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| A bike along a rural Kansas road during the Trans Am Race. Photo courtesy: Gert Van Kerkhove |
Cycling is more than just a sport in the U.S. According to the Adventure Cycling Association, it is one of the fastest growing types of outdoor recreation and tourism activities nationwide.
With an estimated 48 million people bicycling recreationally per year in the U.S., cycling contributes $96.7 billion per year to the economy, improves health, increases health-related savings, decreases traffic congestion and improves environmental health.
Many touring cyclists travel through Kansas each year via U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (USBR 76) also known at the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, one of the most well-known and most popular cross country bicycle routes. This 4,223-mile route from Astoria, Ore., to Yorktown, Va., meanders across the Kansas plains from just west of Tribune on K-96 at the Colorado state line to just east of Pittsburg on K-126 at the Missouri state line.
In addition to USBR 76, cycling tourists can often be found on Route 66, the Flint Hills and Prairie Spirit rails and many other non-interstate roads and highways in Kansas. Touring cyclists often choose low-traffic, scenic roads through less traveled areas because these roads and rural communities are easier to travel, offer local services and the opportunity to meet local residents.
Cyclists tend to travel slower, linger longer and enjoy a community or area for several days, often spending 40 percent more in a community than motorists or other tourists.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, bike tourism accounts for an estimated $83 billion in trip-related spending in the U.S each year.
Cycling tourists who come through Kansas are from across the U.S., but are also from countries like Germany, Belgium, Italy and Australia. Wherever they are from, they bring the world to rural communities while choosing to see the U.S., “at their own pace and with their own eyes and not through the windshield,” as one German cyclist put it.
As you travel this summer, remember that cyclists are motorists too. Be sure to share the road. Take a second look and follow the Kansas three-foot law requiring motorists to give cyclists at least three feet of space at all times and only pass when safe to do so.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, bike tourism accounts for an estimated $83 billion in trip-related spending in the U.S each year.
ReplyDelete$83 billion? Really? That just doesn't make sense. How many bike tourist do you think there are in a given year. I'd guess 10,000. But suppose I'm wrong and there are 100 times that or 1 million. In order to reach $83B each of those 1 million touring cyclist would have to spend $83,000 a year on bicycle tourism. Seems pretty unlikely...
Hi Rover, In Pittsburgh PA we have a very popular ride that goes from the middle of the city to Washington DC, about 340 miles. 15 years ago when I did my first multiday bike ride on this route I would have agreed with you completely. I went the entire way and only passed 2 other cyclists. Since that time, the word has gotten out and on any day you can see groups of cyclists starting their ride in Point State Park at the confluence of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers. I was on this trail a couple of weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday morning. When I went past the fountain in the Park there was a group of about 25 people with fully loaded bikes ready to begin their trip of a life time. My ride was an up and back ride of about 60 miles. The whole way I kept passing groups of people with full panniers and bed rolls obviously doing the trip. I didn't actually do a count but I would be surprised to find that there was less than 100 people with bikes in this condition. They probably out numbered regular cyclists just out for a couple hours of enjoyment like myself. If you think about the money that these 100+ people spent on just this one day in this one city, it's not hard to imagine the kinds of money they quote in this article, being spent. And even if its not that much it is still wonderful to see people out enjoying this amazing world on the back of a bike.
DeleteYour math doesn't fit the definition of bike tourism. Tourism ranges from hour excursions, day trips, to long cross country adventures. When you add all that up, I would think you're in the neighborhood of a hundred million bike trips. Then when you add in the cost of the equipment, travel to the starting point, food, lodging and don't forget entry fees and T-shirts on the sponsored rides and tours, the $83B seems quite reasonable.
ReplyDeleteAverage cyclist annual household income is over $80k with 25% earning over $100k. Cyclists have disposable income which means high end restaurants, visits to breweries, wineries, and hotel stays. I don't find the numbers unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteI think the real point of the article is that cyclists do have a positive impact on local economies. Whether $83B or some lesser amount is irrelevant.
ReplyDelete83b does seem wild, but from my experience I can tell you this: along the trails I ride in Iowa, virtually every town has a bar & grill on the trail, each with many, many square yards of bike parking, and each of them very busy. There are other businesses that benefit as well, ice cream shops, pizza joints, bike shops, etc. IIRC, one trail, the High Trestle trail, generated $7million in local business last year. I'd love to get my city and county commissioners up there on a nice weekend, to show them what's happening.
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