Author: Tim Mooney

The Pedalshift Project 422: Is Bicycle Touring in Decline?

Bicycle touring numbers feel like they’re down—fewer loaded panniers on the road, Adventure Cycling Association facing major financial headwinds, and a lot of long-time tourers quietly aging out. But is touring actually in decline, or is it just shifting into something that looks different—like bikepacking, gravel, and shorter, more flexible trips? In this episode I dig into Adventure Cycling’s recent membership and financial update, talk through generational and economic trends, and explore whether we’re seeing the end of an era… or just the end of one version of it.


The Pedalshift Project 422: Is Bicycle Touring in Decline?

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 422: Is Bicycle Touring in Decline?.

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Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

Is Bicycle Touring in Decline? 

What the ACA Letter Tells Us

  • Recent email to ACA membership on a vote regarding selling their building in Missoula
    • Membership down from almost 40,000 in 2023 to about 18,000 today.
    • Donations down.
    • Demand for guided tours has softened.
    • Sales of maps/routes have dropped with free digital tools and GPS routes everywhere.
  • Their diagnosis
    • Members aging out of cycling.
    • Some people don’t feel enough value in a paid membership.
    • Travel patterns are changing; inflation and costs are up; maybe fewer people committing to long guided tours.
  • The building sale piece:
    • ACA can sell their big, underutilized Missoula headquarters for ~$2.55M, then lease back just the space they need.
    • The goal is to buy a “runway” of a few years to rebuild membership and modernize programs (digital experience, routes, tours, events).
  • This is serious—membership halving in a couple of years is not a blip.
  • But this is one institution. It’s a single data point, not the whole story.

Is ACA’s Crisis Proof That Touring Is Dying?

  • Possible “touring is in trouble” interpretation:
    • If the biggest U.S. touring org is shrinking, maybe demand really is falling.
    • Fewer people willing to pay for routes, maps, and guided tours could indicate less interest in traditional loaded touring.
  • Alternative explanations:
    • Value perception problem:
    • If you can download GPX routes for free, people might not feel like they need a membership.
    • Younger riders may not connect with a membership model or a print magazine in the same way.
  • Business model problem vs. touring problem:
    • Guided tours and paper maps are specific products. Those can decline even if DIY touring thrives.
    • If a streaming-era kid doesn’t buy DVDs, it doesn’t mean movies are dead—just that the business model changed. Same question here: is ACA Blockbuster, or are movies in trouble?

The Aging Out Effect

  • The ACA explicitly mentions aging out of cycling.
  • Talk through generational dynamics:
    • A lot of classic touring energy came from the boomers and older Gen X.
    • Long, multi-week tours require time, health, and often retirement or very flexible work.
  • People aging out doesn’t necessarily mean the activity is dying, but:
    • If younger generations aren’t replacing those numbers, you get a visible decline.
  • Touring can look intimidating: expensive gear, big time commitments, safety fears.
  • Possible barriers for younger riders:
    • Student debt, unstable housing, fewer long chunks of vacation, higher baseline anxiety around traffic and climate disasters (heat, smoke, extreme weather).

The Rise of Bikepacking and Off-Road Travel

  • Ttouring may just be changing costume:
    • More folks are drawn to bikepacking and gravel: lighter gear, off-road routes, “adventure” branding.
    • Social media and brands push a certain aesthetic: frame bags, dirt roads, epic photography.
  • Contrast vibes:
    • Classic touring: fenders, racks, panniers, highways, small towns, campgrounds.
    • Bikepacking: singletrack/doubletrack, BLM land, forest roads, more “expedition-y”, often shorter but punchier trips.
  • If someone is out for five days with bags on their bike, sleeping outside and moving every day… and we’re calling that bikepacking instead of touring… did touring really decline, or did it just get relabeled?
  • Is bikepacking now the umbrella term for bike adventuring?

Is It Just a (pardon the pun) Cycle? 

  • Historical perspective:
    • There was a big touring boom in the 1970s and again mini-waves around the early 2000s . 
    • We thought the 2020 COVID bike boom would impact things, but did it?
    • Outdoor sports often rise and fall with the economy, culture, and media stories.
  • Economic cycle:
    • High inflation, higher travel costs, and general uncertainty can make long trips harder.
    • At the same time, travel has become more fragmented: people take 3-day trips instead of 3-week odysseys.
  • Cultural cycle:
    • Right now, gravel and ultra-events (Unbound, etc.) get the headlines. Touring is slow and unsexy by comparison.
    • Slow unsexy things tend to look “dead” for a while… until the next backlash against all the hype and burnout.
  • We might be in the hangover phase after the COVID bike boom and a big cultural swing toward short, ‘epic’ experiences.

Other Factors That Make Touring Feel Smaller

  • Safety and traffic fears: distracted driving, speed, road rage, social media amplifying every horror story.
  • Climate and weather extremes: heat domes, wildfire smoke, storms—touring has always danced with weather, but now the dice feel loaded.
  • Information overload: paradoxically, infinite online info can make people freeze and not choose any tour.
  • Shift to micro-touring: overnighters, weekend campouts, credit-card touring instead of epic cross-country runs. That looks less visible on the ACA radar but might be the real growth area.

What ACA’s Plan Signals About the Future

  • Positive outlook: Selling an underused building to buy time to modernize could be a good sign. It’s a choice to adapt instead of slowly bleed out.
  • They’re explicitly planning to invest in:
    • More routes and route updates
    • Digital and website improvements
    • Stronger advocacy tools
    • Expanded tours and member events
  • The big question:
    • Can an organization built around old touring models reinvent itself for a world of bikepacking, GPS, and dispersed, remote communities?
    • Will they pivot toward being the hub for all forms of bike travel, not just pannier touring?

Final Take: Is Touring Actually in Decline?

Yes, in the classic sense.

  • Fewer people paying for memberships, maps, and guided pannier tours.
  • The touring demographic that built ACA is shrinking and aging.

No, if you widen the definition.

  • Bikepacking, mixed-surface, overnighters, and “ride-to-your-Airbnb” trips are essentially touring by another name.
  • People are still traveling by bicycle; they’re just doing it with different gear and routes.

Mostly, it’s in a messy transition.

  • Legacy institutions and business models are under intense pressure.
  • New formats (digital communities, route-sharing platforms, YouTube, social media) are where a lot of the energy lives now.
  • The story isn’t “touring is dying”—it’s “touring is migrating.”
  • Go on any kind of bike trip—overnight, credit-card, dirt, paved, doesn’t matter.
  • Support whichever orgs, creators, or communities actually help them get out the door (ACA, local groups, creators, etc.).
  • If you’re an ACA member, vote on the building sale by November 24. Whatever side you land on it seems like this will likely define things for ACA for the next several years.

•Bike touring has always been a niche. The question isn’t whether the niche survives—it’s what form it takes for the next generation. And we all get to shape that.

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to JUKEBOX BOY wherever cool music is available! 

The post The Pedalshift Project 422: Is Bicycle Touring in Decline? appeared first on Pedalshift.

The Pedalshift Project 421: Bike Adventure Goals Scorecard

Way back in January – and what feels like ten years ago to me – I set out a bunch of bicycle adventure goals for me in 2025. In a challenging year, I wasn’t sure how I’d measure up but as I always like to do, I gave the goals a once over to see how I did. So on this episode we give it a scorecard treatment, but also a sneak preview of the final piece of 2025 adventuring that manages to check one of the boxes!


The Pedalshift Project 421: Bike Adventure Goals Scorecard

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 421: Bike Adventure Goals Scorecard.

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Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

2025 Bike Adventure Goals Scorecard

Celebrating plans already made, and taking care of yourself

Sort of?

A big ebike trip – maybe two. Taking the bike on a ride only the ebike can do… extra distance per day? Twice as fast? Looking at a push west and maybe north too.

Points for trying with the Lake Ontario trip.

Something international – you non-US folks have been very patient with this America-centric pod. We’ll see if we can get wheels down someplace I need a passport.

Check! Helllloooo Canada!

I also got to do off-pod adventures in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Belgium… no biking but a lot of walking and exploring.

West coast – what, you thought I wouldn’t hit the Pacific coast? Pffft… find another podcast! Probably summer.

Check! Mysterious Oregon trip!

More bike adjacent adventures – exploring someplace where I ride, a bike gets used, but it’s not necessarily the full focus.

Europe trip was an adventure but not bike-adjacent. But I have a small one coming up in a few weeks that is absolutely out of left field in terms of location, but wholeheartedly checks the box, so CHECK. Shall we do a preview? (You’ll have to listen to get that one!)

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to JUKEBOX BOY wherever cool music is available! 

The post The Pedalshift Project 421: Bike Adventure Goals Scorecard appeared first on Pedalshift.

Election Season Prep

Whether it be local elections or picking a new president, election season seems to always be lurking around the corner, so on today’s episode we’re unpacking what it means for 501(c)(3)s to remain nonpartisan and how these nonprofits can safely engage in several different types of advocacy during election season.

Attorneys for this episode

Monika Graham

Melissa Marichal Zayas

Sarah Efthymiou

Remaining Nonpartisan:

The rule is clear: 501(c)(3) organizations cannot engage in any activity or make statements that suggest support or opposition to political parties, candidates, or groups of candidates running for public office, including those not affiliated with a specific political party.

However, the definition of what counts as “nonpartisan” remains somewhat unclear. The IRS uses a “facts and circumstances” test to determine whether a charity’s communication and/or activity is truly nonpartisan or a disguised attempt to influence an election. The IRS considers whether the communication and/or activity:

  • identifies candidates

  • compares a candidate’s position on issues important to the organization with the organization’s positions on those same issues

  • expresses approval or disapproval of a candidate’s position or actions

  • is delivered close to an election, references voting, focuses on issues that distinguish candidates

  • is part of an ongoing series of communications independent of election timing

  • or coincides with non-electoral events like legislative hearings on pending bills

DO:

  • Keep your focus on issues, not elections. Continue mission-related issue advocacy but avoid suggesting how people should vote.

  • Educate voters. Provide nonpartisan facts, resources, and information about voting without mentioning or implying support for candidates or parties

  • Host candidate forums or publish questionnaires:

  • Invite all viable candidates and give each candidate an equal opportunity to participate

  • Ensure questions are neutral, related to your charitable purpose, and cover a broad range of issues

  • Share responses verbatim and without commentary

  • Register voters and encourage turnout (GOTV) in a nonpartisan manner — serve everyone equally, regardless of political affiliation. Remember, there are special rules for private foundations

  • Document everything. Keep records showing how you designed and implemented your activities to avoid partisanship. Develop a track record of similar advocacy in non-election years

  • Train staff and volunteers they understand what’s allowed and what’s off-limits during election season

  • Separate personal and organizational activities. Staff and board members may support candidates on their own time, but not using organizational resources (e.g., name, email, office space, social media)

  • Engage in ballot measure advocacy but remember to track and report this activity as lobbying if expressing a view on the measure and trying to influence the vote

  • Meet with the candidates, educate them about your organization’s work, and try to influence their platforms, while ensuring that you provide the same or equivalent information to every candidate

DON’T:

  • Endorse, oppose, or rate candidates — directly or indirectly

  • Use “code words” (e.g., “vote pro-life,” “support progressive values,” “throw out the incumbents”) that imply candidate support or opposition

  • Time issue advocacy communications to coincide with elections if the message could be seen as favoring one candidate’s position.

  • Publish or share candidate statements selectively or with commentary that signals approval or disapproval

  • Use organization funds, staff time, or materials for any partisan campaign activity

  • Let candidates use your events, publications, or platforms for campaign purposes.

  • Coordinate messaging with a candidate or you could also trigger campaign contribution restrictions under federal election law

Resources:

Rules of the Game: A Guide to Election-Related Activities for 501(c)(3) Organizations

Seize the Initiative: A Legal Guide on Ballot Measures for Nonprofits and Foundations

Being a Player: A Guide to the IRS Regulations for Advocacy Charities

Keeping Track: A Guide to Recordkeeping for Advocacy Charities

Running the Advocacy Race: Bolder Advocacy’s Top Resources for an Impactful 2024 Election Season

The Pedalshift Project 420: The Ultralight Challenge

What if you could tour with just what fits in a single dry bag? No panniers. Just the essentials. On this episode, we take this as a challenge – borrowing from the ultralight backpacking folks, we cut off our toothbrush handles and weigh every gram for the ultralight challenge!


The Pedalshift Project 420: The Ultralight Challenge

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 420: The Ultralight Challenge.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

The Ultralight Challenge

  • “What if you could tour with just what fits in your handlebar bag? No panniers. No rack. Just the essentials.”
  • Why: curiosity, simplicity, nimble handling, testing limits for overnighters or credit card touring.
  • Rules: one mid-size drybag (say 10–12L). No extra frame or seat bags.
  • Trip assumptions: 1–2 nights, shoulder season, mild weather but possible cool nights.
  • Riding style: paved/mixed surfaces, moderate daily mileage.

Shelter

Options to debate:

Tarp + bivy sack (light, cheap, minimal bug protection).

Minimal trekking pole tarp (if you carry a pole or can use the bike).

Emergency bivy + bug net (super small but spartan).

UL single-wall tent (if you can compress to fit — ~1lb tents exist).

Hammock

Where I land:

Shelter Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp 5.2 oz Dyneema, no floor; packs to fist size

Groundsheet Polycryo sheet (cut to size) 1.5 oz Cheap and super compact

Bug Net Sea to Summit Nano Pyramid (solo) 2.9 oz Optional if mosquitoes likely

Stakes 6 titanium shepherd hooks 2 oz Can share with tarp

Guyline 2 mm reflective cord 1 oz Multipurpose (also for repairs)

Total Shelter Weight: ~12 oz (340 g)

Sleep Kit

Pad: short closed-cell foam (Z-lite cut down) vs ultralight inflatable (NeoAir Uberlite).

Quilt: 40°F down quilt packs to a grapefruit.

Sleep Clothing layering: puffy jacket + base layers to extend quilt rating.

pillow (there are some ultralight inflatables too)

Where I land:

Sleep Pad Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite (small) 6 oz Packs smaller than a soda can

Quilt Enlightened Equipment Enigma 40°F 13 oz Compresses to a grapefruit

Pillow Exped Air UL pillow (small) 1.6 oz Optional luxury

Sleep Clothes Lightweight merino top + boxer briefs 6 oz Doubles as camp wear

Total Sleep Weight: ~27 oz (765 g)

Cooking vs. No-Cook

No-cook: bars, wraps, cold soak jar.

Minimal cook: Esbit/solid fuel stove + titanium mug.

Coffee strategy: instant packets vs small UL brewer.

Space/weight trade-off: ditch cook kit for luxury (camera, extra clothes).

Where I land:

Cold Soak System Plastic PB jar 2oz

UtensilLong Ti spoon0.5 oz

Mug (if separate) MSR Titan 2.4 oz

Food for 2 daysWraps, instant oatmeal, nuts, bars, jerky, instant coffee~24 oz

Water 1 L Smartwater bottle (frame-mounted)

Total Cooking/Food Weight (excluding water): ~29 oz (820 g)

Clothing & Tools

No change of clothes on this one… one base layer, puffy jacket layer.

Rain shell  = big payoff for little space.

Simple wool hat

Micro tool kit: multi-tool, chain link, tiny pump, patch kit instead of spare tube.

hygiene: Dr Bronner’s in smallest travel bottle, small camp towel, travel toothbrush.

Where I land:

Rain Shell Patagonia Houdini or OR Helium 6 oz Ultralight but reliable

Insulation Layer Montbell Plasma 1000 puffy 5 oz Packs to palm size

Extra Base Layer / socks Wool top + socks 5 oz For camp

Toiletries Toothbrush, mini paste, Bronner’s, wet wipes 3 oz Minimalist hygiene

Headlamp Nitecore NU25 1 oz USB rechargeable

Total Clothing/Personal Weight: ~20 oz (570 g)

Multitool Lezyne RAP II-12 3 oz Compact essentials

Mini Pump Lezyne Pocket Drive 3 oz Mount to frame if possible

Chain link / tape / zip ties / patch kit Small zip bag 1 oz Field repairs

Phone + powerbank 10 000 mAh Anker 6 oz Also powers headlamp

Map / ID / Credit Card — negligible “Ultralight credit card touring” insurance

Total Tools/Misc Weight: ~13 oz (370 g)

Packing Tetris

Bottom: sleep system (quilt/compressed pad).

Middle: shelter/tarp.

Top: food/clothing.

Outside: light rain shell/camp shoes?

Safety & Bail Out Options

Emergency bail plan: credit card, rideshare, motel.

Weather veto: if forecast turns ugly, change trip.

My Packed Total

Category Weight

Shelter 12 oz

Sleep 27 oz

Cooking/Food 29 oz

Clothing/Personal 20 oz

Tools/Misc 13 oz

Total ~6.31 lb (2.86 kg) inside dry bag

Conclusion

  • Who this works for: weekenders, credit card tourists, fair-weather minimalists.
  • Who it doesn’t: long winter trips, remote routes with no services, the comfort-oriented
  • The psychological side of going this minimal: what you gain (freedom, simplicity) vs. what you lose (comfort, margin).

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to JUKEBOX BOY wherever cool music is available! 

The post The Pedalshift Project 420: The Ultralight Challenge appeared first on Pedalshift.

The Pedalshift Project 419: A Game of Chance Revisited

We’re bringing back one of the wackiest ideas in Pedalshift history — the Game of Chance! Using random number generators and the excellent Adventure Cycling Association routes, it’s an unpredictable coast-to-coast bike tour from the Pacific to the Atlantic. When every turn is determined by chance the results are… surprisingly awesome?


The Pedalshift Project 419: A Game of Chance Revisited

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 419: A Game of Chance Revisited.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

A Game of Chance Revisited

  • Revisiting the “Game of Chance” touring experiment from 2021

  • Using randomness to pick routes across ACA’s national network

  • Riding (and re-riding) the Pacific Coast, Northern Tier, Lewis & Clark, TransAm, and more

  • Ferry crossings, backcountry climbs, and surprise state detours

  • How randomness can spark new route ideas and winter planning inspiration

Mentioned:

  • Adventure Cycling Association

  • Pacific Coast Route

  • Lewis & Clark Trail

  • Northern Tier

  • TransAmerica Trail

  • Great Divide, Great Parks, Lake Erie Connector

The Route (as determined by chance):

Segment

Route(s)

Start → End

1

Pacific Coast

Anacortes, WA → Westport, OR

2

Lewis & Clark

Westport, OR → Cascade Locks, OR

3

Sierra Cascades (North)

Cascade Locks, OR → Twisp, WA

4

Northern Tier

Twisp, WA → Eureka, MT

5

Great Parks North

Eureka, MT → Missoula, MT

6

TransAm

Missoula, MT → Walden, CO

7

TransAm (continued)

Walden, CO → Springfield, MO

8

Bicycle Route 66

Springfield, MO → St. Louis, MO

9

Eastern Express Connector

St. Louis, MO → Indianapolis, IN

10

Chicago–NYC + North Lakes

Indianapolis, IN → Northern MI

11

Lake Erie Connector

Sandusky, OH → Buffalo, NY (via Ontario)

12

Northern Tier

Buffalo, NY → Bar Harbor, ME

 

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to JUKEBOX BOY wherever cool music is available! 

The post The Pedalshift Project 419: A Game of Chance Revisited appeared first on Pedalshift.

Best of Pedalshift 295: Making Your Tent Stealthier

Stealth camping is a great skill to develop and a fantastic option to have for emergencies or maybe even your main overnight plan on a bike tour. But what if your tent is so bright it can be seen from miles away? On this episode, we talk about what worked for my last tent and what I’m trying on my newer one. Originally podcast September 8, 2022.

The post Best of Pedalshift 295: Making Your Tent Stealthier appeared first on Pedalshift.

SCOTUS Term Preview and Advocacy for 501(c)(3)s

It’s fall, it’s October and the US Supreme Court is back in session. On today’s episode, we have a special guest from the AFJ Justice team. We are joined by our colleague Jamal Lockings. With Jamall we will cover the big cases to be heard by the court. Then we will talk about how nonprofits can get involved with supreme court advocacy, nominees, and more while staying nonpartisan and being mindful of lobbying limits. 

 

Attorneys for this Episode 

Brittany Hacker 

Susan Finkle Sourlis 

Jamaal Lockings 

  

Intro to Justice Program 

  • Our justice team works on both federal and state judicial appointments and elections and runs numerous invaluable resources including our judicial vacancy tracker and helps keep us and the public informed about nominees. This includes the decisions they make after they’ve been confirmed, and how cases in federal courts – especially the supreme court – are impacting our civil rights and democracy.    

  • Today, we are thrilled to be joined on the pod by our friend and colleague Jamaal Lockings. Jamaal is a fellow attorney who serves as a Dorot Fellow on the Federal Courts team.  

  • Today we want to talk about the upcoming cases in this supreme court term, what we should be keeping an eye on, the potential impacts for our c3 partners, and what nonprofits can do during this term and future terms to advocate.  

 

Cases to watch out for this term 

  • Voting Rights and Money In Politics 

  • Louisiana v. Callais 

  • Issue: Whether a states efforts to comply with the VRA is, in itself, a form of racial discrimination 

  •  (1) Rehearing from last term (2) The Court is playing politics (3) the VRA is on the chopping block  

  • Consequences: A final blow to the VRA, and increased difficulty for minority voters to participate in free and fair elections  

  • National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC 

  • Issue: Whether to maintain the federal limits on political party coordination w/ candidates in campaign advertising.  

  • (1) Could render campaign contribution limits meaningless, increasing the already outsized influence of money in politics (2) These cases on elections and voting rights can’t be observed in a vacuum  

 

  • LGBTQ+  

  • Chiles v. Salazar  

  • Issue: Whether Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for minors violates First Amendment protections of free speech and religious exercise  

  • (1) Religious litigants have been notoriously successful in this court (2) free speech and religious exercise have been used not to ensure equity or equality but to prop up Christian nationalist ideology.  

  • West Virginia v. B.P.J.  

  • Issue: Title IX and barring Trans athletes  

  • (1) This court continues to wade into culture wars (2) It’s ruling in Skrmetti and Justice Barrett’s assertion that Trans isn’t a protected states (3) Embolden lawmakers to continue to write oppressive laws against trans individuals 

 

  • Executive Power & Civil Liberties  

  • Trump v. Slaughter  

  • Issue: whether statutory removal protections for members of the FTC – and agencies like it – “violate” the separation of powers.  

  •  (1) The Court’s emergency orders this summer (2) growing belief in the unitary executive theory (3) Likely to overrule Humphrey’s executor 

  • Consequences: Collapse of independent agencies and with it, governing stability.  

 

What c3s can do: 

  • Supreme court advocacy is nonpartisan—you are free to stand for or against cases before any court or get involved in the cases.  

  • Litigation at the supreme court: c3s are often the best voice and represent groups who otherwise would not be heard or could not bring such large scale cases 

  • Amicus briefs  

  • Educating the public about cases and impacts of opinions 

As you know c3 public charities may engage in lobbying and there are ways through lobbying that can affect the courts at the federal or maybe the state level 

  • Nominee advocacy—Advocate for or against nominees to supreme court (lobbying) 

  • Remember the lower district courts and circuit courts as well 

  • Remember the lobbying rules if you are a c3: must track and report your lobbying the IRS and stay within your lobbying limits. Great place for c4s to get involved because they can lobbying in an unlimited amount. 

  • Ethics advocacy—ask congress for more oversight or ethics rules (Lobbying if it will require a legislative vote).  

Resources 

The Pedalshift Project 418: Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways

The Mysterious Oregon Coast adventure is in the rearview mirror, but we always like to peek back before moving on. On this edition we marvel at the fun we had on a fairly cursed tour of some of our favorite parts of the Pacific coast!


The Pedalshift Project 418: Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 418: Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
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Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways

  • Bike prep is key — but stuff still breaks. Even a tiny crank arm pin can end a day. Know shops and backup transport.
  • Have Plans A–F ready. Flexibility and quick pivots kept the ride alive when mechanicals hit.
  • Buses & rideshares save tours. Coastal transit and surprise Ubers kept us moving.
  • Greatest hits still feel fresh. Cape Lookout, South Beach, Newport — new vibes, upgrades, and slower pacing.
  • Weather’s shifting. Got one classic foggy Yachats day, but most were sunnier/warmer — pack for both.
  • Shorter mileage = more joy. 30–40 mi days let us linger in towns and stay energized.
  • Hydrate & fuel early/often. Morning “camel up,” steady snacks, and Red Bulls beat last year’s bonk.
  • Hotel nights reset morale. Lincoln City, Yachats, Florence stays turned stress into mini-vacations.
  • Logistics flexibility saves cash. Mid-trip flight/car/hotel changes avoided big losses.
  • Ditch the perfect plan. Embracing detours and improvisation brought back the adventure and fun

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to JUKEBOX BOY wherever cool music is available! 

The post The Pedalshift Project 418: Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways appeared first on Pedalshift.