Open Road Bicycles Missoula

Every summer time we benefit from the parade of bike people whom drop by our workplace within Missoula, Montana. These cyclists originate from all around the globe. Their particular variety of style, gear, path, and purpose is unlimited.

In 1982, Greg Siple started recording our visitors on film and asking them to tell their stories, creating Adventure Cycling's National Bicycle Touring Portrait Collection. The Open Road Gallery features options from this collection in Adventure Cyclist magazine and right here on our internet site.

by Madeline McKiddy Photograph by Greg Siple
In 2011, Suepinda Keith along with her husband, Kevin Hicks, brought together a group of high-potential, lower-resourced teens and struck off along Adventure Cycling’s Underground Railroad bike path from mobile phone, Alabama, to Niagara Falls, ny. Kevin remembers, “We only camped completely around three times as a whole. We stayed with place masters, those who put us up for the night.”

by Madeline McKiddy Photo by Greg Siple
Kym and Christine’s daughters, Wensday and Carly, and their nephew Jordan had developed witnessing a wall of photographs memorializing a cross-country journey the few had drawn in 1984. “As our youngsters expanded and viewed those photographs each and every day, we would tell them stories of your bicycle adventure and child all of them we could be performing that same trip together with them some day. The years sped by and out of the blue we recognized our earliest girl could be leaving residence in 2 short years, getting into a life of her own. We decided it absolutely was now or never ever, ” Christine said.

by Madeline McKiddy Photo by Greg Siple
Newlyweds Johannes and Rebecca Bulfin of Birr, Ireland, performedn’t do things by one half when they chose to combine their very first day at the U.S. making use of their very first bike trip. If they arrived in new york and set-out to their trip to Portland, Oregon, their particular only training was cycling the four-mile commute to plus from college, and their route had been assembled using Bing world and handwritten directions.

by Madeline McKiddy Photo by Greg Siple
“My uncle John rode the Transam Trail 1st 12 months it unsealed (1976), as he had been 25 years of age. I’ve grown-up reading all about their great adventures from his trip across The united states, ” McKinley Bryson (regarding the right) informed united states. 36 years later on, in 2012, a 25-year-old McKinley and her buddy Patrice Nora observed John (inset picture) over the exact same route and had some activities of their own.

by Madeline McKiddy Photograph by Greg Siple
In 2002, Dan Halvorson, their spouse Lesli, three of the kids, and a yellowish laboratory went to our office to their means across the U.S. from the TransAm Trail. However, only Dan was riding whilst the family followed in a motor house. Following the travel, Dan and Lesli started initially to dream of performing the trip again; only this time around, utilizing the whole family members on two wheels.

Though just 21 years old, Thomas Hassig of Switzerland picked a bold path for a primary previously bicycle tour. He put down from New York City on May 2, 2010, with Seattle, Washington since the goal.

Over a century ago a team of twenty black soldiers regarding the 25th Infantry based at Fort Missoula in Missoula, Montana, bicycled from Missoula to St. Louis, Missouri. Their particular 1900-mile, 40-day trip was done to ascertain in the event that bicycle could provide a useful purpose when you look at the armed forces.

Twenty-six-year-old David Lawson of Santa Cruz, California, bicycled out of Portland, Oregon, after 2 yrs of saving and planning. However, the transition from work to ride was quick: “Monday, March 29, quit my work. Tuesday, March 30, boarded Amtrak to Oregon. Wednesday, March 31, arrival in Portland. Saturday, April 3, started driving east up the Columbia River gorge!”

Renee Rocheleau and Maya Honeyman of Chico, Ca, rode from Arcata, Ca to Bar Harbor, Maine last year.

When they were in Missoula Renee explained, “We’re sisters with talked-about riding throughout the U.S. collectively since we had been young girls. We’re finally doin’ it! This can be our very first significant cycle tour and we didn’t train. We undoubtedly thought the burn going over the hills. It has already been a phenomenal trip of self-discovery and adventure! Develop to find the beauty of The United States through tales of those we meet on the way.”

Joel and Jessica Koontz of Greenville, South Carolina hiked the Appalachian path in 2006. It was an adventure that got them thinking about bicycling across The united states. Therefore during 2009 they set out to drive the TransAm Trail.

“In 2006, we hiked the Appalachian Trail. On our six-month trip from Maine to Georgia, our love for adventure was verified. Since we’ve come home and settled in to the “real” world, we’ve already been hankering for that other life of resting in a tent, preparing our dinners on a beer can stove, reveling when you look at the kindness of strangers, and…simplicity. So, we purchased touring bikes, cushioned spandex short pants, chamois butter as well as 2 one-way routes to Oregon.