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Barbara J Miller
9/13/2026 12:53 PM
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This is sad news. Quite a few EBCers have made the long trek to Virginia for the annual Bike Virginia ride - wherever in the state they held it. I certainly enjoyed my one trip there and found it to be well-organized, welcoming and informative. Who knew a tomato sandwich could be so good? Also good to share the experience with our small EBC contingent - even if that year's terrain was hillier than many of us were conditioned for. Barbara
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Dear BIKE VIRGINIA Family,
For nearly forty years, we have lived and breathed the rhythm of the open road together. We have chased the horizon across Virginia’s breathtaking backroads, weathered the summer sun, celebrated in historic town squares, and built a community defined by grace, grit, and an abiding love for the journey.
Today, it is with a profound ache in our hearts and deep gratitude for the miles we’ve shared that we must announce the end of the road. BIKE VIRGINIA is permanently closing its doors.
Like so many beloved community institutions, the landscape beneath us shifted irrevocably in the wake of the pandemic. Despite every ounce of strength, creativity, and steadfast dedication our team and Board of Directors could muster, we have exhausted our resources trying to find a path forward. We did not stop fighting for this community, but we have reached the final checkpoint.
As we pack up the SAG wagons for the last time, we want to share the heart of what these years have meant to us—from those who stood watch over the final miles.
To every rider who ever clipped in, every volunteer who stood at a corner in the rain, every host town that welcomed us with open arms, and every colleague who poured their soul into this mission: thank you. You gave nearly forty years of history a beating heart.
As we dismount for the final time, let us carry the spirit of the road forward.
Keep on pedaling,
The Final Shepherds of BIKE VIRGINIA
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A Note from our Executive Director:
To our Dear Friends and Bike Family,
I remember so many moments from the last eighteen years since I joined BIKE VIRGINIA. There are funny moments that could only happen at the tour like having to hire a stranger in McDonalds to haul a portable toilet that we 'borrowed' from a festival when ours didn't get delivered.
The middle of the night fire alarms when we were already zombies from days without breaks.
Lost luggage trucks. Stolen signs. Missing caterers.
And, all the hugs and smiles. The memories shared by families and friends who came for the joy of being together.
The dogs we adopted for the day to keep them out of the road.
How our families came together to work beside us for exhausting days and sleepless nights.
Every possible scenario happening to a rental vehicle driven by our team and volunteers.
And then there are the moments that hold on for a different reason. Fatal accidents. Injuries that changed a life in the blink of an eye. The passing of friends and volunteers that had been close to our hearts.
It's been the hardest job I've ever had and the most joyous.
Keeping the wheels rolling hasn't been easy. There were constant financial and logistical challenges. But I had the best team on earth. and worked for the most supportive Board of Directors. Without each of those special people, the magic couldn't have happened.
You've seen them. They worked their hearts out at the events, made sure everything was in place before you arrived, stayed up late at night to make sure everyone was tucked in safe.
It's sad to face this time when the tour and the organization comes to a close.
We never recovered from the losses associated with COVID.
Times changed. People learned to live and ride differently. Events across the country disappeared one by one.
Our colleagues and peers across the country were all joining together to save something that we truly believe is special. But just like us, the vast majority of biking events have closed.
With heart-felt effort the BIKE VIRGINIA team and board tried and tried to pull us up and give us new life-blood.
We've come to the end of the road. Exhausted our resources and haven't found a way forward. But it's not because we didn't want to and didn't try.
We miss you. I miss you. Summer won't be the same without the chaos and joy of days on the road together.
Be well, BIKE VIRGINIA family.
Thank you for 18 wonderful years in my life, and nearly 40 years for the organization and of course for the miles and miles of smiles.
Keep pedaling and think of fun times shared by all.
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A Note from our Tour Director:
An end of an era for sure. I started life at BIKE VIRGINIA as a board member before becoming staff, so many memories. BIKE VIRGINIA has been part of my life for almost 17 years (Sept '09). In that time I have raised 2 kiddos, made countless friends through the tour, helped so many riders see and experience the state of Virginia and surrounding states, and created lifelong friendships with BIKE VIRGINIA staff and board members.
I will miss the annual hustle that was my life for so many years and the relief when the tour was finished each year. I have learned and experienced so much with the organization. While I am sad to see it go I understand that this is simply change, change can be hard but it always leads to something new.
Thank you to the Board, JP for your guidance, Penelope for your stability, Mark for your wisdom, Christine for your organization and the countless others that I've had the pleasure of meeting over the years. Kim and Sam thank you for all the support, teamwork and dedication to the organization.
I'm happy to help out with the closing up of the organization as best I can.
I wish all of you the best as we roll into the next chapter of our lives.
Love and kind regards
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Our oldest recorded memory, the 1991 BIKE VIRGINIA TOUR. Click on the image above to watch it on YouTube!
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YouTube Playlist for the History of the BIKE VIRGINIA TOUR. Click on the image to view available content with more to come!
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