The announcement festivities took place at Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek, and the event was also live-streamed on Cycle Adirondacks’ Facebook page. Co-Directors Matt VanSlyke and Doug Haney presented the overview of the tour, which will take place Aug. 18 to 24, 2018.

Speculator will be the first overnight host city, Inlet the second and North Creek the third. The tour will spend two consecutive nights at each host location. On hand were representatives from each of the overnight host cities to provide an enticing overview of what each location will offer. Representing Speculator was Christy Wilt, director of planning, tourism and economic development. Inlet was represented by Mitch Lee, supervisor of the Parks and Recreation Department. North Creek was represented by Lisa Salamon, director of the Gore Region Chamber of Commerce.

Overall, VanSlyke and Haney expect at least 200 cyclists to take part in the tour, coming from an estimated 35 U.S. states and Canadian provinces. They announced that even at this early date, only about 60 spots do not yet have registered cyclists.

Depending on the individual days’ in-out rides chosen, the cyclists will ride between 282 and 419 miles while climbing 15,150 to 23,250 feet throughout the six-day tour.

Cycle Adirondacks Co-Director Doug Haney provides an overview of next year’s tour Tuesday in North Creek. (Photo provided — Bill Quinlivan)

Each host city’s encampment site was carefully chosen to provide the community of cyclists with easy access to the respective host community. The encampments will be established with the help of each community’s volunteers.

“Cycle Adirondacks is way more than a bike tour,” Haney said. “It is designed so that our cyclists get an opportunity to embrace each host community and each host community gets to embrace our cycling community.”

In addition to the in-out rides offered during the days in the host community, there are science-centered conservation presentations by local professionals — the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Adirondack Program launched the inaugural Cycle Adirondacks in 2015 — and opportunities for tour cyclists to participate in community-generated projects in each of overnight host town.

“Our 2017 event funded a farm-to-school program in Schroon Lake, the purchase of a device that protects beaver habitats while halting unnecessary flooding in Keene Valley and the start of a bicycle grant program for the local youth center in Saranac Lake,” Haney said. This is made possible via a partnership with the Adirondack Foundation, based in Lake Placid.

More information about the tour can be garnered at cycleadirondacks.com.