The original theme of the ride was “Hell on Wheels,” then a wildfire forced a change in plans. Even so, the riding, the people, and the communities have remained stellar.
We covered the ride as an official media partner of Cycle Oregon, a non-profit that uses cycling as a tool for economic revitalization of rural towns and cities.
Cycle Oregon wrapped up its 28th edition in Baker City on Saturday. 2,200 riders and hundreds of volunteers and staff have packed up their tents, taken down road signs, and returned their support RVs and “sag wagons.” [Read more…]
I hope no one complained on today’s ride. Sure, our 50-mile route from Farewell Bend State Park to Baker City had its share of climbing (about 3,000 feet) and a stiff headwind; but it was nothing like what pioneers faced. [Read more…]
The theme of this year’s Cycle Oregon is “Hell on Wheels.” So, despite the major change in plans I shared last night, today we were given the option of biking into Hells Canyon. So you better believe we took it. [Read more…]
For the first time in Cycle Oregon history, the ride has been forced off its planned course. The reason for the change is the Dry Gulch fire which started Saturday near Richland, Oregon, a town close to Halfway, where Cycle Oregon was headed tomorrow. [Read more…]
Cycle Oregon is much more than just a bike ride; but sometimes when the road and the landscape all come together it feels like the ride is the only thing that matters.
When we woke up this morning for our 53 mile jaunt from Farewell Bend State Park to Cambridge, Idaho, the light was perfect. A friend here on the ride called it “Jesus light.” Clouds filled the sky as the sun tried to peak through them, sending rays of light over our heads. And we just so happened to be cycling through a gorgeous section of the Snake River canyon (on Porter Flats Road just west of Weiser, Idaho).
People from 46 states in America and six countries around the world have made their way to Baker City in Eastern Oregon to embark on the 28th annual Cycle Oregon ride.
There are 2,200 riders here, ranging in age from 8 to 81. Add them to the several hundred staff and volunteers and they constitute one-fourth the size of the total population of this “large” Eastern Oregon city (whose population has hovered around 10,000 for the past 100 years). Cycle Oregon has created a small, completely self-contained city at the Baker Sports Complex. The sprawling base camp is complete with a live entertainment stage, a gift shop, a bike shop, showers, and more. If the mood strikes, you can even do yoga, get an acupuncture treatment, or get a pre-ride massage.[Read more…]
Riders and locals in the historic town of Shaniko on Cycle Oregon 2014. (Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Those of you who’ve been around this site a while know that I’ve always been a huge fan of Cycle Oregon, a non-profit known mostly for their fully-supported week-long rides that venture into the most remote corners of our state.
Now I’m very excited to share that this year BikePortland is an official media partner. [Read more…]