Fears for the Future of Adventure Cycling

[jamawani]

Dear Fellow Cyclists,

I am posting this in a number of locations because of the recent announcement that Adventure Cycling will be selling its headquarters in Missoula. I’ve visited there a number of times on cross-country bicycle trips. Most of us riding through Missoula stop in - it’s a bit of a pilgrimage. Not to mention getting your photo taken with your bike.

Some time ago, I posted my concerns about the direction Adventure Cycling was heading. At that time, I pointed to a number of factors at ACA that were troubling. There are many businesses and organizations connected with cycling, but only one that is historically connected with bicycle touring. If we lose Adventure Cycling, we lose our main anchor.

The hiring of Jennifer O’Dell -  who had a marketing background but no significant cycling experience - was a mistake. Part of the mission drift and lack of focus may be attributable to her misdirection of ACA. One of the challenges of any organization is trying to be all things to all people. Most long-time members were deluged with fundraising appeals and promotions. Meanwhile, the core functions of ACA went unattended, or worse, were axed - such as the self-supported TransAmerica tours, the origin of Bikecentennial.

Another issue has been the apparent politicization of Adventure Cycling. The language, tenor, and offerings of ACA became quite left-oriented. I suspect that most people who get on a bicycle and ride across the country tend somewhat to the liberal side, but not all and not so far left. A small organization that represents a tiny segment of the recreating public cannot afford to become politicized. Granted, cycle touring has long been the domain of affluent, White men. For women and minorities it can be dangerous. For queer people, too. I was sexually assaulted and almost killed 28 years ago. But, there is a difference between outreach and politicization.

It could be that bicycle touring is simply going the way of movie rental stores. United States Steel, recently disposed of at a yard sale, was once one of America’s strongest corporations. Kodak’s name and bright yellow color were recognized worldwide. Now it barely survives. Concrete data is hard to come by. Yellowstone National Park used to count bicyclists at its entrance stations, but stopped. Surly no longer makes the Long Haul Trucker. I find myself alone at hiker/biker campsites in national parks when once there were always other cyclists.

Many times, when information such as the announcement of the headquarters comes out, it is already too late. No one mentions that there are no binoculars until after the ship hits the iceberg. It’s human nature. But it may not be too late. I believe, however, that it requires a far more open leadership at Adventure Cycling and a willingness to assess honestly the impact of recent management choices.

I’ve been a member of Adventure Cycling since its Bikecentennial days in the late 1970s. I would hate to see it go. Please feel free to forward this to other touring cyclists whether or not they are members. I welcome your comments. If you would like to get in touch with me personally, you can do so at jamawani@gmail.com.

Thanks very much for your support for bicycle touring.

John Egan
Buffalo, Wyoming

June 25, 2025

[BrianW]

Well said.

[Westinghouse]

That is the way of all civilizations, people, countries, developments, businesses. They start, and develop, and grow. After a time they end. Some businesses retire. It was  a course in business management at Barry University in the late 1980s. It said management was one of the main causes of business failures. The lesson went on with tangible examples of how mismanagement caused problems.

[davidbonn]

I think much of what is happening is that the activity of bicycle travel has evolved and is not at all what is was in past decades.

A lot of the routes and places popular for long-distance road touring are much more crowded, which makes the riding less pleasant and also means you probably have fewer options, especially low-cost options, for how to make a trip happen.  And that trip is probably considerably less safe than it was in the 1980s.  For a lot of reasons I think dirtbag travel of any kind is on its way out in the United States.

If you look at the bikepacking crowd, you'll notice that they are (on average) much younger and doing very different kinds of trips than trad bicycle touring people are doing.  Also some great organizations (like bikepacking roots) have stepped up and are doing a lot of the advocacy needed to keep the activity alive.

[Westinghouse]

Much of what I have seen lately has to do with riding rail-trails and paths and unpaved roads and remote single-tracks. I have not ever cycled off-road. 1980s road traffic was moderate. These days, in some regions, Florida in high tourist-season has the highest transient population of all states, traffic is thick, fast, furious and shot through with intoxicated drivers swerving the gunning around traffic, only to be next to you in line at the red light. The number of motor vehicles on the roadways has definitely multiplied. When I was a boy growing up in Stuart, Florida, our father drove the family about 32 miles to West Palm Beach, Florida. That was on US Federal Highway 1. You could not see one car moving or one person anywhere. These days it is heavy traffic all the way, with lines of cars that look like a train. In 1960, in my hometown on Sunday, you could look all over town, anywhere and everywhere. No car or truck anywhere. Nobody to be seen anywhere. Nowadays it can be impossible to find a place to park close to anything. Traffic in winter is one big, disjointed, mechanical snake winding around on all roads.

[rafisher14]

Apparently, there was an article in a Missoula news site about the pending sale.

Jessica Zephyrs, VP of Marketing and Communications at Adventure Cycling Association, is quoted as saying:

"To anyone who loves this building for what it is and loves Adventure Cycling, my call to action is to donate to support the organization right now as we're experiencing these trying times...And then also, if there's a donor that loves this building, please buy it. That would be wonderful."

Seems strange to ask for a donor to buy this building when it was originally purchased by member donations.

[rafisher14]

Another opinion piece about the sale:

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2025/06/30/diane-jenks-industry-needs-adventure-cycling

[BikeliciousBabe]

I think much of what is happening is that the activity of bicycle travel has evolved and is not at all what is was in past decades.

A lot of the routes and places popular for long-distance road touring are much more crowded, which makes the riding less pleasant and also means you probably have fewer options, especially low-cost options, for how to make a trip happen.  And that trip is probably considerably less safe than it was in the 1980s.  For a lot of reasons I think dirtbag travel of any kind is on its way out in the United States.

If you look at the bikepacking crowd, you'll notice that they are (on average) much younger and doing very different kinds of trips than trad bicycle touring people are doing.  Also some great organizations (like bikepacking roots) have stepped up and are doing a lot of the advocacy needed to keep the activity alive.

+1.

Just finished a loop tour from/to Missoula using the Trans Am to Twin Bridges.  I have ridden many of the roads several times.  Far more traffic than ever.  Even Rock Creek Road was relatively busy.

One notable thing is that I encountered few other riders compared to previous years.  In 2014 I camped at Jackson Hot Springs with at least 10 others, mostly heading west.  Met others as well, including people on the TA and the L&C at the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges.  In 2016 I stayed with others at the bunkhouse in Jackson and a several others again at Twin Bridges.  All of these trips were at the same time of year.

This year, on Day 1, I met a German guy and a separate couple heading east. In Wisdom I stayed with two Dutch guys heading west.  Stayed at Twin Bridges with two companions heading east, partly on the TA.  Othen than two others who appeared to be on the GDMBR (possibly racing), I saw one other person touring.

What I did encounter as Jackson Hot Springs was a group of maybe 10 or so people who had organized their own "tour".  They had a vehicle and would ride various road segements than shuttle to overnight locations.  Two of them on eBikes had passed me near the top of Lost Trail a couple of days before.

I also saw a group of cyclists who had apparently been dropped off by a van along the west slope of Badger Pass.  The van had labeling on it, bit it was too far away for me to idenitfy.  The riders were heading west.  My guess is that they were going to ride some of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway and either get picked up or turn around and ride back to the van.

[jamawani]

I do think that there are fewer people out there touring.
And that e-bikes and van support have taken a big chunk out of self-contained.
Which is unfortunate, because self-contained gives you such a sense of freedom.

As for German and British and French people touring in the U.S. -
Given a few high profile detentions that have occurred, many people may be hesitant to ride in the U.S.

[BikeliciousBabe]

I do think that there are fewer people out there touring.
And that e-bikes and van support have taken a big chunk out of self-contained.
Which is unfortunate, because self-contained gives you such a sense of freedom.

As for German and British and French people touring in the U.S. -
Given a few high profile detentions that have occurred, many people may be hesitant to ride in the U.S.

+1.  I neglected to mention that the German fellow must have some connection to the states because he stayed with a friend in Darby.  I forst met him on the trail heading towards Hamilton.  He passed me the next day after Connor Cutoff Rd.

[ray b]

yep.
noticed no one on the board asked membership or lifetime members for opinions or anything other than money before pulling the trigger. All the questionnaires I've seen have had a marketing feel to them. "What can we tell you we are going to do in our emails that will get you to send money."

Not that long ago - well OK, ~20 y ago - I recall Jim Sayer as a new director with a strong background in communications and media, making the rounds to local and regional meetings in person to get feedback, historical context, and informed prediction. He picked up a lot of money along the way as well.

That kind of contact helps leadership avoid political pitfalls (or pratfalls) and provides the sense of support, confidence, and contagious inspiration one can take into meetings with potential partners, corporate donors, lobbyists, and politicians.

All I can say is, financially, the organization has been here before. Always a shame that each generation needs to learn some humility and how not to go broke.
Hopefully there's enough core talent with the tenacity one learns on tour to see us through to new models of sponsored route devlopment and advocacy for riders.

For example - not clear why the senior guys on this forum always have to recommend at least 6 different apps to get weather, wind, bike-friendly camping, showers, etc., while the mapping app on my motorcycle seems to be able to pull all that up in one spot. I used to pay a lot of money for access to the motorcycle mapping software, but now, a chunk of that fee is picked up by a national motorcycle sales conglomerate that includes it in the membership fee. Why some of the cycling apps like Ride with GPS or membership groups like bikepacking.com have not been brought in early and developed under or in collaboration with the ACA has never been clear to me. 'nuf said.

[BikeliciousBabe]

Hmmm?  Maybe sell naming rights, like college bowl games and stadiums.

The "Cheetos Trans America Route" has a nice ring to it.  Or maybe the "State Farm Southerns Tier".

[davidbonn]

Was it just me or was the most recent issue of their magazine very thin?

[ray b]

read the note from the editor. They eliminated all their print advertising, because they were not charging enough to the advertisers.

[rafisher14]

The cost of printing the pages with ads exceeded the revenue the ads were bringing in and they couldn't charge any more for the ads since this would have driven away the companies.