Baker City, September 19th, 2015. 794 people from 48 states took to the road for Cycle Oregon. The seven-day ride courses through a different part of Oregon each year and this year riders moved through eastern Oregon, starting and finishing in Baker City and exploring the scenic Hells Canyon wilderness on the border of Idaho. (photo credit, Cycle Oregon) The organizers of the nonprofit, Cycle Oregon, plan the ride and explain that it includes, “Beautiful campsites, plentiful food, hot showers, live entertainment and a fully supported route. Plus you can enjoy massage, cold microbrews, Oregon wine and cheese, gourmet coffee and many other amenities.”
Team Nossa Familia Coffee takes a break from caffeinating riders to tackle today’s route. peddling way are Augusto Carvalho Dias Carneiro.
Dubbed the “Coolest recumbent shot ever” thanks to some precision stunt riding. John Williams was still going strong on “Day five.”
Here’s the promotional video which enticed riders:
There were riders from six different countries.
Organizers provide the camping spaces, food and entertainment. The cost of the seven-day ride (September 12-19th) was $975. The distance was 387 – 450 miles, depending on the route. Riders had the chance to climb 18,027 – 22,397 ft. Host communities included: Baker City, Farewell Bend State Park, Cambridge ID, Halfway, Wallowa Lake State Park, La Grande.
From Cycle Oregon:
Mission
Cycle Oregon is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming individuals and communities through bicycling.
Proceeds from the ride go to the Cycle Oregon Fund, which helps preserve and protect the special places of Oregon and supports community development projects in the regions through which we ride.
History of Cycle Oregon
The Idea
Jim Beaver, an innkeeper at the Chanticleer Inn in Ashland, Oregon, conceived Cycle Oregon in 1987. Beaver contacted Jonathan Nicholas, a columnist at The Oregonian, and initiated the idea of a sister-city coast ride from Astoria to Ashland. After the local Chamber of Commerce voiced its enthusiastic support, a variation of this route was mapped out and Cycle Oregon was born. Generous support came from the Oregon Department of Tourism, which assumed coordinating responsibilities for the event with the goal of increasing tourism and generating income for Oregon’s rural communities.
The First Ride
The inaugural event took place in September 1988, with 1,006 cyclists from 20 states. The ride covered 320 miles from Salem to Brookings and generated more than $360,000 for participating communities.
25 Years Later
In 2012, Cycle Oregon 25 included 2,200 participants from 46 states and 8 foreign countries. Over that time, the Cycle Oregon Fund has dispersed more than $1.4 million in grants and has generated millions in benefits for communities throughout the state.
