The following vision statement has guided this planning effort, and should continue to guide facility and design improvements that encourage the North Country's transformation into a bicycle friendly area and a premier bicycle tourism destination:
The goal for this bicycle planning effort is to guide the development of the Scenic Byway System facilities, services, and promotional materials necessary for developing a premier bicycling area in the Adirondack North Country Region. In the process of achieving this goal, bicycling should be encouraged as a safe and healthy form of transportation for those who reside in the region.
VI. BICYCLING IN THE ADIRONDACK NORTH COUNTRY --
The Adirondack North Country Region Bicycle Master Plan research found that bicycle planning is occurring at a number of locations throughout the region. After examining those ongoing local efforts, and considering the bicycle plan survey findings in relation to national bicycling trends, the study team concluded that the major findings and recommendations are best organized under four major bicycle planning objectives. The four objectives are based on state and national bicycle planning efforts, as well as on contemporary tourism research, that have been tailored specifically to the characteristics of the rural Adirondack North Country Region.
The four bicycle planning objectives are as follows:
1. The coordinated planning and development of regional bicycle routes and a regional map, featuring the existing Adirondack North Country Scenic Byway routes.
2. The development of safe and accessible bicycle routes, trails, and facilities within all communities throughout the region.
3. An increase in cooperative sub-regional bicycle planning, promotion, and mapping, including public, private, and international collaborative efforts that focus on the scenic byways.
4. To maximize the economic benefits of bicycle tourism in local and regional economies through the creation of an appropriate economic climate and an increase in bicycle business activity.
The following discussion of findings under each of the four major bicycle planning objectives, and subsequent Byway, county, regional state, and international findings, comprise the strategic analysis of this planning effort. The strategic analysis presents key evidence, information, and data that form the basis for the bicycle plan recommendations, presented in the next chapter (Chapter VII); recommendations to make the region's communities more bicycle friendly and for positioning the region as a premier bicycle area.
1. The coordinated planning and development of regional bicycle routes and a regional map, featuring the existing Adirondack North Country Scenic Byway routes.
The coordinated planning and development of regional bicycle routes, facilities, and maps will result in continuous bicycle routes and signage that guide the bicyclists from one destination to another. By coordinating routes, maintenance, repair, and mapping, each county can participate in the continuity of routes, while ensuring that the routes through their area provide bicyclists the best the county has to offer. In addition, coordination results in cost savings to local tax payers.
Major findings include the following:
Bicycling is one of the most popular recreation activities, and participation is growing, due in large part to the popularity of mountain bikes.
Only about one-half of the region's 14 counties are actively working towards designating county-wide bicycle route systems; and very few counties are actively coordinating their bicycle route systems with adjacent counties.
Bicycle maps are a major, positive influence on a bicyclist's decision to try a new area for bicycling, however, there presently appear to be no county-wide bicycle touring maps within the region and only two counties (i.e., Lewis and Saratoga) are currently in the process of developing county-wide bicycle touring maps.
The last regional bicycle map was completed in 1979, showed only the Adirondack Park area of the region, and it went out of print after only one printing due to lack of funding, not a lack of interest by bicyclists.
2.The development of safe and accessible bicycle routes, trails, and facilities within all communities throughout the region.
The second Adirondack North Country Region bicycle planning objective emphasizes the goals of reducing bicyclist accidents and providing for an environment that is safe for users of all abilities. A major focus is on improving the availability, directness, and convenience of bicyclist access to all major destinations, including libraries, schools, other public buildings, shopping areas, and work sites.
Major findings in the ANCA Bicycle Master Plan pertaining to this objective include the following:
Increased bicycling and walking relieves traffic congestion, reduces air pollution, and saves money for both communities and households.
A Louis Harris poll taken in 1992, found that 72% of all Americans want bicycling, walking, and running to be an integral part of their area's transportation system.
Bicycling is one of the most efficient forms of transportation, and is a physical activity that builds muscular strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.
Just as good roads and ample parking encourage automobile use, safe bicycle routes and adequate bicycle parking will lead to increased bicycle use.
Bicycle facility standards (e.g., for shoulders, lanes, trails) are now established at the national level and can be used by local highway officials and others in developing safe, bicycle friendly roads and streets throughout the region.
Bicycle safety training in the region is primarily a self-initiated effort at the local, community level; usually a cooperative effort between local police departments, schools, community service organizations, and local businesses.
Police patrolling by bicycle is a relatively new movement, but one that is quickly gaining momentum. "Cops on Bikes" is shown to be an excellent form of public relations, provides increased positive contact between youth and police, and provides a positive role model for adults who may not otherwise recognize bicycling as an alternative form of transportation.
There is a national goal that 16% of all shopping and commuting trips be done by bicycle or walking, double the current rate of 8%.
Simultaneously, the national goal is to reduce by ten percent the number of bicyclists and pedestrians killed or injured in traffic crashes, currently averaging 15% of all traffic accidents.
3.An increase in cooperative sub-regional bicycle planning, promotion, and mapping, including public, private, and international collaborative efforts that focus on the scenic byways.
Specific areas of the region can enhance the benefit of regional bicycle promotion to their area by engaging in cooperative bicycle planning, promotion, and mapping. A regional mapping and promotion effort is limited in the amount of detail it can provide the prospective visitor. Sub-regional efforts, on the other hand, can convey the unique attributes, special attractions, and various bicycle services awaiting the visitor. Since these characteristics are not confined by political boundaries, innovative approaches need to be explored that allow promotional efforts to cross county, state, and national boundaries.
Collaborative planning and promotion of bicycling in the region refers to a joint decision making approach where power is shared and the parties involved take collective responsibility for their actions. In the Adirondack North Country Region, the participants in the process would include officials from ANCA, NYSDOT, NYSDEC, the APA, NYSOPRHP, ORDA, and other state agencies; state and regional tourism promoters; local highway officials; bicycle shops and clubs; local business people; and interested citizens.
Major findings include the following:
When bicyclists were asked why their most enjoyable bicycle trip was so enjoyable, the top three reasons were scenery, traffic, and roads. The Adirondack North Country Region is highly associated with beautiful scenery, and low traffic volume roads are available throughout the region. The quality of roads (e.g., pavement, shoulders, debris) is the one major influence on bicycling enjoyment that has significant room for improvement in the region, however, improvements can only be made through cooperative efforts with local highway departments.
Cooperative ventures between the region's northern counties and the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario are occurring with more regularity. The Lake Champlain Bikeways mapping effort, and the Cycle Rideau Lanark bicycling map are two recent examples. There appear to be many additional opportunities in cross-border bicycling promotion.
Collaborative planning and promotion, based on public and private sector cooperation, is being successfully applied in other parts of the country. One example occurring in the North Country is the public and private partnership to promote mountain biking at Mount Van Hoevenberg, the NYS Olympic facility.
NYSDEC and other state agencies annually publish numerous brochures that describe the camping, hiking, and boating opportunities in the region. At present, there appears to be little collaboration with the local businesses operating in the areas being promoted. Bicycling provides an ideal opportunity to test collaborative promotion and education efforts.
The New York canal system recreation path project provides opportunities for joint marketing and mapping between counties in southern part of the region and along the shared border with Vermont.
The Seaway Trail Bicycle Route is a prime example of how multi-county, sub-regional areas can be successfully promoted.
4.To maximize the economic benefits of bicycle tourism in local and regional economies through the creation of an appropriate economic climate and an increase in bicycle business activity.
A goal of this planning effort is to maximize economic return to the area, while preserving natural resources and preventing over-use or conflicting use. The goal of maximizing the economic benefit of bicycling to local businesses is inherent in the previous themes. Through ANCA's efforts, state and federal funds have been applied to this regional bicycle planning effort. For the plan to be successfully implemented, it is crucial that the private business sector, state agencies, and others become involved in bicycle planning, development, and promotion.
Major findings include the following:
A review of studies from around the country on the economic impacts of bicycling found that users of bicycle trail systems from out of state spend an average of $100 a day or more while in the area.
Results of surveys carried out for this planning effort show that there is a vital interest in the Adirondacks as a bicycling destination from both the lodging industry and bicyclists.
According to the bicyclist survey results, bicyclists are almost unanimous in perceiving the region as an area of beautiful scenery, lakes, mountains, small towns, and quiet roads. These attributes coincide very closely with the type of bicycling experience bicyclists are looking for.
Few of the bicyclists perceive the region as too mountainous for bicycling, however, that may not be the case among the general population and more novice bicyclists.
The bicyclists surveyed for this project prefer a variable terrain, or even a challenging terrain, rather than flat road bicycling as might be expected. This preference puts the region at a distinct competitive advantage over many other areas of the country.
Those traveling to the Adirondack North Country region are traveling in groups averaging 5 to 13 people, spend an average of $45.00 per person/ per day, and stay an average of five days.
Additional findings from the bicyclist survey effort include:
Bicyclists on average prefer rides of 30 to 40 miles in length.
Maps are one of the key influences on a bicyclist's decision to visit a new area.
Average household income of bicyclists is in the $60,000 to $70,000 range.
The average bicyclist is 45 years old.
Although 41% of the lodging owners reported requests from guests about where to rent bicycles, at least one-third of the lodging owners were not sure where bicycle rentals were available. Another third responded that the closest bicycle rentals were more than 5 miles away.
According to the lodging survey, September, June, and May are the preferred months for bicycle promotion, while the bicyclist survey found that July, August, September, and June are the preferred months for bicycling. The "shoulder" months of June and September thus would seem to have potential for enhancing he economic impact of bicycling on local economy.
Events serve as magnets for bicyclists. Many different kinds of events are enjoyed: races, tours, benefits, fund raisers, etc. Along with having immediate economic benefit to local economies, events often draw people to an area for the first time; and if left with a good impression, they plan to return.
Vermont has a competitive advantage in being recognized as the bicycle touring area in the Northeast. The Adirondack North Country region is beginning to be recognized as having good bicycling, however achieving bicycling name-recognition on par with Vermont is the challenge in establishing the North Country as a premier bicycle destination. As pointed out by respondents to the bicyclist survey, there is a lack of informative articles and promotional efforts for bicycling in the North Country region, there is a perceived lack of bicycle maps and services, and the quality of the roads is questionable.
Anecdotally, there is a high degree of mis-understanding about the status of mountain biking in the Adirondack Park portion of the region. The misconception that mountain biking is off limits, or illegal, throughout the region is detrimental to bicycle promotion efforts.
In Vermont, where bicycle touring companies are well established, the economic impact of bicycling appears to be higher than average. Bicycle touring companies seem to influence a greater economic impact from bicycling through equipment rentals and sales, retaining bicyclists in the area, and by making recommendations on local lodging, stores, and other expenditure items.
Bicycle touring companies are big business: a Vermont bicycling touring company sold for $1 million in 1986, another sold for a reported $3 million in 1987.
New York State Agency Findings
New York State Agency Bicycle Strengths
NYSDOT has a pro-active Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager who is well informed on state and federal bicycle/pedestrian activities.
Bicycle/Pedestrian coordinators have been established in all 11 NYSDOT regions. The regional NYSDOT bicycle/pedestrian coordinators are enthusiastic about their work and dedicated to promoting bicycling and walking in the region.
Six foot shoulders on all State highways is the goal throughout the region.
NYSDOT hosted the first Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Conference in Albany on October 6-7, 1994.
Now that Bike Route 5 has been established (as of 6/11/94) as a signed, on-road bike route from Albany to Buffalo, additional routes are being planned that will pass through for the Adirondack North Country Region, including a route from New York City to Montreal.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) is developing a New York State Trails plan. A number of trails in the North Country region are highlighted in the plan that are either bicycle routes, or that are appropriate for bicycling: Garnet Hill Trail System, Historic Boquet River Bike Trails, Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Trail System, Old Forge Snowmobile Trail System, Otter Creek Horse Trail System, Seaway Valley Recreationway, Salmon River Corridor Trail, Saratoga Springs Nature Trail, Tour de Tug Bicycle Touring Route, and the Tug Hill Tourathon Cross-Country Ski and Mountain Bike Trail System.
The Open Space Plan for New York State, undertaken jointly by NYSOPRHP and NYSDEC, identifies a few trails that have special significance for their recreation value as well as their economic, wildlife, wetland, and viewshed value. Trails included in this category having special significance for bicycling are the Canal Way Trail System and Barge Canal Recreationway, passing through six of the 14 North Country counties, and the Remsen-Lake Placid Railroad Trail Corridor, passing through five North Country counties.
Canal Way Trail System and Barge Canal Recreationway: Governor Mario Cuomo commemorated National Trails Day on June 4, 1993, by unveiling plans for the New York State Canal Corporation to develop the Canal Way Trail System, a four canal network of 524 miles in 25 counties, with extensions into the Hudson River Waterway Trail and canal systems in the Canadian Provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The Erie-Barge Canal segment of the Canal Way Trail is a 363-mile land and water connection between Albany and Buffalo and will be the longest multi-purpose transportation and recreation trail of this nature in the United States. The trail system is a major element of the Statewide Canal Recreationway Plan that is under development by the Canal Recreationway Commission. Both the Commission and the Canal Corporation are subsidiaries of the New York State Thruway Authority that is charged with the development of the canal system into a world-class recreationway and a regional economic resource. Initial funding of the project derives from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency act (ISTEA) administered by the Federal Highway Administration and the NYS Department of Transportation.
The other segments of the Canal Trail Way are the 62-mile Champlain Canal, Oswego Canal, and Cayuga-Seneca Canal. The Canal Recreationway has been recognized for its recreational and cultural potential for boating, biking, hiking, snowmobiling and other trailway pursuits, and includes canal parks located at eight locks on the Erie Canal and one on the Champlain Canal (Cobb 1994:8). Bicycling will be a primary activity on many of the canal trails; North Country counties benefiting directly include: Washington, Warren, Saratoga, Herkimer, Oneida, and Oswego Counties.
NYSDEC has begun the Adirondack Forest Preserve Public Use and Information Plan, an ongoing effort to enhance the use and understanding of the Forest, while protecting the character and quality of the resources. The GIS mapping effort being carried out as part of that project may benefit ongoing regional and sub-regional bicycle mapping efforts.
The Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths is beginning an Adirondack Park sub-regional mapping project. The project will result in a series of maps, each focusing on a specific area within the Adirondack Park and featuring the recreational activities available there, such as bicycling.
The New York State Departments of Transportation and of Health are beginning to cooperate on bicycle safety related programs.
New York State Agency Bicycle Opportunities and Constraints
Bicycle Opportunities
A number of state-wide initiatives aimed specifically at developing signed bicycle routes across the state are in the planning stages, including:
The New York City Regional Greenway System and Long Island Bikeway Plan.
The Hudson Valley Greenway from New York City to the Capital District, with a northerly extension to the Plattsburgh area & Canadian border.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Trail along the Great Lakes through the Niagara Frontier Region.
The Southern Tier Corridor from the Hudson Greenway to the Jamestown area parallel to the NY 17 corridor.
The Watertown to Binghamton corridor along or parallel to US11.
The Genesee Valley from Rochester south to Allegheny County.
The first statewide bicycle and pedestrian conference, October 6-7, 1994, in Albany, featured many of the significant projects and programs being developed throughout the state.
The NYSDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager is working with AMTRAK and commercial bus companies to move quickly towards accommodating travelers with bicycles. Successes along these lines elsewhere in the state, such as Queens Surface Transit's Bike-on-Bus program, and accommodating bicyclists on the Long Island Railroad and Metro North Commuter Railroad, should help move public transportation in the North Country towards being bicycle friendly.
The Champlain, Erie, and Oswego Canal Trails are under construction and will provide significant bicycle opportunities and will provide off-highway links to bicycle routes in their vicinity.
Canal path program, Hudson River Greenways program, and other local Rails-to-Trails efforts are significantly improving the bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure. Potential exists for additional local initiatives to develop bicycle routes, as well as additional bicycle paths that link into these major state-wide and regional efforts.
The renewed interest in bicycling that is resulting from the popularity of mountain bikes is creating new tourism and business opportunities. Promotion at the state level could result in increased bicycle tourism in the Region.
Lack of centralized New York State tourist information on bicycling maps, locations, events, etc.
Lack of up-to-date state or regional bicycle maps.
The NYSDOT regional bicycle/pedestrian programs appear to be under-staffed, with personnel given bicycle/pedestrian duties along with their regular duties. One NYSDOT regional coordinator reports being able to spend only about 10% of work time on bicycle/pedestrian activities.
There is a need to overcome past difficulties in cooperative state and local highway planning efforts. Past problems have led to the perception that the NYSDOT does not communicate well with local highway departments.
Until passage of the ISTEA legislation in 1991, bicycle and pedestrian concerns did not carry much weight in transportation planning at the state level, and even less so at the county and local levels. Now that is changing rapidly at the state level, however, bicycle/pedestrian planning is a slow, trickle-down process at the local level. Since a portion of the bicycle routes recommended on the North Country Regional Bicycle Map are on local roads, bicycle/pedestrian program support is needed at the local level before the recommendations in this report can be successfully implemented.
Lack of coordinated planning for a New York GIS database system is hindering the development of promotional mapping efforts. Different state agencies are using different GIS computer programs, and by not freely sharing data, are duplicating efforts. Accuracy of data is also a problem when agencies are unable to cross-check mapped information.
The Adirondack North Country Region
Adirondack North Country Region Bicycle Strengths
The region has current recognition as a popular tourist destination, with a reputation for clean lakes, scenic mountain views, a rural atmosphere, and small communities.
The region already has established Scenic Byways, the Adirondack North Country Scenic Byway System, a network of automobile trails that can be easily adapted to bicycle touring routes.
NYSDOT's designation of bicycle routes through the region and associated efforts to provide wide shoulders and route signage on those routes is establishing the state highway routes as bicycle friendly facilities.
The existence of close to 60 bicycle shops in the region, and a number of active bicycle clubs both in and near the region, help provide the grass-roots support necessary for developing a premier bicycle area. Shop owners and club members are advocates for bicycling and often donate their time to promoting bicycling, evaluating routes, and staging events. In addition, bicycle shops offer the repair and equipment support necessary in developing the image of a premier bicycling region.
Adirondack North Country Region Bicycle Opportunities and Constraints
Bicycle Opportunities
The increasing availability and use of computers and GIS technology will allow tourism groups to better communicate with each other and share information. The opportunity depends on information being compiled in compatible formats and in the willingness to share information. The tourist inquiring on bicycle routes at the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, for example, should be able to find out about bicycle routes continuing into Franklin County, Vermont, and Quebec. That type of regional information is compiled and displayed in this master plan and map.
Organizations currently creating tourism-related databases include the Adirondack Museum and the Adirondack Visitors Information Center at Paul Smiths. Organizations should work together to develop a standard format for organizing and transferring information, such as events lists, maps, business lists, and mailing lists. The next logical steps beyond comprehensive, shared databases are more extensive use of regional 1-800 information lines, interactive computer kiosks, and using computer GIS technology in better serving the visitor.
There is great opportunity in coordinating bicycle route development and promotion with snow mobile trail development efforts. The Bureau of Marine and Recreation Vehicles in the NY State Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation is currently in the process of developing a state-wide snow mobile trails map. The Bureau is planning to put all the information in a GIS system and complete the project by the end of 1994. This map and digital information are useful to bicycle planning and promotion because some snow mobile trails can become bicycle trails in the summer. Oswego County is an example of bicycle planning and snowmobile trail groups working together to develop a comprehensive trail system in the county.
The Adirondack North Country Association Bicycle Master Plan and Map, covering the entire 14 county North Country Region is the first regional bicycle planning and mapping effort. The working map will be a significant visual aid in developing a regional bicycle route system linking all 14 counties.
The Seaway Trail Bicycle Route map and promotion set the standard for bicycle maps and brochures in that part of the region. Seaway Trail promotional materials may undergo revisions in the next year or two, so organizations developing routes near the Seaway Trail need to keep in contact with that group.
A few local organizations, including the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society (ARPS) and ANCA, are pursuing the development of tourist excursion and passenger rail service along the Remsen-Lake Placid Railroad Trail Corridor, in the Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake area. In addition, the plans for the rail line include upgrading the entire length of the Remsen-Lake Placid corridor so that rolling stock can be moved from one end to the other.
An additional benefit to bicyclists would be the opportunity to ride the excursion trains with their bicycles in one direction, then bicycle back to their point of departure. At the state level, the corridor's continued use as a multi-purpose recreation trail system, of use for bicycling, hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling, is supported by DEC's plans to "purse the maximum degree of recreational trail development on the corridor which would be compatible with rail uses and harmonious with the environment" (Cobb 1994:9).
The Lake Champlain Bikeways map is under development and a few promotion rides occurred in 1994, one being an international ride into Quebec and back. Begun in the fall of 1993, the goal for this effort is to designate a bicycle route around Lake Champlain. On the New York side of the Lake, the effort will link bike routes in Washington, Warren, Essex, and Clinton counties. Significant inter-regional links with Vermont, Quebec, and south along the Hudson River.
A variety of county-level bicycle facility, mapping, and promotion projects are occurring in the region, highlighted in the County and Scenic Byway Findings (beginning on the next page).
Bicycle Constraints
A regional bicycle map is currently lacking.
A limited number of sub-regional bicycle maps are available, with only Warren, Essex, Franklin, and Herkimer counties having any type of published bicycle maps. Lewis County and Saratoga County have maps in progress that will be the only county-wide bicycle touring maps in the region.
There is a paucity of inter-county cooperative marketing efforts. Significantly, many of the prime bicycle routes and loops in the North Country region involve two or more counties. Lake Champlain Bikeways, Great Sacandaga Lake bicycle routes, Seaway Trails, and the bicycle route linking Lake Champlain to the Seaway Trails are all inter-county bicycle routes. Mapping, promotion, and maintenance of many of the bicycle routes will involve cooperative inter-county efforts.
A past reluctance among county and local highway departments to exchange information and engage in cooperative efforts. Such a lack of communication and cooperation results in a duplication of effort, limits effectiveness of bicycle/pedestrian programs, and potentially results in less effective use of tax payer money.
There is a relative lack of experience in cooperative Canadian - North Country Region tourism marketing. The willingness is there among many individuals and organizations on both sides of the border, but successful, ongoing efforts are rare. One map completed in 1994 is the 1000 Islands regional map, showing equal portions of Canada and Northern New York. Bicycle tourism promotion could proceed more smoothly because of two regional efforts that have created communication links over the border: the Lake Champlain Bikeway Program, and the Seaway Trails regional bicycle promotion efforts. Any promotional or tourist map that has the border at the top, or the bottom of the map, is ignoring the growing interest in cross-border tourism. The same is true for materials that fail to include both French and English text.
Some bicycle promotions within the region have not been cooperative efforts with local bicycle businesses. Successful marketing is targeted marketing, and bicycle shop owners know their market. Successful bicycle promotion efforts often draw on the expertise and experience of bicycle shop owners because bicycle shop owners know the trails and routes, and know what bicyclists are looking for. Significantly, shop owners also know which trails are inappropriate for bicycling, such as popular horseback riding trails. Some bicycling promotions have lead to confusion and disappointment among visitors because the promoters were too hasty in designating routes and trails that are not appropriate, or actually unavailable for bicycling. The burden of then explaining the problems to local visitors has then fallen on who: the bicycle shop owner.
Many county tourism organizations and chambers of commerce are just entering the digital age, with some just now getting computers and learning to use them, while others have not yet made the leap. Some areas in the Region have comprehensive lists of lodging businesses -- accommodation directories -- however, they often seem to reside exclusively in a publishing software format that is unusable by standard spreadsheet and database programs. This limits the exchange of information, as was discovered during this project when computer databases from two accommodations listings could not be read by computer. It is a disservice to the lodging owners not to use computer software that can easily be shared among interested parties. As stated elsewhere in these recommendations, sharing information is putting it to work. Through sharing, a B&B or campground could show up on many accommodation listings, rather than just one.
The survey of bicyclists revealed that many are unaware of what the region has to offer to the visitor. For example, many bicyclists did not associate the region with good roads, an interesting history, good weather, fair prices, and friendly people. With the possible exception of the weather, the perceptions are inaccurate, yet will persist until directly addressed in descriptive and promotional materials. Surprisingly, most bicyclists surveyed for this project did not think of the region as too mountainous for bicycling, however, that may be a lingering perception among other bicyclists who have not yet visited the region.