Sponsor Spotlight: Adventure Cycling

As we prepare for the 2014 National Bike Summit, we’ve reached out to our generous sponsors to ask: What speaks to you about bicycling? What excites you about the Summit? Here, we hear from Jim Sayer, Executive Director of Adventure Cycling Association.

Bicycling is really part of my soul. I know that even more now that I fractured my lower leg and the doctor told me to stay off the bike for 6-10 weeks – I am going through withdrawal! But bicycling … how do I love thee, let me count the ways:

• Every time I get on a bike, I am energized and often exhilarated.
• Bike travel is a fantastic way to bond with friends and family. This past year, I was able to go for a week of mountain biking in Moab with one daughter, rode over 11,000 foot Beartooth Pass in Wyoming with two other daughters (in the picture), and cycled self-supported from Charleston, SC to Key West with another daughter and a group of friends. Every one of these trips was transforming, memorable, and brought me closer than ever with loved ones.
• Biking is a convenient and joyful way to connect with my community, seeing friends and stopping at shops – and of course, along with walking, it’s the best kind of transport for the planet.

As for the Bike Summit, 2014 will be my 10^th (how did that happen?!?). It’s a great gathering where you can:

• Meet friends and kindred spirits from all over the country (the receptions and after-hour activities are fantastic).
• Catch up on the latest advocacy trends and techniques.
• Share the good news about the economic impact of cycling, especially bike tourism, which is booming (including in my home state of Montana).
• Make sure our elected reps in Washington know that Americans want better biking conditions, and they want them now! 

Thanks to Jim and Adventure Cycling — and all of our sponsors — for their support this year! If you haven’t yet registered for the National Women’s Bicycling Forum and National Bike Summit, don’t delay — sign up today!