Adventure Cycling Association

We’re proud to again offer a tour on the TransAmerica Express Trail, a different take on a classic route that should entice anyone who enjoys riding trail systems. While some cyclists believe pedaling across the country self-supported is the only way to go, others say, “Haul all that gear? No way.” If you’re among the latter group, you can ride pannier-free on this adventure across the U.S.!

This tour will include the full length of the Great Allegheny Passage, C&O Canal Trail, and Katy Trail with over 500 miles of car-free cycling for a different experience from the original TransAmerica Trail. From Washington, DC, we’ll pedal westward across the GAP and C&O, and we’ll hop on the Katy Trail across Missouri. After crossing the windswept plains of the Midwest, we’ll get on the original TransAm route in northern Colorado, following the mountains all the way to the Pacific. Make this your summer for the bicycle adventure of a lifetime!

#candocanal

... just some of the words used to describe the Black Hills of South Dakota, and you’ll see it all from your saddle as you cycle along lightly traveled roads and portions of the unforgettable Mickelson Trail, a 114-mile-long, gravel-surfaced rail trail.

Beginning and ending our adventure in Rapid City, we’ll visit the historic towns of Lead, Hot Springs, and Keystone, gateway to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, as well as Custer State Park.We’ll also see Crazy Horse Memorial, which, when finished, will dwarf Mount Rushmore, and Wind Cave National Park, one of the largest and most complex caves in the world. From breathtaking scenic vistas to rock-solid national memorials and state parks, you’ll get to experience it all on this fantastic loop ride.

For more than two decades, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route has fulfilled the dreams of cyclists looking for the ultimate off-road adventure on the longest mountain bike route in the world. 

You’ll tackle over 300 beautiful miles along the entire 3,000-mile route, which traces the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Jasper, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Beautiful Whitefish is your starting point, but your ride through the deep woods of northwest Montana with stunning views will take you to the small town of Lincoln before a return shuttle to Whitefish.

Come with us on our first Epic that drifted away from pavement in favor of dirt roads through stunning landscapes.

It won’t take long to realize that “The Divide” simply isn’t enough — this trip’s greatness is on display from the first pedal stroke. Grab your knobbies, throw your gear in the support van, and prepare for nine unloaded weeks of day after day epic riding and even better views.

Outside Magazine included the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route on its list of “The Best Backcountry Adventure Trips in America” and you’ll get the opportunity to ride every mile!

Our great adventure begins in the mountain town of Whitefish, Montana, among the towering pines and glacial valleys of the Crown of the Continent. Sixty-five days later, we’ll ride into Antelope Wells, New Mexico, in the wide-open high desert along one of the loneliest stretches of the U.S./Mexico border. In between, some of the wildest Rocky Mountains await.

So throw your gear in the van, pack a bigger memory card, and get ready for an unloaded ride that will show off some of the continent’s most astonishing scenery (and secluded cycling) along the way.

Be aware that this tour has tough terrain, mixed surfaces, rugged backcountry, bears, mountains and hills, high elevation, variable weather, and multiple climate zones sustained over a long duration. It’s important to be physically, and mentally, prepared for this epic adventure.

Elevation Warning: This tour reaches high elevations, with the potential to cause acute mountain sickness. Please be advised and call us if you have concerns or questions about the difficulty or elevation of this tour.

Load up your bike and join us for this relaxed ride through some of the East Coast’s most stunning landscapes and seascapes. Traveling from inn to inn, we’ll trace inland lakes and rivers; pedal past peaks clad in birch, fir, and pine trees; and skirt granite-lined harbors and bays where the essences of saltwater and tidal flats waft along on the breeze.

Beginning in Bangor, we’ll first ride to Ellsworth and then continue on to the lively seaside village of Bar Harbor. We’ll spend three overnights in and around Acadia National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi. We may bask in North America’s first rays of a new day atop Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard, or experience bike-cruising bliss along the park’s carriage paths, established by John D. Rockefeller between 1913 and 1940 specifically for use by hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and horse-drawn carriages.

Ride with us through Vermont’s tranquil Northeast Kingdom with its colorful mountain vistas and stunning views of sprawling Lake Champlain. From fiery-red hardwood canopies to expanses of golden yellow, you can’t beat the breathtaking views of Vermont in the autumn.

We’ll start in the bicycling mecca of Burlington, where, in addition to a bevy of cultural and historic sites at hand, we’ll be treated to amazing views of the Adirondack Mountains looming to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Moving eastward we’ll enjoy stunning colors and visit many quaint New England towns, including a quick trip into New Hampshire and a stop in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont. Our trip ends back in Burlington, but not before we’ve experienced all of the color and beauty that Vermont has to offer.

On this 575-mile loop, we’ll enjoy the diversity of two areas in New Mexico’s south: the white sands to the east and the Gila National Forest to the west. We’ll even crank over the Continental Divide twice!

Once in the saddle, we’ll intersperse riding and rest days for a balance of pedaling and recovery as we travel through towns that hosted mining booms; learn about the Apache and Mogollon cultures, waves of miners, and infamous outlaws who inhabited the area; and see geological formations that took eons to create. On our off-bike days, we’ll hop in the van to visit natural sites including the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, El Camino Real Historic Trail Site, and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

On this tour, we’ll view the seaports, glacially formed kettle ponds, and lighthouses of southeastern Massachusetts, visit historic sites from the days of colonial America, and explore quaint shops on Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha’s Vineyard. Attractions of special interest include Cape Cod National Seashore and the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. Every day on this tour is spent within 15 miles of the Atlantic, and each night close to a large body of freshwater or saltwater.

This tour is suitable for all riders and is a great choice for anyone looking to learn the basics of self-contained touring, or for an experienced bicycle traveler looking for a week of relaxed cycling. The riding is easy, services are plentiful, and the campgrounds are outstanding.

On this very special bicycle tour, you’ll explore 332 of the very best miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, often called “America’s Favorite Drives” — they should be nicknamed “America’s Favorite Bike Tours!”  

Among the most popular units of the National Park System, the Parkway and Drive twist and turn through a rural landscape of dark forests, sun-dappled fields, and mountain meadows surrounded by rustic split-rail fences. We’ll spin past historic farmsteads and lodges and through the many valleys known locally as “hollers,” all the while taking note of these roads’ fascinating engineering. Immerse yourself in Appalachia’s singular mix of flora and fauna and its unique and venerable mountain culture. Join us for Blue Ridge Bliss!

Travel along the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway through southern Mississippi from Ridgeland to Natchez, a jewel of a town. Tour the antebellum homes in the town that was once the richest in the South before continuing our journey through the verdant farmlands to Port Gibson, the town General Grant deemed “too beautiful to burn,” and visit Windsor Ruins along the way. We spin on to the historic Civil War city of Vicksburg, and visit the Vicksburg National Military Park, the key to the Civil War.