KerryIrons

I'm a 30+ year member of and volunteer for Adventure Cycling Association, a national non-profit bicycle travel organization, and they have asked me to help spread the word about their mission which is "To inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle."

Adventure Cycling researches and publishes cycling maps (including the TransAmerica Trail, Pacific Coast Route and Great Divide Mountain Bike Route), offers a variety of online bicycle touring resources, publishes a bicycle travel magazine called Adventure Cyclist, and runs guided tours.
They also have been central in the development of the recently approved plans for a US Bicycle Route System.

They have offered 50 free 6-month trial memberships for me to disperse to members of Bike Forum who are not members. Benefits of membership include a subscription to Adventure Cyclist magazine, member discounts on Adventure Cycling touring maps, and more. This offer for first-time members with a US mailing address.

If you are interested in learning more about Adventure Cycling's programs and their mission please visit: America's Bicycle Travel Experts | Adventure Cycling Association

To take advantage of this offer you can sign-up online at: https://www.adventurecycling.org/mem...hip/?r=Y5-FF14

Sorry, but US mailing addresses only (high costs of mailing to foreign countries).

Shifty

I was a member for a while, complete waste of money in my opinion. In fact, I wouldn't even take a free membership, it's worthless. We got along just fine before this group, it's just a way of making money off cyclists and providing little in return. Just my opinion.

Bike Hermit

Those voices in your head are wrong. ACA kicks ass!

indyfabz

Just because you can say something doesn't mean you should.

ak08820

Thanks - I signed up.

bikemig 

LOL, Number 1.

indyfabz

Yeah. Because things like a national bike route network, which you see in many cycling-friendly countries, and the cycling-friendly placement of highway rumble strips is so little.

tarwheel 

I highly recommend the ACA membership offer. I signed up during one of Kerry's previous offers and it was money well spent. ACA maintains maps of touring routes across the USA and also conducts trips. Their magazine is one of the few publications that actually features bike touring.

indyfabz

They also do a lot of advocacy and facilitate the introduction of people to the world of travel by bike. My introduction to self contained touring was through Adventure Cycling. While I had been a long time roadie and had done supported tours, I had never done any unsupported touring. I had never even slept in a tent a night in my life. I am glad I joined an ACA tour as I learned a lot during the 93 days I spent riding across the country with people, both experienced and inexperienced.

In any event, the unsupported contention that the organization is "just a way of making money off cylclists and providing little in return" adds nothing. There is nothing informative there that might assist a reader in deciding whether he or she mightbenefit from taking advantage of the free offer, which is what this thread is supposed to be about. In other words, it's just a drive-by.

Shifty

Maybe you are correct here. Not meaning to offend so many, just my thoughts.

Rwc5830

+1 here.

Also signed up during the free offer awhile back. I really enjoy the magazine, website and have personally used the maps on a tour. Still a member. I've hosted a lot of touring cyclist from all over the world and the ones who use the ACA routes/maps have nothing but positive comments.

CXnewbie

Thanks for the membership Kerry I just Signed up

Caddy909

Thanks, signed up too!

TheReal Houdini

I want to love these guys but my only experience with them has been using the Tidewater Potomac route. This route is dependent on ferries that are no longer in operation. The update addenda to the maps says as much. One leg runs through possibly the worst neighborhood in DC - not recommended for the uninitiated. There is a really dicey 10 mile section south of DC on the Virginia side. Think lots of high-speed traffic and no place to ride but in the main travel lanes. In my opinion, ACA should just pull the route. I've had fun with the maps and ridden most of the route on day and overnight trips from my place in DC, but they can't really be used to plan a proper tour - which is the point.

Northwestrider

Shifty: If those are your thoughts, by all means speak up, and BTW thanks for doing so.

hurricane harry

Looks like i am too late. Offer is closed.

shipwreck

Just so you don't feel alone, I also contacted them to cancel the free membership that someone else signed me up for. Mostly because there is no way I was going to ever buy their maps and felt that I would be ripping them off on postage and printed material. But a little cause I just did not like their sending catalogues trying sell me something that I don't need and get on well without.

NVanHiker

Google mapping and Street View have pretty much eclipsed my need for specialized bike maps. Also, so-called bike routes (including ACA and Google Maps) are often really tedious ways of avoiding some very nice, fast, scenic secondary highways.

Mikevt1

I don't think so. I just used the link to sign up and the offer was accepted. At least the reply said "Your new membership has been activated." I was planning on purchasing the Adirondack and Green Mountain loops. Something manageable and local for my first attempts at muli-day tours.

Thanks to Kerry Irons.

Balsawings

Link worked for me. I just signed up. Had been thinking about joining but had been putting it off. Have only been riding locally but really want to do some touring. I believe I'll do one of ACA's intro tours to get started and see where it goes from there.

Bob

Machka 

But I don't live in a foreign country. I live in Australia.

hurricane harry

[h=1]Free Trial Membership[/h][h=5]OFFER IS NOW CLOSED[/h]Thank you for your interest in Adventure Cycling, this offer is now closed. You can still sign-up for a free issue of the Adventure Cyclist magazine and other organizational information by going here

oddtanlines

The magazine alone is worth the membership. I joined last year and don't regret it. If you're interested in reading about bicycle touring - and not the latest in Lycra and carbon wheels, it's the best bike magazine out there. Every article I have read is well written.

Shawn Gossman

Just checked out the benefits Looks like its worth way more than $40 a year!

Rowan

If you are interested in bicycle touring, this forum or Crazy Guy On A Bike are the gold standards, in my opinion.