One of the longest and hardest bike routes in the United States, the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, brings hundreds of cyclists from all over the world through Eastern Kentucky each year.
The trail was established in 1973 as an event for the nation’s 200th birthday. That year more than 4,000 cyclists inaugurated the trail, celebrating the “Bikecentennial.”
Cutting straight through the middle of the country, the trail extends 4,228 miles and takes about two to three months to complete. Many cyclists stay in local hotels, buy local food and visit small businesses, boosting tourism in Eastern Kentucky communities.
Pike County native Jerrica Taylor opened RFG Society, a coffee shop in Elkhorn City, in April 2019. Through social media and blogging, the shop has become popular with cyclists, and with kayakers who visit Russel Fork River in Breaks Interstate Park.
Taylor said Elkhorn City is focusing on outdoor tourism, like the bicycle route, to bring in more visitors to the small town. She put up a sign outside her business welcoming cyclists to her shop.
Many homes and business host cyclists during their journey. In Perry County, many locals created listings on Warm Showers, a website offering places to camp, sleep or – simply – shower. Many cyclists use the site to plan their trips.
Mae Humiston is one of those Perry County residents who hosts cyclists annually.
“I first discovered Hazard was on the TransAmerica Bike Trail in 2015 when I ran into two women in biking gear who looked a little lost on Main Street. They were from Norway and ended up taking a rest day in Hazard to do some shopping and go to our Thursdays on the Triangle festival,” Humiston said.
Since she met the two Norwegians, Humiston has hosted more than 30 cyclists from all over the world, including a German rocket scientist, a former National Geographic photo producer, deaf cyclists, cyclists just graduated from high school, and even someone from her own hometown.
“The best part of hosting these cyclists is hearing their stories and giving them new stories to take out into the world with them. I love the idea of these cyclists serving as ambassadors for our region; when they have a good experience in our small town, they’ll go tell other people about it and maybe they’ll even come back some day to visit,” Humiston said.
Another popular road cycling route in Eastern Kentucky is U.S. Bicycle Route 21, which follows much of the Boone Trace trail, an historic trail established by Daniel Boone in 1775. It winds through Bell County, extending through London, Livingston, and up through Richmond to end in Maysville.
With multiple connected bike routes outside of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, Kentucky now as a total of 856 miles of bicycle routes, ranking in the top five states with the most miles on the U.S. Bicycle Route System, which maps connected bicycle-friendly roads. Kentucky’s routes are designed around low-traffic roads to make the journey safer and more scenic.
Eastern Kentucky’s cycling options don’t stop on the pavement. There are several groups working to build or maintain mountain biking trails, such as the Sugarcamp Mountain Bike Trails near Prestonsburg with more than 18 miles of trails. There are also groups, such as Wild Rides, working to better highlight scenic motorcycle routes in the region.
Trails of all kinds are important assets to Eastern Kentucky. They help increase tourism from visitors, but also make our communities friendlier to all travelers on two wheels. These trails are taking stories of Appalachia’s New Day across the region – and clear across the country.
About: This is story #45 in the Appalachia’s New Day campaign, a new storytelling effort launched in June 2019 by MACED for Eastern Kentucky communities. We can work with you to help identify, shape and amplify stories about businesses, programs and initiatives in your community that are helping build a new economy. Read more stories here. Contact us or sign up here if you would like more details.
