Up the Road: A Golden Anniversary

 You know, one of the more lastingly popular posts here remains the "Bud's on the Bikecentennial in 1976," with photo by Dan Burden and additional explanatory commentary by then-mechanic John Sutton. A little more than three years from now, the people who rode the Bikecentennial will look back on that year with the realization that fifty years have passed. A lot has been written about Bikecentennial over the years - the Adventure Cycling Association has done much of it, but even more, participants have documented their memories and shared their photos, others have written books about their experience. There is at least one Facebook community page, and who knows how many reunions there have been, both big and small.

I was curious about the photographer, Dan Burden, and was kind of awed to find that he has followed up his time during Bikecentennial by becoming an outspoken proponent of urban design based upon principles that our cities should be easily walkable and bikeable. Burden has served as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator with Florida DoT, and as Director of Inspiration and Innovation with Blue Zones. During the Obama administration, the White House honored Burden's commitment and energy by awarding him a Champion of Change.

I imagine we will continue to see more written and shared ahead of the golden anniversary, and perhaps some people marking it, as well as a certain semiquincentennial, by recreating their rides of fifty years earlier.