Four 18- to 30-year-olds will win an Adventure Cycling educational course and new gear in exchange for promoting bicycle travel to underrepresented communities
MISSOULA, MONT., — Adventure Cycling Association is accepting applications now through December 31, 2019, for the Greg Siple Award for Young Adult Bicycle Travel. Adventure Cycling will select four young adults to take an Adventure Cycling educational course, win bike travel gear, and more in exchange for completing a project that brings the joy of bike travel to youth and/or young adults in communities that are underrepresented in bike travel.
Although this is the seventh year of the Greg Siple Award, this is the first year that Adventure Cycling will require applicants to propose a project that will promote bicycle travel to underrepresented communities, including but not limited to: women, LGBTQI people, people of color, indigenous people, refugees, and people with disabilities.
“Adventure Cycling has learned that we all benefit when people of all backgrounds experience the joys of bicycle travel, and we would love to see the bike travel community become more reflective of North America’s diverse population,” said Jim Sayer, Executive Director of Adventure Cycling Association. “The Greg Siple Award for Young Adult Bicycle Travel aims to empower underrepresented communities to travel by bike, giving youth and young adults the transformative gift of bicycle travel.”
Two types of awards will be offered based on experience level: Intro to Bike Travel and Outdoor Leadership. The Intro to Bike Travel award is for those who dream of going on a self-supported bicycle tour but aren’t quite ready to hit the road. Once outfitted with a new touring bicycle from Surly equipped with Arkel panniers, camping gear from Big Agnes, and Bedrock Sandals, the two winners will attend an Adventure Cycling Intro to Road Touring course with their bike shipments covered by BikeFlights.com and a $500 travel stipend.
The Outdoor Leadership award is for those who have bike travel experience and want to get more involved in outdoor leadership. The two winners will develop their leadership skills by attending Adventure Cycling’s Leadership Training Course and will receive a $500 travel stipend, bike shipment to and from the course, a $100 Cyclosource gift certificate to refresh their gear, and Bedrock Sandals. They will also have the opportunity to take an Adventure Cycling self-contained tour up to $1,599 in value.
The Greg Siple Award for Young Adult Bicycle Travel was developed for 18- to 30-year-olds in response to Adventure Cycling members’ commitment to inspire more young people to travel by bicycle. The award is named for Adventure Cycling cofounder Greg Siple, who discovered a love for bike travel during his youth and had a little help from his father with his initial investment in a bike and gear.
Applications and more information are available at adventurecycling.org/gregsipleaward. Donations to the Greg Siple Award for Young Adult Bicycle Travel can be made online.
Supporters of the Greg Siple Award include the Seay Foundation and the Henry Family Foundation. Product donors are Surly, BikeFlights.com, Big Agnes, Arkel, and Bedrock Sandals.
