Adventure Cycling Association

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.

Congratulations on making it to this page!

If you are reading this, you are highly interested in becoming an Adventure Cycling Association tour leader. 

We are currently fully staffed for 2026 and are looking ahead towards 2027. After assessing our needs, we will be prioritizing applications from folks who are interested in leading Epic-length Tours down the line (though we will consider folks interested in any length tour for someone who is the right fit).

While not required, we highly recommend having prior experience with:

• Adventure Cycling's guided tours & our unique philosophy
• Familiarity with using Ride w/ GPS and/or editing Ride w/ GPS maps
• Prior experience leading guided trips or group in other capacities
• Fostering positive group dynamics
• Managing complex logistics, finances, and overall day-to-day tasks while on tour
• Knowledge of basic bike maintenance (though full bike mechanic status is not required)

Leading a guided tour is not for the faint of heart but can be incredibly fun AND rewarding. While our leaders are no longer responsible for making all of the overnight reservations on our tours (yes, that used to be a thing!), there is still a manageable amount of pre-tour participant communications & tasks that leaders are expected to help with. 

If you haven't already taken a deep dive into our Guided Tours section of the Adventure Cycling website, we advise that you do so BEFORE filling out an application. Check it out HERE

Application Process Steps:

1. Submit an application here on submittable

2. The application for 2027 will be open from 6/6-7/7/26 and reviewed on a rolling basis. We strongly recommend applying early to get on our radar quickly.

3. We will reach out to folks we feel have the potential to be good additions to our beloved leader community over the course of June & July for interviews. 

4. Successful applicants will be invited to a training tour currently slated for mid August in Montana (more information coming soon)

****Please note: Due to the number of applications we tend to receive (which we feel so fortunate about!), we will only be reaching out to folks we wish to interview for our limited number of 2027 new leader slots. We DO keep a shortlist of folks to interview on a rolling basis as needs shift though so don't hesitate to apply.*****

We look forward to hearing from you and are glad you are a part of this community!