Crazy Guy on a Bike
Congratulations to everyone recognized by the Adventure Cycling Association for going “above and beyond” to make conditions for bicycle travelers safer and more enjoyable.
Those honored for 2007 were:
Pacesetter Award: Neil Gunton, left, webmaster of Crazy Guy on a Bike;
Trail Angels Award: Nita Larronde and Don Kearney, and Pie-O-Neer Café owner Kathy Knapp of Pie Town, New Mexico;
Sam Braxton Bike Shop Award: Bicycle Outfitters of Seminole, Florida;
Volunteer of the Year: Chuck Harmon of Dublin, Ohio.
They're just a few of the formerly unsung heroes who have helped in one way or another to make life easier for bicyclists on the road.
Pacesetter
Most people who turn to the Internet to research a bicycle tour will undoubtedly run across Neil Gunton's website, Crazy Guy on a Bike.
Gunton is a programmer who eased himself out of a job and left on a solo TransAmerica bike trip in 1998. A couple of years later he developed an online database that enabled him to post his journal and pictures. He soon realized that his code could allow other people to post their journals at the website.
Today, some 1,800 bike tour journals — most in a daily format with pictures — are posted at this website, as well as a couple of hundred original articles about bicycle touring. The log counts over 200,000 images.
The website also features bicycle tour forums, reviews and resources generated by Gunton and his readers. So not only his website provide a space for travelling bicyclists to talk about their trip, it's also a great resource for trying to learn from those who have gone before. It's all free.
In announcing the award, Adventure Cycling mentioned that Gunton received more nominations that anyone for an award.
Trail Angels
Named for June “Cookie Lady” Curry, the Trail Angel Award was given to three residents of Pie Town, New Mexico, who provide the hospitality that makes the town a much anticipated stop on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
Nita Larronde and Don Kearney run the Toaster House and Kathy Knapp owns the Pie-O-Neer Cafe in town. Their generosity has given hundreds of cyclists a place to rest and sense of camaraderie, according to the association award. In fact, the Toaster House folks provide complimentary lodging, supplies and generosity to cyclists on the route.
Bike shop award
Bicycle Outfitters of Seminole, Florida, received the Sam Braxton bike shop award for getting people excited about bicycle travel and helping cyclists prepare for their bicycle tours. A nominee said the staff “specializes in getting people on bike for life.”
Sounds like the type of shop we all wish we had in our communities.
Volunteer
The Adventure Cycling Association gave the Volunteer of the Year Award to Chuck Harmon of Dublin, Ohio, for all his volunteer work preparing the Underground Railroad Route through Ohio.
Running from Mobile, Alabama to Owen Sound, Ontario, the 2,028-mile route passes many historical sites along corridor that escaped slaves took on the perilous journey to freedom.
Harmon researched those sites in Ohio and helped coordinate events across the region in the first year that the route was up and running.
To learn more about these award winners, check out the news release. Check out the awards page to learn more about each award and how to nominate someone for 2008.
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