The Big American Bike Ride

[adventurepdx]

It seems odd that there are no additional links or references.
A couple of glossy photos - no maps, not even a general one.
Which sets off red flags in my mind.

You don't have to be as big as REI or Trek -
but I think you need to identify who you are.

It just seems to me that it's a person or three that has a big idea, but not much else.
You can always write to them in Mount Vernon for their credentials.

[jamawani]

I would guess that it is a project developed by Jeff Arnim of CycleBlaze.
The webpage style is very much like CycleBlaze.

He has discussed something similar in the past.
Especially a Washington state to Washington, DC routing.
He has a great deal of touring experience.

[John Nettles]

Jama/John,
When they first came out, I wrote them and the response I got IIRC was basically it was a handful of like-minded people wanting to promote bike touring.  Eventually, they would be looking for volunteers to help.  I took that to mean something like if you, me, and a few others from here decided we wanted to do it.  I would love to help coordinate something like that (my background is putting together mega-sized medical meetings for 25k-30k people) but I have very little web skills. 

I think the website has actually improved.  It originally did not have as many pics I think.  But again, I think it was a year + ago so who knows.

Tailwinds, John

[staehpj1]

It seems odd that there are no additional links or references.
A couple of glossy photos - no maps, not even a general one.
Which sets off red flags in my mind.

A vague teaser to start with could be a marketing strategy, but 2023 isn't all that far off there ought to be a bit more specific info by now.

You don't have to be as big as REI or Trek -
but I think you need to identify who you are.

Yeah, most likely just a few guys hoping to organically gain a following.  They likely saw the potential for lightning to strike again with something like Bikecentennial and thought they could jump the gun on the sesquicentennial and steal the thunder from that potential generational event.  Maybe not, but that is why the whole thing rubs me the wrong way.

It could damage any chance of a success of a great sesquicentennial event either by succeding or by failing.  I could be wrong, it could help build up to one.  I doubt it though.

On the other hand maybe this is supposed to be a nice little event on a smaller scale than we are trying to paint it. 

[BikePacker]

Let freedom ring....
for me, one of motivational elements of biking is
the freedom to ride when, where and how i want.
Let biking be biking for cryin' out loud
when, where & how any & all want.
Nobody is stopping anyone from riding both.
Not to mention that both will promote biking
more than just one ride, even if one or the other doesn't materialize.

[canalligators]

I'm hearing a lot of guesses and speculation here.  I plan to ignore all of it.

Nobody is stealing AC's thunder, they don't have exclusive license for bike touring.  Maybe the other organization wants to create a big shebang rather than just providing resources for individuals and groups.  Good for them.

[staehpj1]

I'm hearing a lot of guesses and speculation here.  I plan to ignore all of it.

Nobody is stealing AC's thunder, they don't have exclusive license for bike touring.  Maybe the other organization wants to create a big shebang rather than just providing resources for individuals and groups.  Good for them.

Yep, for sure just guesses and speculation from me.  It seems like for a 2023 ride of any large scale we ought to have more info, but time will tell what the dael is with that one.  Maybe they don't intend this to be some huge organized deal  For 2026 we don't even know if anything is planned at all.  So yeah pure speculation.

My reason for being dissappointed with possible infringement on a Semiquincentennial reprise of Bikecentennial isn't that I want ACA to do it.  It is that I'd like to see a similar even tied to the Semiquincentennial with a similar impact done by someone.  To me Bikecentennial was a lot more than just another ride.  My concern is that trying to make something like it happen in 2023 will make chances of a 2026 event's sucess less likely.  I'd have been excited if I had heard that BABR was happening in 2026 as a Semiquincentennial event and if it was being run by someone with the resources to make it happen (or the drive to recruit folks who do have the resources).  I don't care if it isn't the ACA if someone does it and does a good job.

That said, the ACA has the history and experience that gives them an advantage and would seem to make them the most likely to do this sucessfully.

[jwrushman]

I'm starting to think of riding the TransAm in 2026.  Anything going on at ACA with regards to a semiquincentenial even?

[Westinghouse]

I tried the link three times. It came up blank. Never heard of it.