Cycle Oregon Review
 

Back from Cycle Oregon. We were mostly in very rural areas of Central/Eastern Oregon with very limited mobile coverage so didn't try to do any posting. Here's a brief summary:

We started and finished in John Day, Oregon. We did a loop in John Day then rode to these communities: Burns, Diamond, Frenchglen, Crane, Seneca and then back to John Day. It was 488 miles over 7 days with only 16, 115 ft of climbing. One day we did 85 miles with less than 1000 ft of climbing.

Very well organized. Well marked and lightly traveled roads.......except for tractors, cows and wild horses???

We went through a few forests but a lot of the ride was on very open land.

All meals were included--including lunch. I usually got an early start so I was picking up lunch as early as 8:30 am some days. I wound up eating 4 meals a day and put on about 5 pounds. Most of the weight gain were from liquid calories.........I hydrated really, really well.

Our loop out of Diamond was greatly shortened because of an unscheduled cattle drive on the road we planned to use.......at least it wasn't on a day we were moving the campsite!!!!

Weather was just super for riding. Not a drop of rain. Most morning temps were in the 40/50's but warmed up pretty good for the late finishers. I tended to get out early to beat the wind and the heat.

What I enjoyed the most about the event was all the people I met and rode with. Because we mostly stayed in areas where there literally was not anything else to do, I spent most of my time after a ride sitting under an umbrella in the beer garden every day. If you didn't get an umbrella with shade you cooked........we stayed two days/nights in an open pasture that had to be several hundred acres. I literally had cow patties under my tent......no escaping the fertilizer. I could fill up my review with story after story of the interesting people I met........including the lady that went from self proclaimed young trophy wife to a Doctor!

Because we were out well beyond any ambient lights, the stars were incredible.........took my breath away. They even had a couple star gazing events.

I'd really enjoy doing this event again and would highly recommend it to folks but I probably will not do it again just due to the logistics. Because it is on the West Coast it added an additional 2 nights of hotels to my week. Plus I enjoy visiting the local towns and giving them a little business. The tour is self contained and they use communities than cannot handle that many people. That is okay but I enjoy selecting my own meals........and I don't need lunch that early in the day!! Plus the 6-7 hour bus ride to and from the hotel in Portland from John Day just wore me out.

I give the organization very high marks for support and taking care of everything. If you like doing tours, enjoy camping and want to see parts of rural Oregon and the USA at it's best give this one a try.

I'll try and get some pictures up but I've exceeded my online service........

Thanks for the report! As somebody who grew up near there, the part about the "open spaces" really rings true. These days I like a few trees around me :)

Thanks for the great report jppe - makes me wanna do this ride next year.

Charlie

Thanks for the report! I've got to do CO again.

I really like spending time in the small towns, chatting up the locals. I've met some really first class people that way.

I mean to mention that I talked to several folks who had on either a Ca Double's jersey or a Death Ride jersey. Sounds like the Davis Double might be very doable.

I've never done the Davis Double, but from what I've heard, a re-route has made it more difficult than it was in the past. When you're ready to try one, let me know ... there are quite a few that are appropriate for a first timer (Davis, Spring Solvang and Eastern Sierra for example). The big wildcard is the weather. If it cooperates, the ones with less climbing are very doable. If not ... oy.

And don't forget the Seattle-to-Portland (STP). I'll bet you saw a lot of those jerseys too!

Yes-lots of StP Jerseys. I'd be pretty proud of that one too.

Thanks for the report, jppe. I have memories of riding in Oregon but it's been too long ago.