My son has been riding multi-day group bicycle rides with me since he was 11, but here he is a junior in high school and we've never been on an independent overnight bike tour together.

We decided to fix that cycling resume omission over the Memorial Day weekend with an overnighter to a state park located about 40 miles east of Seattle at the base of the Cascades.

It was a great trip. We had a chance to talk without the distractions at home. My son stoked my ego by blurting out on a hill, "Wow dad, you're calves are cut!" When he rocketed past me seconds later, I returned the compliment.

Although there was an element of last-minute preparations involved, it wasn't one of those spur-of-the-moment S24O's (sub-24-hour overnighter) described last year in Adventure Cyclist magazine by Rivendell founder Grant Petersen ...   more »

An overnight snowfall in the mountains around Durango left 2,500 bicyclists all dressed up with no place to go on Saturday morning for the 37th annual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

The Colorado State Patrol cancelled the popular bicycle road race and bike tour from Durango to Silverton after a foot of snow was measured at the finish line in Silverton and daytime temperatures were only expected to reach the high 30s.

Said race director Gaige Sippy: “We can not have 2,500 cyclists and their friends in Silverton with those weather conditions. Hypothermia in these conditions is a high risk."

There is a no refund policy in effect and the rides cannot be rescheduled. Other weekend events were not affected as of Saturday morning ...   more »

A cyclist in Ohio's Tour of the Scioto River Valley bike tour was killed Sunday when he was struck from behind by a motorist while returning to Columbus. Identified as William Crowley, 57, of Northfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, he is the first traffic-related fatality in the history of the tour.

The TOSRV is one of the oldest bike tours in the US, celebrating its 47th anniversary this year. Started as a father-son bike ride in 1962, the classic bike tour draws some 2,800 bicyclists for the 105-mile bike ride to Portsmouth on Saturday, followed by the return to Columbus on the Sunday.

The Ohio State Patrol reported that Crowley was hit by the car while riding north in the right lane of US 23 near Piketon at about 7:50 a.m., about 18 miles north of Portsmouth...   more »

Rumors about the excellent bicycle touring opportunities in my big back yard, the Pacific Northwest, will be confirmed by the latest set of maps published by the Adventure Cycling Association.

The Washington Parks bicycle route is an 870-mile double loop within easy access from Seattle. One loop takes in the Olympic Peninsula in the west. The other climbs over and around the soaring Cascades in the east.

The routes take in three national parks -- Olympic, Mt. Rainier, and North Cascade -- along with wild ocean views, tranquil islands, steep mountain passes, and orchards and vineyards. ...   more »

Read Gillian's personal message in comments below...

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Touring bicyclists who benefitted from Gillian Hoggard's hospitality on the hot, dry plains of eastern Colorado in recent years are paying her back.

After a wildfire swept across her home and property last month and destroyed everything in its path, a "reforestation fund" has been set up and at least one work party is heading to her land near Ordway.

It's heartening to see touring cyclists come together to lend a hand to someone whose efforts on their behalf earned her the "Trail Angel" award from Adventure Cycling Association...   more »

One of the most compelling on-the-road bike journals has rolled to a halt as Nevada photographer Rick Gunn completed his around the world bicycle trek this past weekend.

The Tahoe Daily Tribune has set some of his many photos to a slideshow, left, and music that it published online today.

The 44-year-old photographer started his journey at the Golden Gate Bridge in July 2005, returning 34 months later. Along the way he covered 25,811 miles on his 90-pound loaded bicycle, visited 33 countries, and camped out more than 800 times ...   more »

If you like seeing what bicycles other touring cyclists are riding, then Fully Loaded Touring Bicycles on Tour is one of the best places to go.

Ron W has posted more than 280 photos of fully loaded touring bikes "at work" that have been submitted by their proud owners. The bikes are identified -- everything from the Seven Vacanza to the Surly Long Haul Trucker -- and you can see how they're packed.

Now he's added the FLT Gallery Profiles Page that features examples of the photographic work of touring cyclists and links to their websites. It's about more than the bike. It's about where the bike can take you ....   more »

Five dads are pedaling out of Lansing, Michigan, this August to begin a five-day, 758-mile bicycle tour to Washington DC.

That might not be an epic bike ride, but these guys who will be riding 150 miles a day aren't exactly ultra-athletes. And they'll be tackling some challenging terrain as they pass through Pennsylvania.

The five are undertaking the Equal Parenting Bike Trek to call attention to the need for children to have equal time with both parents, who are willing and fit, after a divorce. They maintain that parents also have the right for equal time with their children ...   more »