Support Archives - Adventure Cycling Association

Rolling with the Flow in the D.C. Summer Heat with Camp MWABA

Qudsiya Naqui — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:06:02 +0000

Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) was thrilled to receive a grant from Adventure Cycling for our second annual tandem bike camping trip. This year, 25 campers braved the heat to camp with us on the Marsden Track on the C&O Canal Towpath. Of this year’s group, three people were first-time bike campers. Through a heat advisory, a detour, and many more adventures, we managed to roll with the flow and had a great time! Eight tandem pairs and our wonderful drivers met at the Bethesda Metro. Everyone was already sweaty but buzzing with excitement. This year, one of our campers, Qudsiya Naqui, served as our documentarian—she was at the ready with her phone to record our experiences for an audio story that will be featured on her podcast, Down to the Struts, in Fall 2024. Five pairs of tandem bikers who were interested in a longer ride took a 24-mile route through neighborhood streets to Rock Creek Park, and then along the Potomac River on the Capital Crescent and C&O Canal trails. Three tandem pairs did the same 14-mile route as last year down the Capital Crescent Trail, then out on the C&O Canal Towpath. Unlike last year, the towpath was almost completely dry with no puddles to splash through, but we still saw plenty of blue herons in the canal. When we arrived at the campsite, we unloaded our gear and set up our tents. We sat around a picnic table for a late lunch, talking about why we love biking and camping. Azka, one of the campers, summed it up: “Biking [is] like the actual definition of inclusion and accessibility, showing people that visually impaired and blind people can do anything if the environment and the bikes are adapted.” She also mentioned that she loves the birds chirping and the early mornings during a camping trip. Access was at the center of our trip this year—we made sure our tents were labeled in Braille so that everyone could easily find their own. Campers brought accessible chess and Braille playing cards to enjoy by the fire after dark. We also created a system of rope lines so everyone was able to feel their way to the bathroom at night. Around four in the afternoon, a group of us left for a four-mile hike up the trail and then onto the Gold Mine Trail. The trail leads to the ruins of a 19th century gold mine established during the Civil War. But the real gold is the trail itself: winding through Great Falls, Maryland, the tall trees offered ideal amounts of shade and we hiked to the sound of a babbling creek running alongside our path. The hikers returned to the campsite to find one of our drivers serenading everyone with guitar music, strumming Scottish and English tunes—plus a few American favorites like Brown-Eyed Girl—as dinner was set out. We had a marvelous burrito buffet, complete with salsa and fresh guacamole. Along with our original group, two tandem pairs, a solo cyclist, and a driver had left the Eastern Market Metro after work, biked through D.C. to the C&O Canal Towpath, and met the group at the campsite in time for dinner. Some campers enjoyed a swim in the Potomac River while the hikers were out. The water was calm and bathtub temperature, and the late evening summer sun sparkled on the surface. As the soaked swimmers dried off by the fire, we made s’mores, played board games, and told stories. One of the trip organizers shared her experiences as a puppy raiser for guide dogs, and we were joined on the trip by her newest recruit, Chloe, a sweet yellow Labrador puppy who enjoyed many snuggles. We woke to a beautiful morning and a yoga flow class led by Ariel, one of our intrepid gear drivers and fitness instructor extraordinaire. Nikos was on hand with fresh coffee, which we all enjoyed. Once we packed up camp, it was back on our bikes and off to Fletcher’s Cove, where we put in some rented kayaks and spent the afternoon floating on the Potomac River. Sharon, one of our planning committee members, arranged a wonderful picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches that we all enjoyed during breaks from boating. We rolled home on Saturday afternoon feeling accomplished, with lots of great memories, new connections, and stories to share. One of our tandem captains who had never bike camped before described our adventure as a “great entry point,” and said he was up for another trip. One of our stokers who had never bike camped before told us: “I never thought camping was an option for my visual diagnosis. As corny as this sounds, it expanded my view of what is possible for me.” Even in the heat, Camp MWABA managed to roll with the flow, and we had an amazing time!

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Trip Recap: Langford’s Third Annual Bike Overnight

Kari Kuwamura — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:11:59 +0000

This is the third Langford Elementary School bike camping trip supported by Adventure Cycling’s Bike Overnights program. You can read about the first one here and the second one here. This year, Langford Elementary School celebrated its third annual bike camping trip, supported by Adventure Cycling’s Bike Overnights program. Embracing the tradition, students and volunteers embarked on an adventure from Langford Elementary to McKinney Falls State Park on May 9-10, 2024, marking the final trip before the school closed for renovations. For over seven years, Langford Elementary and the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative have partnered to provide South Austin students with biking opportunities, fostering skills, exploration, and friendships. This time, ten enthusiastic students and three dedicated volunteers set out for an overnight trip.

A Hot and Challenging Journey

Gathering in a classroom after school, the group prepared their bikes, filled water bottles, and loaded gear, including tents and sleeping bags, into the support vehicle. The six-mile ride to McKinney Falls was filled with camaraderie and encouragement as students navigated neighborhood streets, bike lanes, and McKinney Falls Parkway. The trails were too overgrown this year, necessitating a road and bike lane route. Braving one of the hottest days of the year, with temperatures soaring over 90 degrees and limited shade, the kids persevered with the support vehicle providing much-needed water, air conditioning, and moral support. Arriving at McKinney Falls, the intense heat couldn’t dampen their spirits. The group set up camp with enthusiasm and cooperation. The students, many of whom were new to camping, eagerly pitched tents and helped unload the vehicles.

Fun Despite the Heat

The highlight of the trip was playing in the Upper Falls. Recent rainfall had made the creek’s flow even more robust, and the kids delighted in splashing and swimming in the refreshing water. As the day wound down, the group gathered for a delicious dinner. Grilled fajitas, followed by s’mores, made for a memorable meal under the drizzling sky.

Evening Activities and Bonding

After enjoying a dip in the falls, the group encountered thunderstorms, including a tornado that touched down about 15 miles south of the campsite. Despite being in the eye of the storm, the kids munched on cheese sticks until it was dry enough to cook dinner. Though Bike Story Night had to be canceled due to rain, the kids enjoyed a camp-cooled dinner, stories, and tent time with friends. Phone calls from concerned parents and the principal were met with assurances of safety as the group watched the storm pass over.

Wrapping Up

The following morning, the group packed up their tents, enjoyed breakfast tacos, and set out for the return ride to Langford Elementary before school started. The cooler morning weather and downhill ride was a joyful finish to their overnight adventure, with students greeting the wildflowers along the way. Back at school, Principal Castillo welcomed them with congratulatory words and celebrating their successful trip.

Gratitude

This adventure was made possible by the support and dedication of many individuals and organizations. Special thanks to parent volunteers and teachers Girmawi, Lily, Kari, and all the students for their participation and enthusiasm. Kari’s support with the SAG wagon was invaluable for water breaks along the way. We are also immensely grateful to Cabela’s for helping us purchase last-minute tents after discovering our usual tents were damaged. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Ghisallo, Langford Elementary, Adventure Cycling, and Texas State Parks for making this trip a reality. As Langford closes its doors for renovations, we look forward to continuing our programming at Palm Elementary, where students will be transferred during the school’s temporary closure.

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Cycling the Route To Emancipation

Ariel Marlowe — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 18:03:58 +0000

When I met Talib in February of 2021, we were in the front parking lot of Cycleast. I’d spent the previous day on a date, doing the original Black History Bike Ride (BHBR) route, quietly struggling to complete the 8.46 miles on my single-speed bike. So when I spotted him, I had some questions… Was he the guy who hosted the initial Black History Bike Ride in June? And if so, why didn’t he put a warning on his online route about it being so hilly? We laughed and soon became friends.

Our friendship evolved when I began to help organize and lead BHBR events around the city, and when Talib suggested we film a documentary of our 350-mile ride from Austin to Galveston for Black History, I had zero questions. Similar to when we met, I was unaware (and unafraid) of the challenges that lay ahead, but after two years of adventure biking, leading Black History Bike Rides, and securing a geared bike from Rocky Mountain, I was better prepared. Nothing however could have prepared me for the impact this trip would have on my own life.

The author posing on his bike

Ariel Marlowe

Our trip began on May 11th, with the first 87-mile leg starting at the Texas African American History Memorial on the State Capitol grounds and ending at Lake Somerville State Park. It was the warmest and most gravel-filled day of the long weekend, which was exactly what we needed on the first day. Along the way, we had two planned stops: The Freedom Colony Moab in Lexington and the Antioch Church in Ledbetter, where we would meet Gladys Clemmons, the church secretary, who shared their nearly 150 years of history with us. Our visit at the Antioch Church was meaningful because it reminded me of the one I attended when I was young. From the soft velvet carpet to the heavy, reverent air, I felt like I’d stepped into a time capsule where the only thing missing was my family. At the time, I had not seen them for a few years, so the nostalgia became a bit overwhelming. After stepping outside and taking a moment to gather myself, Ms. Gladys let me ring the bell before we rolled out toward our campground for the evening.

Ariel Marlowe

The second day we set off for Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) to meet Dr. Marco Robinson, Associate Professor of History and Assistant Director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice. This was the only day I cracked a bit. It may have had something to do with the elevation gain. It may have been the headwinds. Or it may have been due to me being out of my comfort zone. On most trips I’m focused on taking care of my own needs, and sometimes, when leading a group, I’m responsible for their safety and needs as well. So when our plan shifted and I began to get cranky and tired, I had to practice something new: leaning on and trusting those around me for help and energy. As we rolled into PVAMU, I felt so fortunate for my brothers and this safe place for us to rest and learn. We completed our 91-mile day when we arrived at Stephen F. Austin State Park for the evening. The third day began with rainfall. The drizzle that welcomed us during the rollout, became a full downpour by the time we turned off the park road. After a short reconvene with the production crew, a gear stowaway, and a mini hype sesh/dance party we set back off on our 70 mile day. Because of the weather, we didn’t stop often, but one stop was very memorable. We’d just dried out in between showers, when we decided to take a 15 minute break under a gas station overhang. While sitting there, a storm hit that extended our wait. After about 40 minutes, we set out fully rested, energized, and grateful we’d waited it out. However, what we didn’t realize was that we were actually traveling in the same direction as the storm. After 10 minutes we ended up riding headfirst back into the maelstrom we had just waited out! What was a great annoyance at the time, gave us something to laugh about at camp that evening. This day also held my favorite part of the route… our time at the Levi Jordan Historic Plantation Site, where we met the site educators Kennedy and Will. It meant a lot to have those young Black educators there to host us, to share the history of the site, and to laugh at our stories after the long day.

Ariel Marlowe

Our final day would end with us at Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth. It was another intermittently rainy day, but at least we knew there was Buc-ee’s stop not too long into the route. Shortly after stopping there for snacks, we crossed the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge into Surfside, for a brief reflection of how much we’d done to get our feet on the sand. But our journey wasn’t done, so we turned onto Bluewater Highway for the final 38 (flat) miles. The weather was beautiful for most of this stretch, which was a welcome reprieve. However, as we arrived into the city, the sea wall greeted us with a downpour. And when we turned toward downtown Galveston, the streets were already flooding. I remember being grateful for the rain as we all stepped off of our bikes, because it didn’t take long for the tears to begin to flow. We’d completed our journey and were able to just let the rain and emotions wash over us. As we all cried and hugged one another, the connection we’d felt the entire journey with the land, history, and one another just resonated. We were here, we were free, and we were together.

Ariel Marlowe

Writer’s Note: At the time of filming, BHBR was a project in Six Square’s incubator program, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that celebrates and preserves the great arts, culture and history of Central East Austin. As of January 2024, Black History Bike Ride has received its own 501(c)3 nonprofit status, with a goal of empowering more people to share the stories that highlight black history, current events, and futures. We think this documentary will be a great way to further inspire and educate people, not only in Austin but in Texas and beyond. The full documentary can only currently be seen at the film festivals we’ve been selected for: Bicycle Film Festival (NYC), Denton Black Film Festival (Denton), LA Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival (LA), Say it Loud Festival (Baltimore), and Hayti Heritage Film Festival (Durham, NC). If you’d like to help support our mission of riding bikes and sharing Black History, please support us by attending rides and screenings, or by donating here.

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Trip Recap: Cola Town Bike Collective Bike Overnights

Jaclyn Kawsky — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 00:00:08 +0000

The Cola Town Bike Collective (CTBC) hosted two bike overnights for women, trans, femme, and nonbinary (WTFNB) individuals in 2023 thanks to support from the Adventure Cycling Association.

CTBC was established in 2015 and serves as a local bike shop and charity benefiting the Midlands region of South Carolina. CTBC partners with community organizations to provide bicycles to people experiencing homelessness, refugees, and other individuals with the greatest need. For every bike sold, four are donated back to the community and for every paid repair completed, five free or low-cost repairs are made for people in need. CTBC has established a vast series of bicycle repair stands throughout the community to get a person safely on their way. In 2023, to complement CTBC’s bike transportation mission, we wanted to expand our support for bikepacking, specifically increasing interest and access for WTFNB individuals.

Gearing up in the parking lot for the first COLA trip

Jaclyn Kawsky

I got back into biking in spring 2022 after a hiatus of more than 10 years, quickly falling in love with it again. The town of Columbia offered a supportive and fun community, including a monthly WTFNB ride. That fall, a local group of guys had done a bikepacking trip — the Chauga River Ramble — and after hearing their stories I knew bikepacking was something I wanted to experience. But there was no way I could start off with something like that. I needed an entry point, which my friends had ready for me. My first overnight was in December 2022. It was freezing. Literally. And that does not happen often in Columbia, South Carolina. Despite the temps, that trip was so much fun. Our destination was the Peak to Prosperity Passage of the Palmetto Trail. It was the best entry point for bikepacking I could have asked for. Shortly after that trip, I was invited to join CTBC’s board, and when the opportunity for the Adventure Cycling Association Bike Overnights arrived, I knew I wanted to share my experience.

Photo ops at the “The End”

Jaclyn Kawsky

The Peak to Prosperity Passage of the Palmetto Trail is located less than 30 miles from downtown Columbia and CTBC. In my opinion, being close to home for an introductory trip is ideal. The Peak to Prosperity Passage is an 11-mile section of gravel and dirt rail-trail cutting through piedmont forests. It includes numerous wooden trestles crossing Crims Creek and a scenic 1,100-foot bridge over the Broad River. Best of all, it’s almost entirely flat. Climbs on a loaded bike certainly can make for Type II, (or even Type III) fun and I wanted folks to bikepack again after this trip. Another advantage of this location is that Wilson’s Grocery is right next to the trail, serving up burgers and snacks and reducing the concern of packing food and hydration for beginner bikepackers. Our first group overnight trip was April 29th. While the afternoon was beautiful, the overnight forecast was bleak. Six riders joined for a daytime trail ride and hangout, while three of us stayed to brave hours of overnight storms. Only one of the six participants had prior bikepacking experience, while the majority had some primitive camping experience.

Group photo at “The End” of the trail

Jaclyn Kawsky

That afternoon, everyone arrived at the Alston trailhead, loaded up, and biked a little over five miles to our campsite. After setting up our tents and hammocks, the group set out to bike to “The End” at mile 11, then pick up snacks and dinner at Wilson’s Grocery about a mile from our campsite. The group knew the grant supported meals to reduce a financial barrier to participation, but it didn’t stop any of them from generously packing things to share. I was surprised when items like tea, cheese, and crackers made their way out of bags and onto the picnic table, but I was shocked when a whole frying pan of chorizo emerged from a backpack. We enjoyed an evening of tacos, cards, and good company. Those who did not camp got the bonus of a new water feature on their way out thanks to rising waters from previous days’ rain, and to avoid possible flooding and riding in the rain in the morning, those who camped learned that three people, gear, and bikes can fit in a car … if you’re really determined.

Jaclyn Kawsky

Unlike the night of our spring trip, the weather was perfect for our fall bike overnight on October 7th. Same place, same plan. This time, eight bike overnighters participated and even more joined for a day ride. Six of the eight considered themselves a beginner or had no experience bikepacking, while one also had never been camping before. After our 15-mile ride, again a frying pan appeared, this time for shrimp tacos. Even though we did not have rain like we did in the spring, this time our hazard was black walnuts, which would make an alarming thud on impact, sometimes too close for comfort. We enjoyed an evening of good food and even better company around the campfire, several of us still wearing helmets out of fear of the walnuts. It was nice to not be rushed out by rain the next morning. After coffee and breakfast of local bread, we packed up to cycle back. Overall, participants completed at least 22 miles of riding, 10.5 on loaded bikes.

The second trip heading out

Jaclyn Kawsky

With the support from Adventure Cycling Association, multiple individuals got to experience bikepacking for the first time. Because they were introductory trips, participants were encouraged to use the gear they already had or borrow items from friends or CTBC instead of making purchases. CTBC was able to support some riders with items from our developing gear locker, while others had their own solutions for bike storage like making panniers from Aldi backpacks. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity of the riders on these trips, and proof that you can make bikepacking work with what you have. I feel confident that everyone had Type I fun. CTCB is excited to continue to plan intro WTFNB bike overnights and expand with more challenging or self-supported trips for those interested.

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Trip Recap: Vamos Outdoors Project’s First Overnight Bikepacking Trip

Andy Basabe — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 16:31:17 +0000

This summer, Vamos Outdoors Project was able to offer our first ever Bikepacking overnight experience with the support of Adventure Cycling Association and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition. For years we have shared backpacking experiences and after-school mountain bike rides with Latine youth living in Whatcom and Skagit County. This new opportunity combined two of the favorite activities for many of our middle and high school participants.

Vamos serves Latine youth, providing outdoor experiences at no cost to families. This includes transportation, food, mentorship, and equipment. Vamos works to provide access to the outdoors, to foster connection to the land, and to support youth in their journey as they develop. Many Latine youth experience trauma or hardship due to intergenerational trauma and the structural inequities that perpetuate cyclical poverty of migrant farmworkers. Providing supportive, positive experiences can help mitigate the long-term negative effects of growing up with chronic stress or trauma. There is so much joy to be found in playing outside and connecting to the land, and the Vamos experience is cherished by staff and participants alike.

The Vamos Outdoor group ready to hit the trail

Andy Basabe

Over a three-day weekend in August 2023, 11 Vamos participants rode more than 34 miles, camping two nights at Larabee State Park, connecting with the Chuckanut Mountains and Puget Sound. This was the biggest ride of any Vamos program, and the participants all did really well. We started out on Galbraith Mountain where we normally ride with the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition. Everyone got fitted for their bike and helmet and completed the safety check. This ride would have more road riding next to cars than we had previously experienced.

Andy Basabe

Everyone rode the trails down to Lake Padden for lunch and some stretching time. We re-grouped and continued out through Fairhaven along the Interurban Trail towards the Chuckanut Mountains and Larrabee State Park. The ocean slowly slid into view to the west and forests surrounded the trail on all other slides. While the group was riding with the WMBC Ride Leaders, the van brought the food and camping gear to Chuckanut to be ready when they arrived. That night, we set up our tents, ate burritos, and walked down to the ocean to look at bioluminescence and shooting stars. One of the joys of this trip was that participants were able to experience so much more than biking. This bikepacking trip was also a beach trip, a time to make new friends, a transition from high school to life after graduation, and a challenge of many miles.

Andy Basabe

On the second day everyone woke up to sunshine and a little haze from forest fires that blew down from Canada. We loaded our bikes into the trucks and shuttled up to the Cleator Lookout at the top of Chuckanut Mountain. No time for photos, everyone wanted to get biking! The group pedaled new trails down Chuckanut Mountain towards Fairhaven Park for a late lunch. It was very challenging to some and others wanted to do laps and laps. Everyone made it back to the campsite for an afternoon playing in the ocean and relaxing on the rocks. Smiles were bright and everyone was pleased with their day. The third day we packed up camp and biked back to downtown Bellingham towards Waterfront Park where the bikes would be dropped off. Everyone got more practice biking safely on roads and navigating the streets and paths of Bellingham. We dropped the bikes off and finished with ice cream cones from Selkie Scoop.

Finishing the ride with ice cream cones from Selkie Scoop

Andy Basabe

Vamos would like to thank Adventure Cycling Association, Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition, Washington’s Recreation and Conservation Office, and Selkie Scoops. We learned that running a bikepacking trip is logistically challenging, and we worked hard to ensure all riders and equipment got to where they need to go at the correct time. We hope to continue offering bikepacking trips, as students get to connect skills they learn across different programs. The empowerment participants experienced as they pedaled to a place that brought joy and connection was palpable. A memorable weekend for all involved.

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Trip Recap: An Overnight Adventure with Camp Spokes

Rag and Bones Bicycle Cooperative — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:34:11 +0000

Camp Spokes began as a partnership between Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative and Groundwork RVA in 2021, created by us: Sera Erickson and Alexa Santisteban. The program began as a week-long summer camp to introduce bike mechanics and adventure cycling to high-school and middle-school girls and gender variant youth in Richmond, Virginia.

Gender and racial diversity in the bike industry remains low, and we notice this every day as people who hold underrepresented identities. We both work in shop spaces as mechanics, and while attitudes are improving, our knowledge and experience still gets questioned.

A city ride with Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

We started Camp Spokes to be a space that we wished we had growing up: somewhere to learn about bike tools, DIY arts and crafting, cycling in the city and on trails, and to affirm identities and experiences while rejecting the idea that those things determine what someone is able to do or how well they do it. We aim to encourage and empower people to learn a new skill and explore hobbies that they may not have the chance to outside of this space.

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At Camp Spokes, each camper chooses a bike and learns how to work on it, and then we spend the week cycling, crafting, building, and learning. After a group of Camp Spokes organizers bikepacked 150 miles along the Great Allegheny Passage last fall, it felt like a natural progression of the camp to plan an overnight. This year, funding from Adventure Cycling Association along with a small grant from the Capital Trail Equity Foundation helped make it possible.

Camp Spokes’ first outing!

Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

On October 21, Camp Spokes participants and organizers gathered at Six Points Innovation Center (our home base for Camp Spokes Activities) to set off on an overnight ride on the Capital Trail. The campers packed their bags and bikes to ride 14 miles the first day, set up tents at Chickahominy Riverfront Park, and cycle six miles the next day to Jamestown. As they arrived at the meeting point, they were greeted by handlebar bags, trail snacks, gel energizers, and saddle pouches of bike tools. For many campers, this was their first time camping overnight and it would be the longest ride they had ever done. Despite their butterflies, we knew they were ready. For months prior to the trip, we met with the campers for various urban exploration rides, hoping to build up stamina for the overnight trip. We rode with them to some of Richmond’s most exciting events: Riverrock, a festival on the James River celebrating outdoor activities, Rumble in Richmond, an BMX competition and day at Gillies Creek Skills Park, and the Great Queer Bike Parade, a bike event that celebrates queer identities. These rides spanned 8-12 miles, and since the campers had been through Camp Spokes, we knew they could perform basic maintenance.

Camp Spokes riders on the way to the campsite

Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

At 2:00 PM on the Big Trip Day, after a big lunch followed by stretching and bag reorganizing, our group set out from Charles City on the Virginia Capital Trail. The weather was perfect: 65 degrees with full sun. Our first two miles were a little rough — we adjusted seat heights, fixed things we missed in tune ups, and secured our bags extra tight. After that, we were cruising with a tailwind. The Capital Trail runs from Richmond, Virginia to Jamestown, and the group would be completing the second half of the route. We had enough daylight after a 5:00 PM arrival to explore and settle into the campground. The campers assembled their tents and set them up like forts with extra blankets and sleeping bags. We taught them how to build a fire, and half of the adventurers helped cook tacos on camp stoves and the other half helped with dishes and camp chores. Then it was s’mores and spooky story hour. We spent our evening hanging around the fire discussing the best chocolate-to-cracker-to-marshmallow ratio and using the time to connect and get to know each other, tell stories and jokes, and enjoy the outdoors.

Campfire story time

Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

We woke up bright and early the next morning to finish the rest of our trip. Full of breakfast tacos and hot chocolate, we packed up and headed down to Jamestown. Along the way, we made a pit stop at Spoke and Art Provisions Co, a food and music destination near the trail. We took a break to refill water and enjoy locally made pastries. The last two miles of riding were the hardest for our bodies and minds. Many were tired and ready to get off the saddle, but we pushed through and made it to the end! Despite their exhaustion, you could see how excited everyone was to have completed the whole ride. After celebratory pictures, we headed down to the James River to eat lunch, play on the beach, and stay present in this huge accomplishment.

Enjoying the accomplishment

Rag & Bones Bicycle Cooperative

In the beginning stages of planning, we weren’t sure how it would play out. We went back and forth on dates, distances, and if this was the right next step for Camp Spokes. Completing this trip and seeing how well the campers did made it well worth it. We are incredibly proud and grateful to have been able to organize the overnight adventure with these young cyclists and witness them accomplish an amazing feat. While there’s no guarantee they’ll all jump at the chance to go on another ride like this, they enjoyed their time and appreciated the experience. We can’t wait to continue to build out this new part of Camp Spokes and look forward to many more trips in the future.

The Gear You Need to Get Started Bike Touring

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Trip Recap: Langford Bike Overnight

Briana Cohen — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 22:54:32 +0000

This is the second Langford Elementary School bike camping trip supported by Adventure Cycling’s Bike Overnights program. You can read about the first one here.

For over seven years, Langford Elementary School and Ghisallo Cycling Initiative have collaborated to bike with kids in the south Austin community. Each week, Langford Bike Club students meet after school to build their riding skills, explore the neighborhood trails, and grow friendships. On May 11, the students set out on their bikes like any other week, but this time, they did not return to school as they usually do — they had another destination in mind.

The Bike Club kids adventured on a bike camping overnight at McKinney Falls, a six-mile ride from their school, for the second year in a row. Five of the seven kids had never camped before, so they were in for a real treat, arriving at the campsite after a joyful ride. One of the students who joined us on last year’s overnight joined again because she loved swimming at the falls after biking. Before we set out, we prepped our bikes, filled our water bottles, ate snacks, and gathered gear. We borrowed four-person tents and sleeping bags from a local middle school and piled them in our SAG wagon. Together we rode calm neighborhood streets, the new Meadow Lake Boulevard protected two-way bike lanes, sidewalks, and the Onion Creek Greenbelt Trail to reach our destination. The group was supportive of one another on the road and stuck together.

Everyone was excited to turn left into McKinney Falls State Park, a pleasant getaway from urban living not too far from home. Limestone ledges of delight give way to the Onion Creek, winding trails, and majestic trees. We created our camp home, and the kids were so cooperative and hands-on with setting up the tents and hammocks.

We then rode over to Lower McKinney Falls to swim. The water flows from Onion Creek and temperatures were refreshing after the week’s rainfall. The swimming holes were lots of fun, and the kids enjoyed swimming to the rocks just before sunset. Once we got back to our campsite, everyone enjoyed grilled fajitas. Eating together outside after a full day of learning, riding, and swimming never tasted so good! The campfire kept everyone warm after post-dinner showers and washes. The kids ate s’mores until all the chocolate and graham crackers were gone.

Now for a real treat — we had a Bike Story Night, in which the kids and adults shared stories about journeys learning to ride bikes, bike touring the country, biking with parents, and more. We concluded with karaoke featuring songs by Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Shakira, and Idina Menzel. Would it be a true kids’ karaoke night if we didn’t sing “Let It Go” from the Frozen soundtrack? After a humid night, we woke up, packed up our tents, ate a light breakfast, and rode back to school. Along the way, the kids said good morning to the wildflowers and enjoyed a more downhill track back, feeling at ease after spending the night outside or knowing the weekend was just around the corner. Everyone was smiling. What a fun adventure! Langford Principal Castillo welcomed us back and congratulated the group on our feat. We were then glad to be off our feet and enjoy breakfast tacos sitting on the benches at the school entrance. We took in the moment and recounted some of our favorite moments from the bike camping trip. We are so grateful for everyone that helped to support our joyous adventure. Thank you, Miss Bobby, Miss Caiseda, Girmawi, Lily, Briana, and all the students for riding all together, sharing trails, water breaks, road safety, and wildflower sightings. Thank you, Valerie, for running our SAG wagon and bringing Bike Story Night to our campfire. Thank you to Ms. Cale, Mr. Jimenez, and Mirna, for tacos and gear transportation. Thank you to the Parks & Recreation class at Kealing Middle School for lending us gear. Thank you, Bobby, for cooking delicious fajitas and packing all the snacks. Thank you to Ghisallo, Langford, Adventure Cycling, Texas State Parks, for all you do that led to making this camping overnight a dream come true!

How to Bike Overnight with Young Kids

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Trip Recap: Bringing the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation’s Women’s Ride to Life

Beth Meiklejohn — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 22:24:51 +0000

The crackle of bike tires plowing through the sea of rocks and pebbles lining the D&L trail was beautifully deafening. There was no room for thought beyond rotating one pedal in front of the other.

Anchored near the back of the pack, my view was that of the 25 other women dotting the trail ahead of me. One after another, single file, we traversed the trail’s narrow strips of pebbles, rocks, and mud holes as we set out for a two-day women’s ride hosted by the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (CAT) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The CAT ride participants push their bikes along the path

Kerryn Winiesky

I’m a new rider, as were many of the women who signed up to take part in the ride. I rode a borrowed bike an inch or so too tall for my 5-foot 3-inch frame. To call a spade a spade, as my grandmother used to say, I had no idea what I was doing. That was essentially the point of CAT’s women’s ride. Women of all riding abilities and experience levels riding together — seasoned riders pulling the newbies along behind them as we traveled either 45 or 65 miles over two days. In preparing for the trip, I spoke with our ride leader and CAT board member Jennifer Cunningham about the ride, and what it meant for CAT to bring together a group of local women cyclists. What I really wanted to know was, “Why women?” Cunningham explained that as a part of CAT’s mission to bring more women into the cycling community, they’re working hard to meet women where they are. The overnight ride served as a natural extension of CAT’s weekly women’s rides, which teach women how to ride comfortably and confidently. “I’ve spoken to many women who’ve held back from riding because they didn’t know how to change a tire or pop a bike chain back into place, or aren’t confident enough to ride more than a few miles, Cunningham said. “The women’s ride is one way we’re working to give women the tools and the confidence to just get on their bikes and go.” And that’s just what we did. After a delicious breakfast, excessive amounts of coffee, a short presentation about the history of women’s influence in the Lehigh Valley, and, of course, a bike safety check, our caravan of 25 women set off from the National Canal Museum in Easton, Pennsylvania, on a beautiful August morning.

CAT ride participants during the event

Joan Dooley

With adrenaline and caffeine flowing through our veins, we flew down the first section of the paved D&L surrounded by nothing but green trees, wildflowers, and the canal as it hugged the trail. After a few miles in, the trail opened up and we were suddenly riding alongside a massive rush of water; the collision of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers — from which the D&L Trail gets its name — drowned the quiet of the trail behind us. If you weren’t convinced before, there was no mistaking why the D&L is one of Pennsylvania’s natural gems. We continued down the D&L as it meandered south, cutting a narrow path between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal. It was just as the rushing waters of the colliding rivers faded that the rumble of our bike tires on the trail’s rock-covered path took over. The sound was like a therapeutic hum that cast a sense of calm over the trail and our group of riders. It quickly became clear why riding is just as healthy for the mind and spirit as it is for the body. A few more miles in and we made our first stop to grab sandwiches at a local trailside mart. It was a chance to step off the bike, hydrate, and catch our breath. From there, it was all trail and roadway until we reached Homestead Coffee Roaster. We parked our bikes, retreated to the shop’s shady patio, and enjoyed the accomplishment that 20-30 miles of cycling on a hot summer day awards you.

Mary Merlo

For the final leg, our SAG wagoneers, CAT president Bill Meiklejohn, and CAT volunteer Don Kelly, drove several of us and our gear up a steep three-mile hill to the Ringing Rocks Family Campground. A few adventurous women from our group decided to cycle uphill from the coffee shop to the campground. As a newbie rider observing the pitch of the road by car, I was all the more impressed with these women. A steep hill isn’t just a challenge of physical ability, it’s a test of the mind. As we arrived at the campground, we were surrounded by laughter and joy as we exchanged our bike seats for camping chairs, enjoyed well-earned pizza, put down our water bottles, and picked up a cold beverage or two. The conversation and laughter around the campfire as the sun set was the prize after a long day of riding. The rest of the world felt far away. We left life’s responsibilities and worries back on the D&L and escaped to a place where nothing mattered but the campfire and conversations. I had conversations with nearly every woman in our group over those two days. Perhaps the most memorable was with Anne Evans, the veteran rider of our group at 74 years young. In the few minutes we sat together in line waiting to take a shower, she shared her life-long love of cycling. “Riding bikes is what we did as kids,” Anne said. “We all had bikes and it was just fun.” Anne kept cycling as an adult and enjoyed cycling with her husband. Despite knee injuries over the years that kept her off her bike for some time, she was always determined to get back on.

Mary Merlo

This biking trip was particularly special for her because this time her daughter was along for the ride. And I could tell from the happiness in her eyes during our conversation that, like so many women in our pack, she was doing what she loved. My mom and I were another of three mother-daughter duos in our group. After biking over 40 miles in two days with my mother and the rest of the women, it was clear that the beauty of our ride came from more than the scenic D&L and the conversation surrounding the campfire. The true achievement was being able to say we did an overnight bike ride thanks to the encouragement from the other women. And for me, doing so with my mom by my side.

Sarah Andrew

As we neared the end of our long ride on some quiet roads and across the D&L on day two, I thought back to my conversation with Jennifer when we discussed CAT’s passion for empowering and encouraging more women riders. That’s when it sunk in: thanks to CAT’s women’s ride, the cycling community now has a few new, confident female riders excited to get back out and ride – maybe even for multiple-night treks. I’m happy to say I’m one of them. Thank you to the Adventure Cycling Association for providing the funding necessary to bring the CAT Women’s Ride to life. A big thank you to CAT for recognizing the importance of getting more women on bikes and hosting women’s rides to boost women’s riding confidence. Finally, a very special thank you to Jennifer Cunningham and her team at CAT for organizing the ride and herding all of us turtles for the beautiful miles along the D&L and quiet roads.

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Trip Recap: Bike Camping with the Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes

Shira Gordon — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 17:35:28 +0000

The Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) had a wonderful time at our skill-share on April 29th and our bike camping overnight on June 24th to 25th, supported by an Adventure Cycling Association mini-grant.

Twenty people rode tandem bikes, and six people drove with our camping gear. Our group ranged from 25 to 71, half were women, and four people had never camped before. The trip was truly a team effort. The organizers applied for the grant in December, then bought camping gear, matched captains, stokers, and tandems, and created a food plan. Other participants shared their camping gear, brought rain canopies when the forecast called for thunderstorms, fixed a broken chain and flat tire, carried the gear between the cars and the campground, worked together to set up and take down tents, built a fire, cooked, and helped each other navigate the campsite.

The group ready to take off

Shira Gordon

Saturday morning was gray and damp, but 26 people were bustling at the Bethesda, Maryland metro station, unloading tandem bikes, loading cars with camping gear, and making sure each tandem had panniers and was adjusted for each sighted captain and blind stoker pair. The sun came out as we biked down the Capital Crescent Trail, a seven-mile paved trail with a gentle downhill. This route from Bethesda to Georgetown in D.C. is our normal Thursday night route.

En route

Shira Gordon

We stopped for sandwiches at picnic tables at Fletcher’s Cove overlooking the Potomac River. Then we biked on the C&O Canal towpath to the Marsden Tract campground. The C&O Canal towpath is a 184-mile dirt and stone path from D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland, which then connects to the GAP trail to Pittsburgh. This was originally built for canal mules to tow canal boats. We biked through many puddles and lots of mud and saw herons and turtles in the canal. After biking about 15 miles, we arrived at the campsite. We unloaded the camping gear from the cars and set up our tents – with discussions that tent poles open like folding mobility canes.

Kevin smiles proudly next to his tent and gives a thumbs-up after successfully setting it up

Shira Gordon

While some members of the group relaxed at the campsite and explored the banks of the Potomac River, several campers embarked on an excursion to Great Falls Park, an 800-acre expanse of national park land that extends from Maryland to Virginia and marks a point where the Potomac River picks up speed on its way through the Narrow Mather Gorge. The group hopped on their tandems and rode about three miles on the C&O Canal to reach the park. They hiked the relatively short distance to the waterfall and enjoyed stunning views of the falling water, bathed in an early evening glow. After a few group photos, everyone got back on their bikes and headed back to camp where they found that the rest of their crew had been doused with a brief (but intense) bout of rain as they sat under a canopy chatting. Miraculously, the people who had biked to Great Falls missed the rain.

The cyclists around the evening campfire

Shira Gordon

We ate spaghetti, burritos, and freeze-dried meals. Some people went swimming in the Potomac River, and then we all enjoyed a campfire. Friends from an All Bodies on Bikes/Swift camping trip stopped by for some s’mores. We sang songs, shared our highlights from the day, told ghost add-on stories, and went to sleep. In the morning we had coffee, oatmeal, bagels, and muffins for breakfast. We had beautiful weather for our ride back to Bethesda after our camping adventure. The group teamed up and made quick work of packing up the gear and loading it into the cars, and then we were off, riding along the C&O Canal, and then onto the Capital Crescent Trail for the last stretch. We arrived sweaty, stinky, and sore, but proud of our accomplishment and happy to have spent time in nature with old and new friends.

All smiles on the bike camping trip

Shira Gordon

The Adventure Cycling grant paid for our campsite, a pavilion for our camping and bike maintenance skill-share, some of our gear, our food, and maintenance on several of the tandems. We held our camping and bike maintenance skill-share on April 29 at a pavilion in Rock Creek Park in D.C. Ten of us practiced setting up tents and compared different types of sleeping pads and camping stoves. We also learned about brakes, gears, and how to change flat tires. We can’t wait for our next trip!

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Adapt and Overcome

Berne Broudy — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 21:44:03 +0000

This article first appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine.

In 2020, I went for a mountain bike group ride in one of Vermont’s town forests. Greg Durso, an adaptive rider on a mountain trike, was on the ride. I didn’t know what that would mean; I had never ridden with an adaptive rider. Durso is paralyzed from the nipples down and as adventurous as anyone I know.

The group hammered from the parking lot, and it was immediately clear that if someone held up the group, it wouldn’t be Durso. We rode technical rocky terrain, steep climbs, and slippery descents. Durso kept pace easily … until we got to the first bridge. It was too narrow for Durso’s 29-inch-wide trike. We stopped, carried Durso and his bike across, and resumed riding until the next bridge. It was a raucous and fun afternoon that ended with high-fives and laughter in the parking lot. But I left that ride thinking how dumb it was that a bridge was the obstacle that interrupted the experience for Durso and for all of us, and how easy that would be to fix, and what other ways trails are or aren’t adaptive. When Richmond Mountain Trails (RMT), a grassroots nonprofit trail club I cofounded in 2017 that I am now president of, had the opportunity to build a new trail network on private land in Bolton, Vermont, the board made the bold commitment to make the entire network adaptive optimized.

What Adaptive Means

Adaptive means passable by a trail-ready trike. It doesn’t mean ADA-compliant, which is wheelchair accessible. Adaptive cycles let people with spinal cord injuries and other physical restrictions ride. “People get confused with the term adaptive-friendly,” said Durso. “They underestimate what that means. Adaptive trails don’t have to be dumbed down; they just need to be a little wider, without bermed turns on the climbs.” Equipment for adaptive athletes used to be much harder to access. Although most adaptive mountain bikes (aMTBs) are still custom ordered, these days adaptive sports organizations provide demos, instruction, and support, and adaptive-friendly trails are helping the sport of adaptive mountain biking thrive. One such organization, the Kelly Bush Foundation (KBF) has raised and granted over $6 million to adaptive athletes for sports equipment, from bikes to sit skis and more. “It’s a really cool time to be involved with adaptive riding,” said RMT Board Member and Level 2 adaptive mountain bike instructor Rob Galloway. “Adaptive mountain biking is really just hitting its stride. Bikes are more capable than they’ve ever been, and it’s really satisfying to be able to build trails to help adaptive mountain biking reach its potential.” “People are often really surprised by what our bikes can go down and what they can actually handle,” said Durso. “I’ve done trail assessments, and a lot of times trails work better than people realize. It’s often [only] small changes that need to be made to make a trail more inclusive.”

Greg Durso and Rob Galloway recently went to Oregon to teach an adaptive MTB clinic. Durso and Galloway are both Level 2 Adaptive MTB instructors. “It’s fun and rewarding for me to coach adaptive riders,” said Galloway. “The population is so driven and so thankful for the opportunities aMTB provides.”

Mark Clement

The Project

The Driving Range, the first fully-adaptive trail network in the East and one of the first in the U.S., is built on a 256-acre parcel of land shared with a maple sugaring operation. When it opens on August 3, 2023, it will be the first fully adaptive trail network in Vermont, the first in the East, and one of the few in the U.S. It’s being built by community volunteers who put more than 3,000 hours into the project so far. When complete, the seven miles of trails will have been built by professional trail builders and volunteers, some of whom have worked on this project weekly for two seasons. When it opens, riders will be able to climb a switchbacking, conversational-pace, fern-lined ascent two miles deep into the leafy hardwood forest, and descend loamy catch berms, bare schist slabs, through massive boulders and cliff faces, through the muted solitude of pine forest, and up and over bridges that are plenty wide. The hybrid machine- and hand-built flow trail descends to a landing where riders can take a break and watch people hit a sizeable rock gap jump, or drop immediately into a progressive tabletop jump trail, a hand-built technical trail that rolls and curves down and around rock faces that sparkle with shiny mica, or a third flow and jump trail being built by YouTube personality and former downhill pro rider, Phil “Skills with Phil” Kmetz. In fall 2024, the network will be complete. The terrain is steep and the trails are progressive, with green, blue, blue +, black, and double-black options. Every trail has an adaptive-rideable line, which is the main line. Some trails have optional non-adaptive features. Our goal was to build a new riding zone with the same rugged character and challenge as neighboring zones, one that’s adaptive-friendly and fun for everyone. We wanted to show that trails can be inclusive without compromise. If you’re not an adaptive rider, you’d probably never realize this network is designed for three-wheeled aMTBs piloted by differently abled thrill seekers unless you read the kiosk. The trails require skill and concentration. They’re fun on any type of bike. RMT’s all-volunteer board treated this project like a second job to get it done in record time. When we started this build, there was no manual for how to construct adaptive trails without a massive budget. The network came to life through the passion, curiosity, and stubbornness of RMT’s board. Before the first shovel of dirt was moved, we asked professional trail builders to scout with us and give us a quote for building. The first one said that the zone “didn’t go,” that it was too steep and loose to build there. So we figured it out ourselves, eventually hiring that builder to come back and make the trail. “Trail building satisfies a part of my brain, a problem-solving part,” said civil engineer and RMT board member Merrick Gillies. “Getting to tackle a new form, looking at the woods in a different way, has been super engaging and fulfilling. Having a new set of guidelines, while also incorporating old skills and habits, allows for a fun blend of sensibilities that works for all-wheel configuration. Working to integrate uphill corners into the landscape, progressing from having to constantly build and revise to being able to visualize those corners and how they should flow when we’re flagging before we start digging is a really satisfying feeling.” So many individuals, business, and foundations recognized the value of what we’re doing, from Vermont to Colorado and California. We’re a grassroots nonprofit with a $20,000 annual budget, not a ski resort or massive trails organization like Trailblazers in northwest Arkansas, which manages 500 miles of trails and is primarily funded by the Walmart Waltons. OnX, Yeti Cycles, Fox Shocks, Velocio, Suncommon, VMBA, Bivo, Burlington Beer Company, local foundations, other nonprofits, and many community partners and RMT members made this project possible. Now we have paid staff too: a director who works 10 hours a week and accomplishes herculean feats. She helped us raise more than $160,000 last year to pay for trails and a 53-car parking lot we built at the base of the network by request of the town and to be good neighbors. RMT’s executive director, Bec Wojtecki, says that the feeling of community and camaraderie of this project has changed her perspective on what’s possible. “I haven’t been part of a new trail build before,” said Wojtecki. “Because of the blur created by my own privilege, I didn’t recognize the absence of accessible trails. Now I do. And it’s floored me to be a part of this amazing project. The dedication, the heart, the soul that volunteers have invested is unlike anything I’ve seen before.” Durso agrees that community involvement is what makes the Driving Range project special. “There are other projects in the U.S. and Canada that are doing a good job and have really large nonprofit organizations backing them. That’s really different from Richmond, where every stakeholder engaged is really excited about this and wants it to succeed. For me, it’s indescribable to get to be with volunteers as they’re working. I always tell them thank you. I don’t think they realize that to feel so much support and so included is an experience that brings tears to my eyes. It inspires me to want to help make sure that this isn’t a singular trail network but a template for how things can be done. When I am here, I feel like this is my community, like these are my trails. I don’t feel like an outsider; I feel like I’m home.”

Mark Clement

Why It Matters

When you live in a place like Vermont, where mountain biking abounds and the sport is front and center in the outdoor recreation scene, it’s easy to take trail access for granted — unless you’re a mountain biker riding an adaptive bike and you can’t join your posse for the ride. There are more than a million people in the U.S. with injuries requiring adaptive sports equipment and more than 300,000 people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). An SCI can happen to anyone in a blink. One second you’re blasting down a gravel road, slithering through tight trees at Stowe Mountain Resort, then you’re in a car accident, hurt on the job, you take a bad fall, or survive an act of violence and you can’t feel your legs anymore, and it’s permanent. “Mountain biking has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country over the last five years,” said Durso. “But adaptive athletes have not had the ability to adventure. Adaptive bikes give us the physical ability to access the outdoors, but we need trails to use them on so that we can cover ground and travel through a landscape and have experiences we haven’t been able to have in the past. Being a part of a community that cares, a community that is psyched to build a trail network to support you — and everyone — is a feeling that I can’t really put into words. If you have a disability, you often feel excluded. So to feel included is very overwhelming in one of the best ways imaginable.” “Visibility is key,” said Bruce Downes, KBF’s senior director of marketing and digital programs. “It’s hugely important for people to see that people are out there making mountain biking work for them regardless of disability and that an inclusive/accessible/universal trail system isn’t boring. An adaptive network can be intense, highly technical terrain. To normalize building adaptive is possible, it’s doable, and it doesn’t detract from anyone’s experience.”

How-To

When it comes to building adaptive trails, we’re all still figuring it out. “RMT is creating a model project and showing that the model works,” said Downes. “More and more grassroots organizations want to do this, and they’re either scared it’s too expensive or that it will dumb down the experience. To show that this can be done, done right, and done efficiently will influence other places. A little network in Richmond, Vermont, could be the start of something massive.” Adaptive cycles are usually three-wheeled, so trails need to be 40 to 42 inches wide. Bridges need to be as wide as trails, or wider in zones with consequence. Trails shouldn’t have must-ride rocks, pinch points, or big features that will stop adaptive bikes from getting through. And trail builders need to keep an eye on the camber. If an adaptive rider tumbles down an embankment because a bridge was tilted toward the slope, or if they blow a berm, they can’t just climb out of the hole like an able-bodied rider. Trails that are too off-camber lead to adaptive bikes flipping or rolling, particularly on climbs. Bench cuts need to be wider to control camber. Corners need to be made more bulbous, and it’s helpful to build rest spots and pull-offs big enough to accommodate an adaptive bike’s long wheelbase plus one or two spotters. Trails aren’t the only thing you need to think about if you want to build adaptive. Riders need appropriate parking where they can exit a car into a wheelchair, assemble a bike, and then transition from wheelchair to bike. Consider having porta-potties and a changing area that can accommodate a wheelchair. And provide detailed trail descriptions and signage, both at the trailhead and on Trailforks. You should never claim a trail is adaptive until you’ve had a skilled adaptive rider vet it so modifications can be made before you open it to the public. Greg Durso came out for trail nights every week he could. He’d ride what we built, and we’d spray paint where a corner wasn’t wide enough, or where we needed to tweak an angle. After professional trail builders took their excavators home, we vetted again and had to rebuild bridges and change trail flow. The bridges were wide enough, but an entrance was blind, and one was too gnarly. Six of us spent 30 minutes with Durso just looking at a steep berm to figure out the sweeping exit in a limited real estate zone and if we could make it broad enough. If you want to build adaptive trails, you need patience, a willingness to learn, and an optimistic outlook. It takes time to relearn how to look at a trail. Two years in, we’re still students.

By building trails adaptive, aMTB riders gain not just trail access, but also community. Here Greg Durso enjoys a post-ride beverage at Vermont’s Driving Range.

Mark Clement

A Spoke in the Wheel

RMT is one of 29 chapters of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA), which leads mountain bike advocacy statewide and provides administrative and financial support to chapters. VMBA has a focused initiative underway to enhance the quality and quantity of adaptive trails throughout the state. They’re partnering with chapters, KBF, and Vermont Adaptive to conduct adaptive assessments statewide. They’re working on universal signage and growing the resource for adaptive athletes. “We visit networks with the host chapters and take a ride to identify specific changes that need to be made, like improving space for turning radii or widening bridges, and we develop detailed trail descriptions so that adaptive athletes have a clear understanding of what they’re getting themselves into before they start rolling,” said Nick Bennette, VMBA’s executive director. VMBA is working toward an accessibility inventory of all 1,000-plus miles of Vermont singletrack trails so that they can help adaptive athletes understand the difficulty, and what goes. “The more information we can provide to everybody the better,” said Bennette. “We’re moving away from binary thinking of accessibility and recognizing the spectrum of what an accessible trail can be. Progression is important. We want to create opportunities for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders and for folks to be able to move through those challenges and progress to harder trails if that’s what they desire. We strive to provide opportunities for all riders to challenge themselves, and to provide places where beginners can dip a toe into a new sport.” VMBA is positioning Vermont as a hub for adaptive riding. The state has a fair number of adaptive trails, but they’re not publicized as such. Bennette is also chair of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC), a collection of all trail associations in Vermont. Through VTGC, he’s working with state legislators to understand how Vermont can advance accessibility statewide. To help other grassroots clubs that want to build adaptive, I’m working with Bennette and VMBA to lay out guidelines and a summary of what RMT and other clubs in the VMBA network have learned doing adaptive assessments, retrofitting existing trails to be adaptive, and building new ones. The guidelines will be available to all at vmba.org by spring 2024.

Build It and They will Come

I’ve built a lot of trails, but I’ve never built a network from scratch. I’m nervous and a little emotional about the first ride. A posse of volunteers, board members, and Durso pedals to the top. The excitement is palpable. At the bottom, the grins and laughter and teary eyes, and the immediate departure to go do it again are everything I hoped for. Adaptive trails can feel like the chicken and the egg. I’m asked all the time how many adaptive riders there are in the U.S., and I don’t know. No one does. We’re not the first people building adaptive trails. The Driving Range is just one project that is happening right now. “The Driving Range project is ahead of the curve,” said Durso. “Other people are trying to do this in other states, but the trails are few and far between. Manufacturers have helped enable access with bikes that can handle technical terrain, organizations like KBF break down the financial barrier for people to get the equipment, but adaptive riders need groups like RMT to help build universal trails to drive the growth of adaptive riding.” People seem hungry for new riding opportunities, especially adaptive ones. KBF and Vermont Adaptive regularly sell out their adaptive trail clinics. “When we first started to post content on the finished trails showing test runs, the energy and response were outstanding,” said Aiken. “The volume of interest is a clear indication that this type of trail is desired and supported. It’s eye-opening to realize what you can do outside of your nine-to-five to achieve something this big. And it’s inspiring to work to bring a landowner’s property to life and give functional access to beautiful places for all.” It’s the right thing to do, yet it has still been been a surprisingly rewarding pursuit. “I ride all the time, and I have my choice of limitless combinations of trails,” said Gillies. “Adaptive riders don’t have that. They have a trail here and one there. Being able to provide choices and options for fun, which to me is a critical part of riding, we’re doing that for people on adaptive bikes. It’s awesome.” Durso, who travels around North America to teach adaptive riding, said that the Driving Range is what he talks about with trail builders in other states. “This is helping us build momentum nationally for adaptive trails. We can have the equipment for adaptive riding, but if there’s nowhere to go, what’s the point? Creating universal trails is a big deal.” I’m humbled to be part of building something great. The blisters, the long hours, the awkward asks for money — it’s worth it to me if it will make someone’s life better. And hopefully, this trail network does just that. I’m looking forward to seeing Durso tonight. Now that we have trails to ride and critique, he’s at trail night to test ride, give feedback, brainstorm, and hang out. I share the sentiment when he said, “To have a firsthand role in building trails — I mean, it really couldn’t be any better.”

Helping Hands

“Local projects like the Driving Range are absolutely critical, but just as critical is getting the word out and connecting all the people that want to participate in them,” said Downes. That’s why KBF created the Active Project — the first online community by and for people with mobility restrictions who want to participate in adaptive sports. Friends, family, caregivers, and physical and occupational therapists are also welcome. In addition to being a place where adaptive sports participants can interact and learn from each other, it’s a portal for information on injury-specific gear compatibility. The site hosts an adaptive sports equipment marketplace and connects people seeking adaptive sports equipment with potential funding sources. The Active Project now has 1,200 users, and KBF is continuing to see that number go up! More than 50 adaptive sports programs are onboarding or have onboarded onto the platform, and KBF is working with United Spinal Association and others to increase adoption across the country. activeproject.kellybrushfoundation.org

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