▁and ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁old ▁men ▁and ▁people ▁with ▁bal lo on - t ire ▁b ikes ▁and ▁French men ▁who ▁fle w ▁over ▁just ▁for ▁this . ▁Nob ody ▁would ▁shoot ▁a ▁gun ▁off ▁or ▁anything . ▁At ▁ 9 ▁o ' clock ▁everybody ▁would ▁just ▁start ▁moving . ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁like ▁this ▁crowd ▁of ▁loc ust s ▁crossing ▁America ▁ ▁The ▁ride ▁eventually ▁ran ▁from ▁Ast oria , ▁Oregon , ▁to ▁York town , ▁Virginia , ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁settlement s ; ▁ 4 , 1 0 0 ▁rode , ▁with ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁comple ting ▁the ▁entire ▁route . ▁It ▁defined ▁a ▁new ▁start ▁for ▁cycle - t our ing ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁Advent ure ▁Cy cling ▁Association . ▁Advent ure ▁Cy cling ▁has ▁mapped ▁routes ▁across ▁America ▁and ▁into ▁Canada , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁r ides ▁taking ▁up ▁to ▁three ▁months ▁to ▁complete ▁on ▁a ▁loaded ▁b icy cle . ▁ ▁In ▁Britain , ▁the ▁Cy cl ists ▁Tour ing ▁Club ▁grew ▁to ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁biggest ▁body ▁campaign ing ▁for ▁cy cling ▁and ▁cycl ists ' ▁rights ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁It ▁continues ▁to ▁organ ise ▁group ▁tour ing ▁events ▁including ▁day ▁r ides ▁through ▁its ▁local ▁groups ▁and ▁C TC ▁hol id ays ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁led ▁by ▁experienced ▁C TC ▁members . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 8 3