Missoula has enjoyed close ties with cycling since 1896, when it became home to the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, founded to test the military potential of bikes as a means of transporting troops in mountainous regions. Its tasks included a 1900-mile ride to St Louis, where the army decided against the use of cycles and the soldiers came home by train.

Today Missoula is one of the best cities in the country for cycling, offering dozens of great road and dirt bike routes. The council even employs a bicycling coordinator (tel 406/523-4626), but the best source of information and trail maps is the Adventure Cycling Association, 150 E Pine St (tel 406/721-1776). The Bicycle Hangar, 1801 Brooks Ave (tel 406/728-9537), rents out good-quality cycles.

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