January 23, 2025
Dear Dr. Bicycle
The history of the Bikecentennial goes back to the year 1973 when Greg Siple, June Siple, Dan Burden, and Lyn Burden first began planning for a transcontinental ride to celebrate America’s bicentennial in 1976. During the years leading up to the coordinated ride, the organizers sought to bring these plans to the wider public.
One of the earliest mentions of the Bikecentennial in newspapers appeared in a column, Dear Dr. Bicycle, published in the Washington Post on December 16, 1973. A reader in Sherman Oaks, California, asked: “It’s about 1976. How about a bike ride to celebrate America’s 200th birthday?” The reader suggested a “freedom cycle to show our pride in the United States of America and the role the two-wheeler has played in her glorious history.” Dr. Bike responded: “I’ve heard of no plans for a ‘freedom cycle,’ but a so-called ‘BikeCentennial’ is now on the drawing board. Promoters are designing the nation’s first transcontinental bike trail for the summer of 1976. Bike enthusiasts from all parts of the world will be invited. The tour will run for 76 days and cyclists will be encouraged to join from anywhere along the coast-to-coast route.”
Published more than two years before the Bikecentennial began in June 1976, this column offers a pretty good prediction of what would happen. The projected time, 76 days, about two and half months, was probably faster than most cyclists took to complete the full route, given the need to build rest days into the trip. Rather than running for a set period of time, cyclists departed at various times through the spring and summer, so the Bikecentennial lasted more than the time predicted here. While cyclists did join in various stages of the ride, the emphasis was coordinating trips for those who planned to ride the whole distance. As Dr. Bike predicted, “bike enthusiasts from all parts of the world” did participate, as evidenced by the very international composition of Bikecenntennial rides in 1976.
This article from December 1973 provides perspective on the work needed to make the Bikecentennial successful while also suggesting ways to make similar plans for the semiquincentennial in 2026. Cycling was popular in the 1970s, and it’s even more popular now. This project looks forward to finding ways to connect commemoration of the Bikecentennial in 1976 with cycling celebrations in the years ahead.
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