Bicycle tourism presentation held at community center

Bicycle tourism was the main topic during a community presentation held Monday evening at the Cheyenne County Community Center in Sidney as a consultant with the Nebraska Tourism Commission discussed ways Sidney could make the city more friendly to visiting cyclists.

Eco-tourism consultant Alex Duryea with the Nebraska Tourism Commission led the hour-long presentation, covering the growing popularity of long-distance and rural cycling across the country as well as ways that Sidney could capitalize on that growth by building on its existing resources.

Duryea said the first step is to decide what the overall goal is, which he said for Cheyenne County was for cyclists to go to, or through, the community.

"It not enough to just say that bicycle tourism happens here," he said. "You've got to really show it, support it, create the routes for people to explore and have the information accessible, both print and digitally."

Duryea said long-distance, multi-day cyclists can average between 50 and 75 miles per day.

"Because if you go too short on your mileage, you're taking too long to get across the state," he said.

Duryea said because cyclists form in tight-knit communities, they share their experiences with each other, both good and bad.

"They are able to take pictures and share it on social media sites," he said. "They say, 'Hey, I didn't find this driving my car. I found it walking or riding my bike.'"

As for where Sidney should start, Duryea said the easiest place is to provide cyclists amenities and routes.

He said the main amenities that cyclists need are water, food and lodging or a campsite.

"If you don't have that, you really can't cater to a cyclist," Duryea said.

Duryea described places to eat, such as coffee shops and cafes, are the "hub" for cyclists.

"That's where they want to go," he said. "When they ride, they burn a lot of fuel, burn a lot of calories, and they want to go eat something."

Other amenities include bicycle pumps, stands, tools, maps and first aid.

"Cycling is a big community, and when you do something good for a person in that community, they are going to keep on telling every other person they know," Duryea said.

Resident support is also very important, Duryea said.

"When it gets down to it, any community movement needs to have the support of its residents," he said. "If you don't have that, it's going to be an uphill battle, will take a lot longer, and might not happen at all."

For bicycle routes, Duryea said Sidney's Deadwood Trail exercise path is a valuable asset, but suggested that more routes be designated within the town itself.

"Now, designated bike lanes aren't anything really super special," he said. "All you are doing is labeling certain streets as ideal, or more cycling-friendly, ways to get around the city versus taking Highway 30 downtown."

Duryea said 15th Ave. was a route he recommended, as it would take cyclists from downtown to the Deadwood Trail and vice versa.

"The idea is to keep the cyclist somewhat separate, but still going in the direction that they want to," he said.

Duryea said keeping routes available online and up-to-date was important.

"And post these routes on cycling websites," he said.

The presentation was hosted by the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee. For more information on bicycle tourism, contact Alex Duryea at (402) 326-1587 or by email at [email protected].