2011 Holiday Campaign, Fifth Edition

This holiday season we have been offering you tales of bicycle travel from our members, donors, staff, and friends. At Adventure Cycling we feel that these stories of success and triumph are the true fulfillment of our mission, to get all people traveling by bicycle. While my favorite part of my job is talking with people about their bike-touring experiences, I also realize the importance of sharing these stories with other people in the bicycling community. Luckily the publications department here agrees. And that is why we have Adventure Cyclist.

One member (Marcy Rodney, we're looking at you) referred to it as her "bike porn" -- stories and pictures that you can salivate over. Our pubs team, Michael Deme, Derek Gallagher, Rachel Stephens, and Greg Siple all contribute to the magazine, creating the layout, picking photos and stories, and designing the beautiful graphics that allow us to help inspire our members to fulfill their bicycle-touring dreams. We love Adventure Cyclist, and from the feedback our members give us, it is clear that you love it too.

?Of all the magazines I receive, online and in the mail, Adventure Cyclist goes to the top of my reading list. I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting, and read it many more times before the next one arrives. I love the stories, especially the crazy ones, and the photography is so good it's frame-able. I also like that the authors, whether traveling in Tibet or Texas, don't romanticize their travels; they tell it like it is -- the wind, the rain, the mountains, the roads. I have found on my own trips that this is the full experience and what makes it memorable and where the true discovery happens.? - Richard Goldman, Florida member and Thomas Stevens Society donor

Over the years we have heard from many other members regarding our magazine. Here are a few of my personal favorites. Member and donor Chuck Glass told us ?You have a great magazine and obviously good people working for it.? Jim Kelsh talked about the power the magazine has to supplement an otherwise bike-tour-free life, ?Like most of your readers (I suspect), the golden handcuffs: marriage, mortgage, and parental commitments keep me from doing the extended trips described by your writers and contributors. So I live vicariously through their consistently wonderful accounts.? Joe Breeze was possibly the most succinct: ?I was thoroughly pleased all the way through. Very impressed."

We love to share as many of the great stories that come our way as possible, through the magazine, our blog, BikeOvernights.org, and during our personal contact with people who visit us or speak to us on the phone. Please consider a donation this holiday season to ensure that Adventure Cycling continues to be around to help spread the joy of bicycle travel. We have had a fantastic response to the initial match offer* from our two generous sponsors and as a result we are working with more donors to put up an additional match offer of $17,500. If you want to help connect people through bicycle travel this holiday season and throughout the year, please consider making a donation to Adventure Cycling Association?s 2011 Holiday Campaign. You can help support us by visiting our campaign page or going to our donate today page.

Want a bonus for your gift to Adventure Cycling? The first ten people to donate $15 online today (December 20th) will receive a free Adventure Cycling Association Headsweats cap. Thank you once again for your support this holiday season and I hope to see you on the road!

*Five generous donors who strongly support our work have challenged our members, donors, and supporters with a match opportunity! To do this, they have agreed to match all gifts 1:1. If you are a member, check your email from 11/30, the recent mailing you received or give us a call at (800) 755-5243 x235 or x239 about a special 2:1 match opportunity.

Top photo by Aaron Teasdale.

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This story was written by ALEX CAMPBELL, standing in for Amanda Lipsey this week.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/12/2011-holiday-campaign-fifth-edition.html

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