Cycle Oregon 2013 Weekend Ride: 'Summer Bike Camp'

Weekend event returns to Oregon State University in Corvallis with family-friendly focus and multiple route options.

Courtesy: cycleoregon.com

(PORTLAND, OR) - Cycle Oregon’s Weekend Ride started in 2004 as a shorter alternative to the original week-long event – an effort to appease teachers and parents of school-age children who couldn’t make it in September. But over its nine-year lifespan it has evolved with an identity of its own, summed up in its newly announced theme: “Summer Bike Camp.”

This weekend, 2,000 riders will converge on Corvallis and the campus of Oregon State University, which also hosted the 2012 Weekend Ride, for two days of riding, entertainment and activities – and many of those parents will be bringing along the whole family.

The new theme reflects the growth of families as part of the event; with multiple route lengths each day, a Kids’ Bike Camp and “dorm-room camping,” Cycle Oregon Weekend has become a magnet for families as well as CO’s traditional rider base.

Riders will have three different route lengths to choose from each day, ranging from relatively flat courses of as little as 11 miles to a challenging 82-mile Saturday option.

On Day 1, Saturday, the routes will head east out of Corvallis, with the longer routes going through Lebanon and as far as the picturesque Larwood covered bridge. On Day 2 longer-route riders head north, crossing the Lewisburg Saddle before exploring the flora and fauna of the fertile valley. On both days, the short route focuses on local bike paths, and families have a chance to time their ride to stop in Philomath just in time for their annual Philomath Frolic parade.

The Weekend Ride offers the same range of amenities as the week-long ride, including a live entertainment stage, beer garden, food vendors, massage, yoga and more. In addition, Portland’s Community Cycling Center runs a Kids’ Bike Camp each day, offering fun as well as safety education for children whose parents are riding the course.

As the Weekend Ride has become more popular and more family-based, its essential nature has become more of a summer-camp experience – a summer camp on bikes. And given that Cycle Oregon is dedicated to encouraging the next generation of cyclists to love riding and learn to do it safely, the Weekend Ride is a perfect way to bring together riders of all ages for some great riding and good times.