I’m sitting in the posh and packed auditorium in the Tiger Woods building at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton. The crowd is buzzing with hundreds of cyclists from near and far eagerly awaiting the announcement of the route of the 20th edition of Cycle Oregon.
Keeping with tradition, the route is a closely guarded secret and will be announced in a multimedia slideshow in the next few minutes to “oohs” and “aaahs” from the crowd (I’m not kidding, I witnessed this behavior last year).
I’ll be updating this post as the route is announced.
Jonathan Nicholas, decked out in a dapper suit and tie, and dubbed as the “soul of Cycle Oregon” has just taken the stage…
-He just announced that the Cycle Oregon Fund — which funded start-up grants for things like Bridge Pedal, Community Cycling Center, etc… — has funded a startup grant to the fledgling Friends of the Restoration of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The group hopes to completely restore the scenic road by 2016.
Cycle Oregon 2007 – Cascades Backroads
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24,463 elevation gain total! And people are signing up by the hundreds!
- Day 7: Rainbow and back to Sisters
- Day 6: Oak Ridge to Rainbow. 65 miles – 3,300 ft. elev.. gain
- Day 5: Dorena Lake to Oak Ridge. 55 miles- 5,227 ft. elev. gain
- Day 4: Crater Lake to Dorena Lake. 88 miles – 3,439 ft. elev. gain
- Day 3: Diamond Lake to Crater Lake! 59 miles- 6,470 ft. elev. gain.
They have negotiated one car free day each year at Crater Lake. A Sunday in August.After asking for more details I have found out this is not confirmed and it is an ongoing negotiation…darn. - Day 2: La Pine to Diamond Lake – 92 miles, 3,401 ft elev. gain
- Day 1 Sisters to La Pine – 65 miles, 2,438 ft. elev. gain
- Day 0 “Base Camp” at Sisters
And here’s the first look of the 2007 Cycle Oregon jersey. Inspired by Crater Lake and designed by Nike designer Bill Cass (he created Lance Armstrong’s shoes).
Goodbye…thanks for tuning in.
No thanks on anything having to do with Nike.
Maps are already up on the Cycle Oregon website. I’m really looking forward to this.
Hey, I was there, volunteering to greet and then register our fellow bikers. I cannot express the enthusiasim of the first timers, the veterans and the folks who said “I’ve always wanted to try this ride and now I am” “time is moving on etc….” It is a great celebration of the spectacular biking community, politics (bikingly speaking) and committment for change to make Oregon a cycling utopia and create alternatives for getting there. You guys are changing the world, celebrate it, you should see the other side, I live there and it ain’t biker friendly. Pedal Safely 🙂
nice live post, Jonathan. Wish I would have known about it at the time, I might have ‘tuned’ in. 🙂
I can’t wait. Look at all those “inclinations”! And the appreciation from the towns we go to is worth it all. See you on the hills Jonathon.
My wife’s family is from Oregon, but I’m a transplant from Michigan. I’ve been here 7 years now, and I’ve never seen Crater Lake. I thought I’d be driving there, and I’m happy to say that instead I’ll be getting there under my own power. I’m really looking forward to McKenzie pass on Day 7 – I love that particular stretch, and it should be even more interesting on a bike with the lava walls on either side of the road.
I would love to take part in this event, however as a public school teacher the timing of this amazing event clashes greatly with the school calendar.
Why isn’t this event done in either late July or August? I feel like I have to be a retiree to take part in Cycle Oregon.
Murray,
Scheduling is always a tough issue with events like this. I know the organizers of Cycle Oregon have grappled with it too.
I think they go with a September date because the primary consideration is getting good weather.
that time of the year happens to have the best chance of dry and warm skies!
Hi,
A comment on the timing of CO. It’s not about the weather, it’s horrible on the coast and in some parts of the state. Late July or August would be better overall. The ride is in Septemeber because vactioners are off the road, and because the kids are mostly back in school. All of it makes for less vehicular traffic.
For a long ride around Oregon in better weather try the Oregon Bicycle Ride.
Ron
Ron,
Do you have a link for the Oregon Bicycle Ride?
Hi Murry,
Here’s the URL for the Oregon Bicycle Ride:
http://www.oregonbicycleride.org/