Become a Bike-Friendly Business in the Endless Mountains

The Endless Mountains Bicycle Friendly Business Program

The Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania are a mecca for those wishing to pedal through pastoral landscapes, historic downtowns, back country roads and unparalleled natural beauty. With the launching of our Endless Mountains Gravel Bikepacking Loop (EMGBL) – a 410+ mile route through the four counties of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming – as well as countless other cycling opportunities in the region, we are encouraging the businesses and municipalities of the region to become more bicycle friendly.

As more visitors explore the Endless Mountains by bicycle, businesses throughout the region stand to benefit from increased tourism and spending at shops, restaurants, and overnight accommodations. This free Endless Mountains Bicycle Friendly Business Program has been created to aid businesses and the entire region become a more bike-friendly destination.

Bike tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S., which includes a wide spectrum of riders with various skill levels and an array of bicycle types and riding styles (mountain biking, gravel biking, road cycling, etc.). The Endless Mountains are an ideal destination for all cyclists because they offer such a wide variety of riding opportunities such as the EMGBL, vast state forest and park land, the PA Route 6 corridor, rail-trails and more! These places and routes are the perfect places for riders to explore, which means more economic opportunities for local businesses!

Who can participate? The Endless Mountains Bicycle-Friendly Business program is open to all businesses in the four-counties covered by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, which includes Bradford Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming. Applicants should be in one of the following categories:

• Lodging
• Convenience stores
• Bike shops and outfitters
• Retail store
• Heritage sites and attractions (museums, historical societies, local and state parks, etc.)

To be approved into the Bike Friendly Business Program, a business must:

• Be a member of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) and your local tourism bureau, which are the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau (EMVB) or Bradford County Tourism Promotion Agency (BCTPA)
• Please note if you are a Bradford County business or organization, you are already affiliated with the BCTPA and do not need to pursue a membership

• Be friendly and welcoming to bicycling visitors

• Provide at least 3 of the following:
• Bike cleaning station
• Bike floor pump and tools for repair and/or bike mechanic available to hire
• Bike maps and area information
• Bike parking area in close proximity to business (bike rack, secure courtyard, etc.)
• Complimentary bike locks for those stopping by your business location.
• Electronic charging available for devices
• Free water bottle refills
• Long-term vehicle parking for visitors taking multi-day bicycling trips
• Public restrooms
• Shipping available for customer purchases
• Wifi access

 Additionally: 

• Lodging properties may also qualify as a bicycle friendly business if they agree to provide secure and dry bike parking for overnight guests, by allowing bikes in guest rooms or providing space in a locked storage room.

• Camping properties may also qualify if they accommodate bicyclists who arrive by bike without a reservation. If the grounds are full, this could mean allowing bicyclists to set up their tent for one night in a day-use area.

We have created a self-assessment checklist for your business/entity to help determine if it’s a good fit for this program: Bicycle Friendly Business Assessment Survey

* Please note that your business or entity does not have to meet all of the criteria on this list. This is simply to provide a basic starting point in getting you familiar with the needs of cyclists and how you ensure they have a fun and hospitable experience here in the Endless Mountains.

 The Application Process:

Are you ready to join the Endless Mountains Bicycle Friendly Business Program? Remember, it’s absolutely free and takes only minutes to fill out the online application!

Fill out the Online Application for the Endless Mountains Bicycle Friendly Business Program : Complete Application: Link to Application

Upon approval, the EMHR will:

• Add your business or entity listing on our website with the “Bicycle Friendly” designation.
• Add your business as a point of interest/destination to our digital web maps of the Endless Mountains Gravel Bikepacking Loop and our “Cycling” pages.
• Send a welcome packet and window sticker to your provided mailing address.

Please allow up to 30 days for us to approve all applications and send out your “Bicycle Friendly Business” window sticker and welcome packet.