Background
In 1996, to celebrate our nations Bicentennial, 4,100 cyclists rode all or parts of the 4,250-mile TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The celebration was fueled by the passion of hundreds of staff members and volunteers, who planned and executed the biggest bicycle-touring event in U. S. history.
The event was call Bikecentennial ’76 and was was the beginning of a organization called Adventure Cycling that has continued to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle.
The inaugural National Bike Travel Weekend in 2016 was such a success that they are encouraging people to do it every year.
National Bike Travel Weekend – 2019
Martha’s Vineyard Tour Revisited
May 31 – June 2
This is a self-contained tour where we carry our own gear, camp and either prepare our own meals or eat together in restaurants. Experience is not required, so if you have ever thought about bicycle touring, here is your chance to give it a try.
Details
Routes
Daily routes can be found here.
Riding day distances are about 30 miles each day. We consider difficulty to be between beginner and intermediate.
Cue sheets will be available at the start or you can print them out yourself. We recommend a GPS or smartphone with a GPS application.
Riding
Recognizing that people have different riding styles and different tolerances for sightseeing, we do not plan to ride as a group, although we expect that small groups will form naturally.
We will try to have places where we can regroup (lunch stops or attractions) during the day.
Camping
Friday night, everyone will need to take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and find their way to the Martha’s Vineyard Campground. It is about 2 miles from the Vineyard Haven Ferry dock and 5 miles from Oak Bluffs ferry dock. We will stay at the campground Friday and Saturday nights.
.
Meals
Meals are not include, but we will try to arrange for everyone who wants to to eat together. The campground has a limitied selection of food and does not open until 9am in the morning. Some of us will have stoves for heating water.
Schedule
Plan to arrive at the campground by 6:00
On our riding days, you can leave camp whenever you want..
We may schedule times when we plan to be at a particular attractions. Attendance is at your discretion.
Bikes and equipment
If you have never done anything like this before, it is important that you have the right equipment. This ride can be ridden using almost any bike, but be aware that you will be carrying your own equipment (clothing, tent, sleeping bag, etc) which can make handling difficult on traditional road bikes. You should check with your local bike shop to be sure it would be appropriate for touring. And while most bikes can handle racks, be aware that if you have a carbon fiber bike, you need to check with your local bike shop to be sure you will not cause catastrophic damage.
Adventure cycling has lots of information to help you get started. Check out the following links
Joe Cruz also has a good packing list and touring related articles
Preparation
You should be prepared for this ride. This means doing some distance riding with your bike fully load before you arrive for the weekend. If you are not certain that you will be able to complete each day’s ride, you need to have a backup plan for getting back to your car.
Your bike should be in good condition and have been recently serviced. Be sure to have an extra tube, a pump and tools for repairing a flat. You need to know how to change your own tire.
While we are on our own on this trip (self-contained/no support), if there is an emergency, we will all work to resolve the situation.
Registration
- Registration fee is $75. This will cover your camping fees All other costs will paid individually or by the group.
- The registration fee is non-refundable.
- Group size will be limited to 20 people
- Registration ends on May 15th