Adventure Cycling Association has introduced a new program to inspire people to explore their world on bicycle. The new program, called Adopt-a-Library, allows interested citizens to donate a subscription of Adventure Cyclist magazine to a school or public library of choice, with Adventure Cycling Association donating half of the subscription price. For $15, a donor can put Adventure Cyclist in his or her neighborhood library as an inspiration to all patrons to ride. To donate Adventure Cyclist magazine to a local library call Adventure Cycling at 1-800-755-2453 or log on to the website at www.adventurecycling.org/adoptalibrary.

Adopted libraries receive nine issues of Adventure Cyclist magazine, a free copy of The Cyclists' Yellow Pages (a resource guide for bicycle trip planning with listings of state agencies, tour operators, and other resources), and full access to Adventure Cycling Association's website archives department.

The program was the result of a January 2000 article by Willie Weir in Adventure Cyclist magazine that questioned whether there would be a next generation of adventure cyclists. This question challenged the staff of Adventure Cycling and they responded with the creation of Adopt-a-Library program. In that column, Weir asked how many adventure cyclists have had their lives change, or at least their perspective of life change, as a direct result of a long-distance bicycle journey, and how many think that this country would be a better place if more of our citizens went through the same experience? Weir asked readers how many times they've been on the road and had someone approach them with an enormous grin and say, "I cycled across the country in (fill-in any year from 1976 to present). What can I do for you? Do you need a place to stay?" Weir wrote, "This is not normal. It is extraordinary. Simply amazing. People do not approach a family in a Ford Windstar and say, "Hey, we drove our station wagon across the country in the 70s. What can we do for you? Do you need a place to stay?" They don't because driving a car across the country doesn't change anybody's life."

"Exposure to information is an important step toward inspiration," say Bill Sawyer, Executive Director of Adventure Cycling Association, "and what better place to begin than our local libraries. Our hope is to inspire as many people as possible, especially our young people, to plan and begin a bicycle adventure."

The Rodie Company of Bryan, Ohio has already given the gift of adventure through Adventure Cycling's Adopt-a-Library program. Rodie is donating three-year subscriptions to Adventure Cyclist magazine to every library in Ohio's Fulton and Williams counties - a total of 16 libraries, eight public and eight school libraries.

Adventure Cyclist magazine is a resource for bicyclists providing motivation, technical information, columns on nutrition and training, route descriptions, blow-by-blow accounts of tours and even help find touring companions.

The Adventure Cycling Association is American's largest not-for-profit, member supported, recreational bicycling organization whose mission is to inspire individuals to use the bicycle for exploration, discovery, and adventure. Founded in 1973 as Bikecentennial, the organization mapped the first trans-American bike route and now has 35,000 members who have helped generate the funds to continue to develop the 25,000-mile National Bicycle Route Network, including the Great Divide Mountain Bike route. The highly anticipated Lewis and Clark Bicycle Trail is currently in the works with maps slated for completion by spring of 2003. To find our more about Adventure Cycling call 1-800-755-2453 or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

- Steve Snyders
Sublime Public Relations