Adventure Cycling Association

Adventure Cyclist magazine’s beloved Final Mile anthology is back on the calendar for our Winter 2027 issue! The essays in this collection are less travelogues and more about a singular experience while on a bicycle trip that captures the essence of bicycle travel, and they range from the poignant to the inspiring to the hilarious.

Final Mile essays typically run from 600- to 1,800-words and don’t require accompanying photos. Submissions are open until August 25, 2027, and note: We want to see full manuscripts for Final Mile submissions, we don’t accept based on queries.     And if you’ve already submitted a File Mile essay through our main magazine submissions form, don’t worry, we’ll accept and review those, too.

Due to the sheer volume of submissions and our small staff, Adventure Cyclist does not guarantee that you will receive a response concerning your story nor will we guarantee the return of unsolicited materials. For further and more detailed information, visit adventurecycling.org/adventure-cyclist/adventure-cyclist-submissions/

Please use this page to submit any private information, such as tax information.

Thank you for your interest in Adventure Cyclist magazine. We accept queries and manuscripts on a rolling basis year-round. However, since our very small staff is primarily focused on producing each Adventure Cyclist, we'll be reviewing them on a roughly quarterly basis. This is a time-consuming process among our many other duties, so please be patient and bear with us. Due to the volume of submissions, we won’t be able to respond to everyone.

Please make sure to thoroughly read our submissions information.

Time Frame: If a story pitch is accepted, the typical period of time until publication is approximately 12-18 months from the time of acceptance.

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Adventure Cyclist is a quarterly bicycle-travel magazine published by Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for bicyclists. Adventure Cyclist is dedicated to publishing stories about bicycle travel and other recreational cycling subjects.

Adventure Cyclist generally uses three types of stories from freelancers:

1. Feature-length stories. These should be travelogs about specific rides or reported narratives about important bicycle travel issues. Both must be accompanied by high-quality photos in terms of content, composition, and size.
2. One- to two-page (500 to 1000 word) department stories, focusing on cycling news and reader service (actionable advice, tips, recommendations, etc.)
3. The Final Mile. These are essays less about locale than about a singular experience while on a bicycle trip. These run at 1,200-1,500 words and don't require accompanying photos. Note: we do not buy Final Mile essays based on queries, we want to see the full manuscript.
   
   What we pay is negotiable, but generally ranges from $.30 to $.60 per word, depending on various factors. We buy first rights and will consider simultaneous submissions as long as we are informed of the other publications considering your manuscript.
   
   Photos: Feature submissions should be accompanied by electronic images (300 dpi is standard). Special focus and humor pieces do not require photos, but if you have something good, by all means, send it. And remember, we are always looking for stunning verticals to go on the cover. (See more about photos here). When you send us photos through Submittable, you are only allowed to upload three files, however, if you create a .zip file from your collection, this will only count as one single file. If you don't know how to create a .zip file, use the links below or simply Google it:
   
   4 Ways to Zip a File on a Mac - wikiHow
   
   4 Ways to Compress Large Files - wikiHow
   
   Adventure Cyclist staff does not guarantee that you will receive a response concerning your story nor will we guarantee the return of unsolicited materials.
   
   For further and more detailed information, visit adventurecycling.org/adventure-cyclist/adventure-cyclist-submissions/
   
     Editor-in-Chief, Nicholas Hunt
     magazine@adventurecycling.org
     Adventure Cycling Association
     150 E Pine St
     Missoula, MT 59802

Thank you for being part of the adventure cycling community.

Adventure cycling isn’t confined to one place or one kind of ride — it’s a way of moving through the world wherever cyclists dare to explore. It lives in the packed panniers of a cross-country tourist, the muddy tire tracks on a backwoods trail, the conversations shared over camp stoves, and the stories told long after the journey ends.

Whether it’s a cross-country odyssey or a quick weekend loop, your journey helps inspire the next generation of adventure cyclists and strengthens the community we’re all part of, and we’d love to hear about it.

We’re collecting stories, photos, and videos that capture the spirit of adventure cycling from your unique perspective. By sharing your story, you're helping build a stronger, more connected community.

When you submit, you give Adventure Cycling Association permission to feature your name, story, images, and/or video across our channels, including our website, social media, email, Adventure Cyclist magazine, and beyond.

This is a rolling submission process. Keep an eye out on our channels for your story to be featured!

Story Ideas:

Not sure what to share? Here are just a few themes we love to help get you started. All stories are welcome!

1. A personal story: A ride that challenged you, changed you, or helped you grow.
2. A community connection: A surprising connection, a helping hand, or the magic of meeting someone on the road.
3. A place that stuck with you: A stunning route, a favorite roadside stop, or a town you’ll never forget.
4. An inspiration or legacy: What sparked your love of adventure cycling? How do you hope your story might inspire someone else?

PHOTOS & VIDEO

• You can upload up to 10 photos (grouped into a zip file if needed).
•  Optional video submissions should be 30 seconds to 2 minutes long.
•  We love real, authentic moments — whether it’s a sweeping landscape, a muddy gear repair, or a candid snapshot of you and your crew mid-ride.
  
   Note: If you’re submitting through Submittable, you're limited to three uploaded files but a .zip file counts as one. Need help zipping files? Try these quick tutorials or Google it:
  
  4 Ways to Zip a File on a Mac - wikiHow
  
  4 Ways to Compress Large Files - wikiHow
  
  For more details, visit: adventurecycling.org/adventure-cyclist/adventure-cyclist-submissions/

Follow along and tag us on social — we love seeing your adventures in action:

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | X (formerly Twitter) | LinkedIn

This submission portal is for use by Adventure Cyclist magazine advertisers only. It is not for story inquiries, submissions, or images. 

PRINT: We only accept advertising creative in PDF or JPEG format. The file should be press-optimized, colorspace set to CMYK (not RGB), and resolution of 300 pixels per inch. Convert all spot colors to CMYK. Please include your company name in the filename. 

NEWSLETTER: Please submit newsletter ads in PNG or JPG format at 728x90 pixels. Files should be 72 dpi and RGB. Include URL with submission.

Once the file is uploaded, you will receive a confirmation email that the file is ready for download by the Adventure Cyclist team.

Thank you for your interest in Adventure Cyclist Online. We love to share bike travel. We accept pitches and stories on a rolling basis year-round, reviewing submissions quarterly. It's a time-consuming process, so please bear with us, and due to the volume of submissions, we cannot reply to every submission. 

Guidelines for Contributors & Freelancers

• Adventure Cyclist Online only publishes original content from real people doing bicycle travel.
• Photos make all the difference, so please submit high-quality photography with your submission.

Adventure Cyclist Online generally publishes the following:

Inspiring, Historical, or Amusing Stories related to bicycle travel. Click here for an example.

How-To Articles on ways to plan, navigate, pack, prepare, and handle any obstacle of a bicycle trip. Click here for an example.

Bikepacking and bike touring news and trend stories. Click here for an example. 

Trip Reports: There’s nothing like a good story of a bicycle trip of where you went, what was special about it, and how others can do it too. Click here for an example.

Bike Overnights: New to Adventure Cyclist online, we’re hankering for stories, how-tos, and trip reports specifically about shorter trips that help and inspire others to dip their toes into bicycle travel.

Photo Essays: A set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story. Please include captions with all photographs. 

No length requirements: Posts should simply be high quality and comprehensive. 

Compensation

 What we pay is negotiable, but generally ranges from $150-$250 per article, with the lower end of the scale representing what we pay first-time writers and the higher end what we pay repeat writers. We buy first rights and will consider simultaneous submissions as long as we are informed of the other publications considering your submission. We do not pay for photography separately.

Not-So-Fine Print

• We prefer a well-written and high-quality, original article.
• We prefer an article that reflects the writing style and tone of Adventure Cyclist Online.
• Include a short author bio including a maximum of 1 anchor text link to your own website.
• Include proper attribution of photos, data, quotations, and other third-party content referenced in the article.
• The Adventure Cyclist Online team reserves the right to copy-edit content as we see fit and update it in the future for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
• Adventure Cycling reserves the right to include calls-to-action to Adventure Cycling content, including but not limited to newsletters, campaigns, and downloadable content.

Send Us Your Story or Inquiry

All inquiries, text documents, and images must be sent to us through Submittable. If you don't already have an account with Submittable, you will be prompted to start one. Accounts are free and will allow you to track your submission as it makes its way through our system.  

For more information or questions about a pitch, please email Adventure Cyclist Editor-in-Chief Nick at magazine@adventurecycling.org.

Adventure Cyclist invites you to enter your most stunning photos — highlighting the beauty, adventure, and inspiration of bicycle travel — in our 18th Annual Bicycle Travel Photo Contest. By submitting, you agree to the contest's terms and conditions. 

We're looking for your most spectacular bike travel images in five categories:

• En Route: Whatever the route, wherever the location, we want to see your shots documenting active bicycle travel. Special attention paid to photos on Adventure Cycling routes.
• People/Portraits: Portraits (including self-portraits!) of bicycle travelers experiencing all the life-changing joys and struggles that come along with adventure. 
• Around Camp: All the down time of bicycle travel — typically at a campsite, but also in hotel rooms, at Warmshowers stays, or wherever you call “camp.”
• First Bike Adventure: Whether you went on your first bike trip two months ago or 20 years ago, show us your best photos from it!
• Cover Shot: Give us your very best, most compelling photos. A shot so good it could grace the cover of Adventure Cyclist magazine.
• Drop-in Rides: Your best moments from riding the TransAmerica Trail, Golden Gravel Trail, or Great Divide in 2026.

Your original images in digital format, capturing all aspects of bike travel, are eligible for the competition. For some examples of exceptional submissions, check out the winners of the 13th Annual Bicycle Travel Photo Contest.

The contest is open to ALL photographers at least 18 years of age WITH U.S.-BANK ACCOUNTS. The winner of each category will receive $300 cash. Both winners and honorable mentions will receive free one-year Classic Adventure Cyclist membership with Adventure Cycling. Chosen images will be printed in Adventure Cyclist magazine. The images will also be featured on adventurecycling.org, which is visited by more than a million people annually.  

The contest opens January 1, 2026, and closes December 31, 2026, at 11:59pm Mountain Time. Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality, responsiveness to the prompt, and overall impact. You may submit up to 5 photographs per category for a contest total of 25 submissions. You'll need to complete the form for each photo submitted. In order to be printed in Adventure Cyclist without being stretched or distorted, contestants must submit photographs in .jpeg or .jpg format, at least 4,000 pixels wide, and no smaller than 8 MB.

Position: GIS Route Developer

Reports to: Director of Routes

Location: Missoula, MT or Remote (U.S.)

Start Date: January 4, 2027

Salary: $55,000-$60,000 (depends on experience)

Position Overview:

Adventure Cycling seeks a detail-oriented, digitally minded GIS Route Developer to develop routes for the Adventure Cycling Route Network (ACRN) on our Ride with GPS (RWGPS) Experiences digital navigation platform. This role is focused on getting high-quality, navigable routes into riders’ hands.

You will begin your time here by drawing on a significant library of existing route opportunities, turning them into published ACRN routes that best serve our member base, working digital-first in GIS and our route geodatabase rather than in traditional print cartography.

The ideal candidate pairs strong GIS and data skills with real-world bike travel experience and geographic knowledge, so they can judge rider safety, road conditions, and the best routing choices. They are comfortable writing clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), troubleshooting data problems, and working with route partners and researchers to get routes right.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

ACRN Route Development and Release

• Turn existing route opportunities into ACRN routes published on the RWGPS Experiences platform
• Coordinate route releases to ensure a well-planned flow of new route content
• Prioritize the route development backlog based on member demand, route readiness, and program goals
• Prepare route data, cues, points of interest, and services information so routes are accurate and easy to navigate
• Update and maintain previously published routes as conditions, services, and detours change

GIS & Geodatabase Management

• Build, edit, and quality-check route geometry and attribute data in GIS
• Troubleshoot data errors, sync issues, and export problems between the geodatabase and RWGPS
• Write or adapt scripts and tools (for example, Python, SQL, or ArcPy) to automate repetitive route development and QA tasks

Route Quality, Safety & Rider Experience

• Apply bike travel and geographic experience to evaluate traffic, shoulders, surface, grades, and services along each route
• Choose the safest and best routing options, and flag segments that need field verification or rerouting
• Triage member route feedback (Route Intel) and turn valid reports into route corrections

Partnerships & Stakeholder Coordination

• Manage relationships with route organizations, local partners, and route researchers as needed
• Coordinate with researchers and volunteers to gather, verify, and update on-the-ground route information
• Collaborate with the routes team on route content, narrative, and the Route Rating System so published routes stay consistent

SOPs & Operations

• Document and continually improve SOPs for the ACRN route development and publishing workflow
• Track progress, backlog, and release metrics, and report them to the routes team
• Keep process documentation current so others on the team can step in and support the work
• Share in management of ACA cartography email and field customer service needs from members and route users

Qualifications & Skills:

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

• Hands-on experience with GIS software (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, or similar) for editing, analyzing, and managing linear or route data
• Experience working with spatial databases or geodatabases, including attribute management and data quality control
• Familiarity with digital navigation and route-planning platforms such as Ride with GPS, Strava, Komoot, or Garmin Connect
• Personal bike travel or bike touring experience, with the judgment to assess route safety and rideability
• Strong organization and project management skills, with a track record of hitting recurring deadlines
• Coding and technical troubleshooting for geodatabases is a huge plus. This includes scripting in Python, ArcPy, or SQL, and diagnosing data, schema, and sync issues
• Clear written communication, including the ability to write step-by-step documentation and SOPs
• Ability to work independently and manage relationships with external partners

DESIRED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience with GPX, KML, GeoJSON, and other route and spatial file formats and conversions
• Knowledge of the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) and Adventure Cycling’s route network
• Experience with data pipelines, APIs, or automating GIS workflows
• Experience collecting and processing user feedback or crowdsourced data
• Experience working with diverse communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other groups underrepresented in cycling
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop)

About Adventure Cycling:

As the largest nonprofit cycling organization in the country, Adventure Cycling has an impactful voice in policies and programs that advance the safety and accessibility of cycling. Adventure Cycling serves through its members and the bike travel community. Our cycling community encourages and supports countless cyclists each year as they explore the beauty and history of America while tending to their mental and physical well-being. For nearly half a century, Adventure Cycling has created life-changing experiences that deepen appreciation for our country’s diverse cultures, communities, landscapes, and people. Adventure Cycling headquarters are based in Missoula, MT, and we acknowledge and honor the Indigenous peoples who consider this land their home. The area’s natural abundance was stewarded by many peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone, Cheyenne, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreilles, and Salish for millennia before colonization, and continues to be to this day.

Physical Requirements:

This is a primarily computer-based role requiring extended periods of screen work. Elements of job duties may require occasional moving of up to 15 pounds and the ability to occasionally stoop, kneel, or crouch. Optional field verification of routes may involve cycling or driving. Candidates not able to meet such demands can work with staff or others to accommodate.

Compensation, Schedule and Benefits:

This is a full-time, exempt position (average 40 hrs/week). Schedule varies by supervisor, but is generally M-F, 8am-5pm Mountain Time. Benefits include paid time off, holidays, an additional fully paid one-week bike vacation (a.k.a. “bike respite”), medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and retirement plan. Adventure Cycling Association is an equal opportunity employer.

How to Apply:

Submit your resume and cover letter through Submittable. In your cover letter, please share your GIS experience, any coding or database troubleshooting work, and your bike travel background. Work samples such as maps, scripts, or published routes are welcome. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with interviews scheduled to begin late mid-late November.