Celebrate Black History on Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route

02-01-2008

Adventure Cycling Association celebrates Black History Month by announcing a dynamic spring and summer line-up of bicycle trips and events planned for their Underground Railroad Route (UGRR), as well as available maps.

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For Immediate Release
January 30, 2008
Contact: Ginny Sullivan
800-755-2453 x229
gsullivan@adventurecycling.org

Celebrate Black History on Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route

Guided bike tours, events, and maps lead cyclists along "the route to freedom"

Missoula, Mont. —Adventure Cycling Association, North America's largest cycling membership organization, celebrates Black History Month by announcing a dynamic spring and summer line-up of bicycle trips and events planned for their Underground Railroad Route (UGRR), as well as available maps.

The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route honors the bravery of those who fled bondage and those who provided shelter by tracing "the route to freedom" that escaped slaves may have followed 150 years ago or more. According to Ginny Sullivan, New Routes Coordinator at Adventure Cycling, "These bike trips and maps provide an opportunity for individuals, clubs, and communities to engage in an active homage to those courageous men and women by riding all or part of the Underground Railroad Route."

From April 27 to June 13 cyclists can explore the full Underground Railroad Route by joining Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad tour, passing numerous historic sites along a 2,028-mile corridor from Mobile, AL to Owen Sound, ONT. In the words of a cyclist on the 2007 inaugural ride, "To walk in the same footsteps of the men and women who made this trek, it's unbelievable. The things Harriet Tubman and the other people on the Underground Railroad were able to do with so little support, it's inspiring."

The Association is also offering a fully supported, eight-day tour on the last leg of the UGRR from July 27 to August 3. Riding from Buffalo, NY to Owen Sound, ONT, participants can expect gorgeous landscapes including the Niagara River (where thousands jumped into boats or leapt into fast-churning waters to swim to freedom in Canada) and Niagara Falls. After reaching the Niagara Escarpment summit, riders will make a quick descent to Owen Sound and end their journey by celebrating with locals and visitors at the 146th Annual Emancipation Day Celebration.

For those interested in planning their own trip (of any length), map sections of the UGRR are available at www.adventurecycling.org/routes/undergroundrailroad.cfm. Adventure Cycling also recently published three unique day-trip maps in the Ripley, Ohio area, offering people of all ages and experience levels a chance to take a day's jouney along part of this historic route.

A map for the UGRR's Pittsburgh Spur can be found here: www.adventurecycling.org/routes/undergroundrailroad.cfm. Due to the many roads leading in and out of the area and the rivers which represented natural landmarks to follow to freedom, Pittsburgh was also an important stop for freedom seekers making their way north. Recognizing this historic role, this spring the Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club will lead a three-day, two night tour on the Pittsburgh Spur route. Check the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health and BikePittsburgh websites for more information.

Finally, from July 19 to July 26, the Across Ohio Bicycle Adventure (XOBA) offers another mid-summer adventure along a stretch of the Ohio portion of the route with their 11th Annual Across Ohio Bicycle Adventure 2008 –The Underground Railroad Tour. Riders will spin through the beautiful Ohio countryside visiting major historical and cultural landmarks such as the John Rankin House, Cincinnati's Freedom Center, and the city of Oberlin, one of the most important abolitionist centers in the country.

The Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club can be reached via Mario Browne at mbrowne@cmh.pitt.edu. Walt D. Williams, Director of the Across Ohio Bicycle Adventure, can be reached at xoba@outdoor-pursuits.org.

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Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with more than 42,000 members. A nonprofit organization, our mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. We produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 40 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists' Yellow Pages. With 37,210 meticulously mapped miles in our route network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact us at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

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