Welcoming the Bicycle Nomad to the National Bike Summit

We are thrilled to make our first announcement about one of our keynote speakers at the 2024 National Bike Summit.  

You may know him as the Bicycle Nomad

Erick Cedeño is inspiring people to go places by bike every day. He created Bicycle Nomad “with a goal to bring together and inspire dreamers and riders” using the bike “an instrument allowing for the exploration and fostering of novel cultures, people and connections.” 

Follow the Bicycle Nomad on Instagram »

Erick calls bicycling “magic in motion” and we agree: because through the bike, so much is possible. It’s like we say so often: life is better for everyone when everyone can ride a bike. It’s why we work so hard to ensure everyone who wants to ride a bike can do so safely and freely. 

At the 2024 National Bike Summit, bike advocates from across the country will gather in Washington, DC, and we’ll collaborate about how to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. We’re looking forward to learning from Erick about his perspective on growing the bike movement, widening horizons, and engaging people wherever they are and however they ride. We got to ask Erick a few questions about his bike journey so far, and we can’t wait to hear more at the Summit. 

Q&A 

We always love to hear from people about their ‘bike story’, what got them so deep into bicycling that they ended up here with us. How did your journey into becoming the Bicycle Nomad begin? 

After college, I realized it was hard to save money with my salary, so I sold my car and started commuting everywhere by bicycle. Ten years later — still car-free — I moved to Miami, which is my hometown. While biking in the city where I grew up, I realized I wanted to see new things and ride longer than I ever had in the past. 

One day, I had the idea to bike 155 miles each way from Miami to Key West. I fell in love with using the bike to explore, push my body and mind to new places. On that ride, I had the idea of one day traveling from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific Coast Highway and one year later I flew to Vancouver with my bike and rode to Tijuana. Riding along the route, engaging with people and nature, I loved waking up and having coffee in different places every day. It was in August of 2011 and every year after that, I would map a route to explore the U.S. by bicycle. In 2014 and 2020, I traveled from New Orleans to Niagara Falls, Canada along a route of The Underground Railroad. As of today, I have traveled every state by bicycle except Alaska.

Can we live vicariously through you for a bit? What was your favorite ride you got to do in 2023? 

In 2022, my favorite ride was retracing the 1897 expedition of the Bicycle Corps from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. This year, my favorite rides were riding from Seattle to Portland, and riding with my wife along the Katy Trail on her first bikepacking trip. Also, I always love my weekly bicycle ride with my 2-year-old son Gabriel from Santa Monica to Dockweiler Beach – about 12 miles each way along the Marvin Braude Trail, which is a 22-mile paved bicycle path that runs mostly along the shoreline of Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County, California. The coastal bike trail is widely acknowledged as Los Angeles’ “most popular bike path.”

As we’re looking ahead to the 25th annual National Bike Summit, we like to look back to see how far we’ve come in building a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. How have the streets you ride on changed over the past decade or longer? Have you seen the impact of bike advocacy on safer streets and the communities you ride with and in? 

Over the past decade, I have seen better bicycle infrastructure from when I started traveling the U.S. by bicycle, but we need more work done especially in neighborhoods experiencing inequalities. 

Many cities have seen improvements in bike lanes, signage, and traffic laws that prioritize the safety of cyclists as a result of advocacy initiatives. In 2020, we moved to Santa Monica, CA from Phoenix mainly because of the bicycle infrastructure. I had read about the Bike Action Plan Amendment which outlines the path forward for Santa Monica to implement a protected bike network, policies, and programs. After traveling the U.S. by bicycle, I decided Santa Monica would be a great community for my family who loves to bike, walk and enjoy the outdoors. 

The Summit is the biggest gathering of bike advocates in the country, and people look forward to it to learn about what’s working in other cities, to share their big ideas, to ride with one another, and to make new friends. Since this will be your first Summit, is there something in particular you’re looking forward to? 

I’m looking forward to learning what projects are being developed in communities experiencing inequities. One common denominator I see when traveling the country by bicycle is how hard it is to navigate through cities predominantly of color due to the lack of bicycle infrastructure. Immediately I think of the kids and adults not able to enjoy the benefits of the bicycle.

About the Summit

Join hundreds of bike advocates for the largest grassroots bicycle advocacy conference in America from March 19-21, 2024, at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. Yes, you read that right – this year, we’re starting mid-day on Tuesday, March 19th and concluding on Thursday, March 21.

Learn more about the Summit »

How to Register

While registering, please read the full event description to learn more about the difference between in-person and online-only tickets, as well as information on available scholarships. 

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P.S. In-person attendees can add on the limited-edition League of American Bicyclists t-shirt celebrating the 2024 National Bike Summit! You will receive your shirt during event check-in on Tuesday, March 19. 

Take advantage of League Member pricing! 

League Member pricing is the best rate available for paid attendees. To receive this member rate, you must have an Individual or Family Membership to the League of American Bicyclists.

Learn more about League membership and become a member today to receive the discounted Summit registration rate! (You will save money!)