9 Indicators that Bicycle Travel & Tourism Are Booming


On Tuesday, we issued a news release about the phenomenal growth of bicycle travel and tourism around the globe. Bicycle travel is taking over! Here are 9 new indicators that this is true:
  1. European Bike Tourism Generates 44 Billion Euros Annually: In September, researchers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands found that bicycle tourism (including day trips and overnight trips) generates 44 billion Euros (or about $57 billion). The comprehensive study indicates that the bike-tourism sector generates 2.3 billion cycle trips in Europe every year and also takes visitors (and their money) to rural areas that are not often visited by other tourists.
  2. Greater Global Interest in Bike Tour Business: This year at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, there were more bike tour operators than ever. There were also many tour operators, which have focused traditionally on walking and trekking tours, that are now edging into bike travel as an alternative (and growing) revenue stream. Companies also noted stronger demand for their bike-tour offerings. KE AdventureTravel, based in England, has seen classic bike journeys such as Bhutan?s Thunder Dragon Ride and Nepal?s Pokhara to Kathmadu attract double the numbers that they did in 2011. KE has also added a variety of new road and mountain biking tours in Rajasthan (India), Toubkal  (Morocco), and Phuket (Thailand). In the European bike tourism study, researchers surveyed hundreds of bike tour operators on the continent and found that they were seeing rising demand for cycling adventures, whereas demand was flat in 2009.
  3. Bigger Bike Route Networks in Development: Around the world, countries, states, and provinces are creating bigger and better bicycle route networks for use by locals and to attract tourists. In Quebec Province, La Route Verte ? a system of urban, suburban and rural bikeways ? has grown over the last five years from 4,000 km to more than 5,000 km. In Europe, work has accelerated on establishing EuroVelo, a 70,000 km continental system of bike routes; the goal is to complete the network by 2020. In the U.S., agencies and non-profits have begun creating an official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). In the last two years, eight new U.S. Bicycle Routes have been approved, and 41 states are now involved in planning, implementing, and signing routes. At the state level, agencies are developing unique route networks, some which will dovetail with the USBRS. For example, last year, Oregon quadrupled the number of routes in its statewide scenic bikeway system and is researching and mapping others. The states of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are working to develop a bike route system around all of Lake Michigan. Also, in the Great Lake region, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust recently announced that the Waterfront Trail, which extends along the shore of Lake Ontario, will now extend westward to Lake Erie, connecting 27 new waterfront communities along a signed, mostly on-road route.
  4. More North America States and Provinces Studying Bike Tourism?s Economic Impact: Until now, only two states in the U.S. (Wisconsin and Colorado) had conducted in-depth studies of the economic impact of biking and bike tourism. In Wisconsin?s case, researchers found that bike tourism generated an impressive $924 million from in-state and out-of-state visitors. In 2012, three more states began economic impact studies, which will be completed in 2013: Oregon, Michigan, and Arizona. A new study of the economic impact of La Route Verte, the provincial cycling network in Quebec Province, is also underway.
  5. U.S. Bike Events Expanding, Re-branding: Attendance and fundraising at large multi-day bike events ? like RAGBRAI (Iowa), Ride the Rockies (Colorado), and the popular Bike MS events ? are surging. In fact, the national organization of bike-event directors has re-branded itself as the Bicycle Tour Network (BTN) and, in November, experienced the largest turnout ever at its annual conference in Denver, Colorado. The BTN has begun conducting an economic impact survey of its member events and hopes to draw in smaller tour operators as part of the network.
  6. States Investing in Bike Tourism Public Relations: In a clear indicator that states and tourism bureaus are realizing the financial value of cycling tourists, 2012 witnessed the rollout of major investments by Oregon and Minnesota in TV spots, websites, and other public-relation devices to draw traveling cyclists to their states. Particularly notable were videos produced for Oregon by the global ad firm Wieden+Kennedy, and for Minnesota with the backing of a unique consortium of health, tourism, and non-profit organizations. The race for the most bike-travel friendly state is on!
  7. Rural Communities Invest in Bike Tourism: Over the last several years, more rural communities have discovered that attracting cycle-tourists is a low-cost, high-yield proposition. Adventure Cycling Association has documented the efforts made by many small communities ? from Twin Bridges, Montana to Monroeville, Indiana ? to develop special facilities for visiting cyclists. The most recent to come to its attention is a unique partnership in Pittsburg, Kansas, to develop a cyclists? visitor center on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.
  8. Bike Tourism-Related Sales Take Off in the U.S.: In October, the influential trade journal, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reported on the substantial increase in sales of gear and bikes for touring in its story, ?Touring market racks up mileage at retail.? The same article also noted that bicycle travel is becoming especially popular with a younger demographic.
  9. Non-Profits Set New Records: Cycling non-profits with a stake in tourism have enjoyed remarkable success in membership and activity in 2012, from the re-branded Bicycle Tour Network to the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) to Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling's membership reached an all-time high in 2012 at 45,225 members and it recently reported records in all the major revenue categories ? including memberships, map sales, and tour sign-ups ? a trend it attributes in part to the new boom in bicycle travel.
Photo: From the 2012 Visiting Cyclists Gallery on Flickr, by Adventure Cycling Association.

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NEWS, NETWORKING, AND NEW MEDIA is posted by Winona Bateman, Adventure Cycling's media director, and highlights cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) and meet-ups related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel. Writing a story about bicycle travel or Adventure Cycling Association? You can contact Winona via email: pressATadventurecyclingDOTorg. Visit our media room, view our news releases, or follow us on Twitter.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/9-indicators-that-bicycle-travel.html

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Choosing a bike saddle for comfort

By: Zoey Lancaster
Choosing a bike saddle for comfort is fun and can be used for stress relief. The last thing a cyclist needs is an uncomfortable saddle, as this will make riding an unbearable experience. Some people think that saddle discomfort has to be tolerated, but a proper bike seat is all you need to enjoy the freedom, convenience and pleasures of bike riding. The shape of a saddle is important in accommodating your anatomy. Women?s bicycle saddles are wider than men?s due to their wider sit bones. For a saddle that fits you perfectly, you need to consider your build, age, gender, weight, type of biking and riding time. A good bicycle saddle should be able to support your body weight while you pedal, balance and steer. When you hit a bump or cycle over uneven surfaces, the saddle must absorb the shock without transferring it to you. This way, you will not feel any impact.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/FErQcszh-2k/

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Meet Adam Reel: Building Bicycle Travel Initiatives


There have been many developments at Adventure Cycling over the past few months. Armed with a new strategic plan, we've launched a new department, called Travel Initiatives that is devoted to the continued development of the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) as well as bolstering bicycle tourism by making bike travel easier and more accessible to anyone traveling in North America. As director of this new department, I am thrilled to announce new staff that will assist the Adventure Cycling team as we work toward our five-year goals. Meet Adam Reel.

Name: Adam Reel

Hometown: Lexington, VA

Schools, Majors, Degrees: Virginia Military Institute, BA English; The College of William and Mary, MBA

Hobbies: I am an avid outdoor enthusiast. Some of my favorite hobbies are cycling, skiing, backpacking, climbing, and fly fishing. I also love playing the guitar and going to concerts!

Little known facts about you:  I grew up riding horses, not bikes.

What's your favorite mode of transportation around town? By bike of course! I love cruising around Missoula's awesome bike-route system on my Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Why did you move to Missoula? The mix of great community and unbelievable outdoor recreation.

How did you come to learn about Adventure Cycling Association? I learned about Adventure Cycling while planning my Transamerican cycling trip during graduate school.

Why do you want to be involved with the U.S. Bicycle Route System? I believe the formal designation of bicycle routes around the country will lead to the advancement of cycling as a viable travel and recreation option.

What do you think is the number one barrier to bike travel? How should we fix it? I would say the number one barrier is the perception by some people that bike travel is beyond their skill level. I don't think there is a single "silver bullet" for a fix. However, Adventure Cycling is actively working on projects that will help to change this perception, such as making bike-travel information readily and easily accessible, making sure accommodations are available for cyclists, and advancing the U.S. Bike Route System. These projects will help to make bicycle travel an option for everyone.

How do you see this work benefiting America? This work is benefiting America by encouraging the continued growth of cycling through the creation of safe, convenient, and designated cycling routes. I see the growth of cycling helping to build a healthier, greener America.

What are you looking forward to most about working here? Definitely coming to work everyday and being surrounded by people who are just as passionate about cycling as I am.

Welcome aboard Adam! We're thrilled to have you. Now, let's get to work!

Photo by Adam Reel.

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/meet-adam-reel-building-bicycle-travel.html

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Team RadioShack in Franco-Belge and Binche

The Team line-up for the next races: Circuit Franco-Belge (Belgium) 29/9-2/10/11 Riders: Sam Bewley, Ben Hermans, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Gregory Rast, Jesse Sergent & Evgeniy Shalunov Director: Dirk Demol Binche-Tournai-Binche (Belgium) 04/10/11 Riders: Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Robert Hunter, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Jesse Sergent & Evgeniy Shalunov Director: Dirk [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-in-franco-belge-and-binche/

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Make Your Own Adventures

A slew of friends have been coming through town these days. Everyone wants to know what we're up to:

? How's work going?

? How's school going?

? Been on any adventures lately? Have any adventures planned?

The adventure questions have sent me into a flustered state lately. I am the type that has either just come off of some great trip, or definitely has one planned for the future. But these days, all my adventures are via text books and computer screens.

When fumbling through my answer one of these times, I said, "Well, yeah, I mean, I'm going on a bike tour next August with my mom and I want to get a climbing trip in for the spring, but nothing coming up ... and, well, skiing should be great this winter, but nothing right now..."

My friend interrupted me and said, "Why don't you make your own adventures? Right here in Missoula."

It was such a great wake-up call.

Just because we're not out there right now biking through the warmer states, or adventuring in another time zone, doesn't mean we can't adventure right here, today.

Evan Smith (my bearded manfriend) finishes his trail run up on Lolo Pass during our recent Missoula-based adventure. 

Photo and graphic by Rachel Stevens

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ART. ADVENTURE. AWESOMENESS. wishes to bring enthusiasm to your second and fourth Monday of every month. This column is written by Rachel Stevens, a graphic designer at Adventure Cycling Association

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/11/make-your-own-adventures.html

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Sebastien Rosseler Wins Overall In De Panne

After riding pretty quietly for the first 3 stages, Team RadioShack?s Sebastien Rosseler (BEL) decided to put the hammer down and ate up the pavement in the afternoon?s individual time trail at the 3 Days of De Panne, beating the field by nearly 14 seconds on the 14.7-kilometer course with a time of 18:31.83. Not [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/sebastien-rosseler-wins-overall-in-de-panne/

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Andreas Klöden Out of the Tour

And then there were 5! After just a few minutes of pedaling into today?s Stage 13, Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden was forced to abandon his Tour effort this year succumbing to numerous injuries from several bad crashes. With numerous bruises and bad scrapes the most serious injury was Andreas? back, which caused him severe pain. [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/andreas-kloden-out-of-the-tour/

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Give the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas!

Christmas is fast approaching and if you are in need of some inspiration  a magazine subscription may be just what you need. Plus you can save up to 40% in the process! Whether you want to treat yourself or a loved one there are a wide range of magazines available that cover every aspect of [...]

Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/12/07/give-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-this-christmas/

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Tour de Suisse ? Levi Leipheimer Laughs Last

The 9-Day, 1,245.9-kilometer (774+ mile) 75th edition of the Tour de Suisse is now in the record books. Traveling through some truly beautiful country, great old cities, serious alpine climbs, 3 countries, and numerous tricky switchbacks and tight turns, Team RadioShack?s members had not been setting many headlines. Sure there were some excellent performances, Andreas [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-suisse-levi-leipheimer-laughs-last/

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