Twenty Four Years and Counting...

In the mid 1980's, Sandy Green, who had an idea, rounded up a group of a half dozen or so cycling enthusiasts. Why not ride across Oregon. Not from north to south, but from east to west, ending the ride on the beautiful Oregon coast. That idea was the start of The Oregon Bicycle Ride. The goal of the organization was to provide a great ride through a beautiful state for people who really liked to tour.

The Oregon Bicycle Ride was launched in the summer of 1987. Thanks to the efforts of the founders, and especially the promotional efforts of Sunnyside Sports, the premier cycling and sport shop in Bend, Oregon, The Oregon Bicycle Ride was underway with its first contingent of 68 riders.

The first tour was a difficult one. From Hells Canyon, Idaho to the Oregon Coast in seven days! That meant that the riders had to average nearly 80 miles a day through difficult terrain and weather. But it was worth it. From the very first year The Oregon Bicycle Ride has stood out as one of the premier fully supported bicycle tours in North America.

Over the years the participation has grown to a full complement of 250 riders. The organizers decided to limit enrollment in order to make a more enjoyable ride for everyone involved. And, from its humble beginnings, the ride has grown in support. Currently the staff includes four support drivers who are constantly on the road looking to help riders in distress, or simply suffering from "fireball" (an infamous candy that some riders can't seem to do without!) withdrawal. In addition to the support drivers, six to nine people are involved with setting up and maintaining The Oregon Bicycle Ride's famous water stops which include enough great food to load up the cyclists with carbs and calories as well as water and sports drinks. Most riders don't even think of stopping elsewhere for lunch while riding. The water stops have it all.

Continuing the great support that they are known for, Sunnyside Sports provides three skilled mechanics as well as their own support crew to keep the bikes on the road. A mechanic is available throughout the day at the water stops as well as from 4 PM 'til dark at camp central. They provide free labor to all riders who need help. However, make sure that your bike is well tuned before you go. While they often work miracles, they can't resurect a bike from the dead!

Finally, after retrieving their luggage from the luggage truck in camp central, the riders can find cold drinks, toilets and showers, and a massage (for an extra fee). Everything a tired rider needs to relax and enjoy their vacation.

We hope you will join us for one of our rides soon.

We Support the Following Programs:

Keeping Kids Safe

Central Oregon Safe Kids (COSK), a member of the Oregon SAFE KIDS Coalition, is a nonprofit organization working to prevent accidental injuries to children by distributing bike helmets for kids and producing bike safety public service announcements. COSK also organizes bike rodeos and helmet fitting clinics. The Oregon Bicycle Ride is proud to be a partner with this very dedicated group. Since 2001, thanks to our riders, we are able donate a portion of our proceeds to help with COSK's projects. COSK is making difference. To learn more about this organization go to http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/safekids/about_us.shtml.

Think First

The Think First Program is a nonprofit injury-prevention program initiated by the American Association of Neurosurgeons. The program has been present in the Bend community for four years and is focused towards educating children in grades 1 through 3 about the risks of injury. There are seven one hour classes in which children are exposed to anatomy, water safety, bicycle safety, vehicle safety, playground safety, and violence prevention. At the end of the program all children are fitted with a bike helmet. Think First is committed to helping young children and teenagers make safe and healthy choices and by doing so hopefully reduce the leading cause of death (death by injury) in this age group. To learn more about this organization go to http://www.thinkfirst.org/.