as to why they may be left the community. I've always loved getting my magazine. But I know for me around 2020-ish I noticed changes. Yes, there was a noticeable change that I saw as positive to try to represent more diverse people in bicycle touring. But what I also saw was a change in the type of articles featured. Before, I always felt like most the articles could have been me. They made me feel like I could write an article for the magazine about my touring, or they made me feel like I could do a certain route. That was, as I mentioned before, why I did the Transamerica route with ZERO experience! But then the articles started to feel more epic, more out of reach. More like so many other outdoor publications that are fun to read but hard to relate to for the average human. I started to ponder not renewing my membership. Ultimately I've kept the membership going but I have felt more disconnect and not sure why. Now I know behind the scenes there has been crisis and lack of consistency in leadership and I know that that probably is part of it. I also know that I've felt how increased traffic on certain routes can drive you to go gravel. In 2021 I attempted to ride a portion of the Southern Tier from El Paso to California. We ended up stopping in Arizona because the traffic was so horrible and we felt unsafe. We did have a stay at an amazing hot springs that intersected with the Great Divide route that made me want to get a gravel bike and try that. I still haven't yet.
I've been on a board and worked with another organization that was started by similar inspired, creative, activist-minded, motivated, caring people (also started just over 50 years ago!) and one person I worked with as they have also been trying to bring on new, younger community members said the most wise thing. "It's okay to let something die. If it served a purpose and served it well, but now people don't need it anymore like they did, that's okay." While sad, it has been so helpful for me to think of that as I consider this vote. I still don't know how I'm going to vote. I'm still working to go through documents and write ups to help me understand everything. Your posts have all been helpful.
I hope to meet some of you someday at a thriving, vibrant, engaged Adventure Cycling event in the future.
Coty
I still don't know which way I am going to vote.
When I first heard about the sale, I was extremely sad. The building has meant so much to me. At 30 years old in 2015 I had never rode more than 5 or 6 miles on a bike at a time, much less with a loaded touring bike. And yet, I got a Trek 520 off of Craigslist, bought panniers, bought those classic Transamerica PAPAR! maps and shipped everything across the country. I did this because I heard Willy Weir give a talk about bike travel and Adventure Cycling. I did this because then, looking at Adventure Cycling, stopping in their building to buy maps (it turns out they were in my home state of Montana!), and looking at their magazine, I saw myself in the people that were in the building, that were featured in their magazines, and I felt like I could do this. And I did! The summer of 2015 I had the most life changing experience riding my bicycle across the country on the TransAmerica Trail and up to the Northern Tier, from Yorktown, Virginia to Seattle, Washington. I remember the excitement I felt to stop in the building, get my photo taken, weigh my bike, and continue on my way. Later that summer I went back to that building and saw photos of so many people I had met along the route. Many who are still my friends.
Since that time I have proudly taken many people to Missoula and to the building. This past summer I took my partner there and it was closed. As we were standing there another guy, just a few years older than me walked up. He was on vacation to Missoula with his wife and said that he had always wanted to take her there to show her the place/organization that had meant so much to him when he did his cross country bike tour many years ago. We shared our experiences and it felt like a community. But we were both disappointed to not be able to go in the building.
I know my vicinity to the ACA headquarters perhaps skews my perspective on the importance of the building. But I would be lying if I said the building wasn't a big part of what I have loved about the organization. I probably would not have signed up to be a member had I not walked into that building to buy maps and had conversations with the staff. That's my story.
I also don't know what everyone's story is as to why they may be left the community. I've always loved getting my magazine. But I know for me around 2020-ish I noticed changes. Yes, there was a noticeable change that I saw as positive to try to represent more diverse people in bicycle touring. But what I also saw was a change in the type of articles featured. Before, I always felt like most the articles could have been me. They made me feel like I could write an article for the magazine about my touring, or they made me feel like I could do a certain route. That was, as I mentioned before, why I did the Transamerica route with ZERO experience! But then the articles started to feel more epic, more out of reach. More like so many other outdoor publications that are fun to read but hard to relate to for the average human. I started to ponder not renewing my membership. Ultimately I've kept the membership going but I have felt more disconnect and not sure why. Now I know behind the scenes there has been crisis and lack of consistency in leadership and I know that that probably is part of it. I also know that I've felt how increased traffic on certain routes can drive you to go gravel. In 2021 I attempted to ride a portion of the Southern Tier from El Paso to California. We ended up stopping in Arizona because the traffic was so horrible and we felt unsafe. We did have a stay at an amazing hot springs that intersected with the Great Divide route that made me want to get a gravel bike and try that. I still haven't yet.
I've been on a board and worked with another organization that was started by similar inspired, creative, activist-minded, motivated, caring people (also started just over 50 years ago!) and one person I worked with as they have also been trying to bring on new, younger community members said the most wise thing. "It's okay to let something die. If it served a purpose and served it well, but now people don't need it anymore like they did, that's okay." While sad, it has been so helpful for me to think of that as I consider this vote. I still don't know how I'm going to vote. I'm still working to go through documents and write ups to help me understand everything. Your posts have all been helpful.
I hope to meet some of you someday at a thriving, vibrant, engaged Adventure Cycling event in the future.
Coty