Folks who help lighten the load for traveling bicyclists are recognized in this year's National Bicycle Travel Awards.
The Adventure Cycling Association announced the winners, based on nominations from the bicycling public.
They're people like Donn Olsen, left, who runs a bicycle bunkhouse. And Kevin Cashman, who created Apogee Adventures, an outfit that offers extreme trips for youths.
Jim's Bicycle Shop, owned by Jim Peters, in Cincinnati also received an award for helping cyclists preparing for long-distance travels, and Leslie Wills of Michigan received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System.
“These folks do so much to make America a better, friendlier, and more connected country,” says award committee chairperson Amy Corbin.
Trail Angel
Donn Olsen received the June Curry Trail Angel Award, named for the “Cookie Lady” of Afton, Virginia, who helped so many on their TransAmerica bicycle treks.
Olsen's bunkhouse sits on the Northern Tier Bicycle Route in Dalbo, Minnesota, and was described by one bicycle traveler as “the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
The bunkhouse is a converted barn where Olsen and his wife, Sherry, offer cyclists plenty of amenities. He's even been known to drive out to pick up cyclists caught in rainstorms.
Olsen got the idea for the bunkhouse when got to talking to some touring bicyclists who stopped in front of his house in 2005. Now it's one of a small, but growing, number of bicyclist-only lodgings on Adventure Cycling routes.
Pacesetter
The Pacesetter Award winner, Kevin Cashman, founded Apogee Adventures to give youth a chance for challenging travel.
Now featuring trips worldwide, Cashman incorporates community service into many of his bicycle trips. Adventure Cycling says it inspires tomorrow's bicycle travelers to see their world in a new way.
Bike shop
Providing guidance and training for new touring bicyclists helped Jim's Bicycle Shop earn the Sam Braxton Bike Award. Owned by Jim Peters, the bike shop helps those with a wanderlust to jump into bike travel.
The shop also loans out bicycle travel cases and helps bicycle travelers with special logistical requests.
[In a mind-blowing aside, I just discovered the bike shop is located at the intersection of Galbraith and Plainfield roads, literally three blocks from where I grew up in Deer Park, a suburb of Cincinnati. I was long-gone from that area when the store opened, but I used to ride my 3-speed past that location frequently.]
The owner is a life-long bicycle enthusiast, who first opened a shop in Loveland, Ohio, at age 19 with a loan from his parents. The shop blog reflects Peters' continuing enthusiasm for bicycling and touring.
Volunteer
The Volunteer of the Year is Leslie Wills, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her diligent efforts helped secure the designation of U.S. Bike Route 35 through Michigan.
The route is one of the first in a network of 50,000 miles of designated bicycle routes, known as the U.S. Bicycle Route System, that will one-day connect cities and tourist destinations in the US.
Photo above used with the permission of Adventure Cycling Association.
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