Adventure Cycling Association

What Adventure Cycling Association does

Adventure Cycling Association is a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 in Missoula, Montana, focused on long-distance bicycle travel in North America. Its core product is the Adventure Cycling Route Network — over 50,000 miles of curated, ground-truthed bicycle touring and bikepacking routes — supplemented by an Interactive Network Map built on Google Maps and digital route delivery via a core partnership with Ride with GPS. Iconic flagship routes include the TransAmerica Trail (mapped 1976) and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, with newer additions such as the free Golden Gravel Trail (3,800 miles, launched 2026) and the Vancouver Crossing Loop extending into Canada.

The organization generates revenue across five streams: tiered membership subscriptions ($25 to $1,000 per year), paper and digital route map sales, year-round guided bicycle tours priced $999 to $10,399 across four support formats, branded merchandise/apparel via the Cyclosource on-demand store, and donations (including legacy giving and the active "50 More Years" 2026 campaign). It publishes the quarterly print and digital Adventure Cyclist magazine as a member benefit, operates community features (Companions Wanted listings, Campfire Chats), and runs experiential products including guided tours and a 50th-anniversary Drop-in Rides program with live GPS tracking.

Adventure Cycling serves individual bicycle tourists, bikepackers, and cycling enthusiasts across 16,000+ members and a broader community of long-tail consumers, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Beyond commercial operations, it functions as the steward of the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) — over 24,144 miles across 35 states plus Washington DC — through formal partnerships with state Departments of Transportation and AASHTO, making it both a content/media nonprofit and a quasi-regulatory actor in American bicycle-route designation.

Name

Adventure Cycling Association

Legal name

Adventure Cycling Association

Website

https://adventurecycling.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adventure Cycling Association is a 50-year-old member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit that maps and maintains over 50,000 miles of bicycle touring and bikepacking routes across North America, serving 16,000+ members and individual cyclists through memberships, guided tours, route maps, merchandise, and advocacy for the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bicycle Touring & Cycling Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-Bike Adventure Tour Operators (THAAADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures (THAJABAF), Cycling / MTB / E-Bike Guiding & Rentals (THAAALAG), Bike Rental, Demo & Tour Operators (Retail-Adjacent) (CRAMAHAJ)

Keywords

• Bicycle touring routes
• Cycling advocacy services
• Guided bike tours
• Cycling membership
• Outdoor recreation nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and monthly membership tiers providing tiered access to resources, magazine content, discounts, and community features. Tiers range from $25/year basic access to $1,000/year leadership levels with exclusive benefits.
2. Route Maps and Digital Routes Sales: Sale of paper and digital route maps for the Adventure Cycling Route Network, including iconic routes like TransAmerica Trail, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and others. Maps sold through the online store.
3. Guided Tours: Organized bicycle tours offered in various formats including self-contained, inn-to-inn, van-supported, and fully supported. Tour prices range from $999 to $10,249 depending on duration and support level.
4. Merchandise and Apparel: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, mugs, can coolers, and hoodies through the online store. On-demand printing model for apparel products.
5. Donations: Donations from members and supporters supporting the nonprofit mission of creating bicycle travel routes and advocacy. Includes monthly giving options and legacy society contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adventure Cycling Association is a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit that maintains a network of more than 50,000 miles of mapped cycling routes across North America and sells individual Route Maps in digital and print forms, Short Routes, Guided Tours, a bimonthly Adventure Cyclist magazine, and an Adventure Cycling membership program. The organization also administers an Adventure Grants Program, operates Cycling Events, and conducts bicycle travel advocacy to support its mission of inspiring, empowering, and connecting people to travel by bicycle.

Product overview

Adventure Cycling Association operates as a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem for bicycle travel centered around its Route Network of over 50,000 mapped miles. The core product portfolio includes iconic long-distance routes (TransAmerica Trail, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Golden Gravel Trail), an Interactive Network Map for trip planning, and Route Maps available in both digital and print formats. The organization supplements route offerings with Guided Tours in four formats (Self-Contained, Inn-to-Inn, Van-Supported, Fully Supported), the award-winning Adventure Cyclist Magazine (print and digital), and Short Routes for shorter trips. Community features include Companions Wanted and Campfire Chats. Membership programs provide tiered access to benefits including discounts through ExpertVoice, the Adventure Cyclist Magazine, and route resources. The 50th Anniversary celebration in 2026 introduced the free Golden Gravel Trail and Drop-in Rides program. A Cyclosource Store offers merchandise, apparel, and cycling equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adventure Cycling Route Network A curated network of more than 50,000 miles of mapped bicycle routes spanning North America, used by adventure cyclists and bicycle tourists to plan self-supported and guided multi-day rides.
• TransAmerica Trail A flagship cross-country bicycle route offered by Adventure Cycling Association for self-supported bicycle travel across the United States, part of the Adventure Cycling Route Network.
• Great Divide Mountain Bike Route A flagship off-pavement mountain bike route offered by Adventure Cycling Association for self-supported mountain biking and bicycle travel, part of the Adventure Cycling Route Network.
• Golden Gravel Trail A free bikepacking route offered by Adventure Cycling Association as part of the Adventure Cycling Route Network, suitable for gravel and adventure cyclists.
• Route Maps (Digital and Print) Individual Route Maps sold by Adventure Cycling Association in digital and print formats through the online store, providing detailed mapping for specific bicycle touring routes.
• Short Routes Curated shorter bicycle touring routes offered by Adventure Cycling Association, complementing its long-distance Adventure Cycling Route Network with accessible multi-day and weekend options.
• Interactive Network Map An online Interactive Network Map provided by Adventure Cycling Association that allows cyclists to browse and explore the Adventure Cycling Route Network digitally.
• Guided Tours Guided bicycle travel tours offered directly by Adventure Cycling Association for cyclists who prefer a fully supported, group experience with logistics handled by the organization.
• Adventure Cyclist Magazine A bimonthly magazine published by Adventure Cycling Association for its members and subscribers, covering bicycle travel, route stories, and adventure cycling community content.
• Adventure Cycling Membership Program A tiered membership program offered by Adventure Cycling Association that provides supporters with member benefits while funding the nonprofit's route network, advocacy, and adventure grants.
• Adventure Grants Program An Adventure Grants Program administered by Adventure Cycling Association that provides grant funding to support bicycle travel and adventure cycling initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 57,298 miles of mapped bicycle routes maintained and continuously updated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OrtliebminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• Otso CyclesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• Salsa CyclesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• Tout TerrainminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• Fiamme Pizza TucsonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• noNormalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• PDW (Portland Design Works)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• RitcheyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• SidiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• VelociominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 202650th Anniversary sponsor providing giveaways and gear for Drop-in Ride participants.
• ExpertVoiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount partnership providing access to hundreds of pro-deals and deep discounts on leading outdoor and cycling brands.
• Ride with GPScoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital routes platform partner powering the Adventure Cycling Route Network maps. Provides turn-by-turn navigation, service listings, and route condition updates. Exclusive platform for digital route delivery.
• The FeedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount partner offering 40% in-store credit annually for Adventure Cycling members.
• Swift IndustriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount partner offering 30% off bags for Adventure Cycling members.
• Revelate DesignsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount partner offering 10% off purchases for Adventure Cycling members.
• State Departments of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with state DOTs to build and steward the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS), the largest official cycling route network in the world.
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for developing and designating the U.S. Bicycle Route System as a nationally designated network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• League of American Bicyclists: National cycling advocacy nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC. Directly comparable as a membership-supported 501(c)(3) advancing bicycle travel and infrastructure at the national policy level, sharing donor pools and advocacy relationships.
• PeopleForBikes: U.S. cycling industry trade coalition and advocacy nonprofit. Comparable as a bike-focused nonprofit working on infrastructure funding, federal policy, and industry partnerships that overlap with Adventure Cycling's USBRS stewardship role.
• Trek Travel: Premium guided cycling vacation operator owned by Trek Bicycle Corporation. Direct competitor in the U.S. guided cycling tour category, with overlapping premium pricing and destination portfolio.
• Escape Adventures: Long-standing North American guided mountain bike and road tour operator. Comparable in guided multi-day cycling tours, including supported and self-contained formats that overlap with Adventure Cycling's tour portfolio.
• Wilderness Voyageurs: Outdoor adventure outfitter offering guided cycling, rafting, and multi-sport tours in the U.S. Comparable in guided multi-day bicycle touring with a similar regional, expertise-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Backroads: Large established active-travel tour operator offering walking, hiking, and cycling trips worldwide. Comparable as a premium guided cycling tour competitor with broader activity portfolio and stronger consumer marketing scale.
• Strava: Global activity-tracking social network for cyclists and runners. Comparable as a digital cycling engagement platform where users plan, record, and share rides — competing for the same end-user attention and route discovery moment.

Emerging players

• Komoot: European-headquartered route planning app for hiking and cycling with curated and crowdsourced routes. Comparable as a digital bicycle trip-planning platform with overlapping routing, navigation, and tour-discovery use cases.
• Ride with GPS: Route planning and navigation platform for cyclists and outdoor recreation. Comparable as a technology partner powering Adventure Cycling's digital routes and a direct competitor in route planning, navigation, and turn-by-turn cueing.

Others

• Rapha: Premium cycling apparel and lifestyle brand with a global RCC membership community. Comparable as a high-end cycling brand selling apparel, organizing events, and cultivating a paying enthusiast community that overlaps with Adventure Cycling's member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AdvCyclingAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/adventurecycling
• Instagraminstagram.com/adventurecycling
• Xx.com/advcyclingassoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adventure-cycling-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adventure Cycling Association