Oregon knows the economic impact of cycling and places bicycling at the forefront of its tourism planning. As a result, the state has created a well-designed network of cycling touring routes that makes planning a trip in Oregon simple. Coupled with the variety of accommodations, food and adult beverage options, and bicycle-related businesses throughout the state, Oregon beckons the cycle touring dreamers to explore its bike bounty.
Here are just five reasons why Oregon is the best state to cycle tour in the U.S.
Scenic Bikeways
Oregon is the only state in the nation with a Scenic Bikeway program. As a way of elevating the state as a bike tourism destination, Travel Oregon and Oregon State Parks partnered to develop the system of routes throughout the state. Meandering through rural towns on low-traffic roads or on separated bike paths, the Scenic Bikeways take cyclists on a journey through Oregon’s best cycle routes.
Most bikeways include a video that showcases the highlights from each route and Travel Oregon’s Bike Friendly Business program helps cyclists find food and lodging options along the routes that cater specifically to cyclists.
$5 Hiker / Biker Campsites
Oregon features 31 $5 hiker/biker campsites throughout the state. This means that if you arrive to the campground via human-powered transport, then the cost is only $5 per person. Campground full signs apply only to tent sites for those with vehicles, hikers and bikers are never turned away.
Bike Pods and Cycle Plazas
In 2015, the small city of Estacada opened the Estacada Station Cycling Plaza to serve as a launching point for cyclists riding in the area. The project retrofitted of an existing public restroom and is designed to attract cyclists and other visitors to the area. The station includes a bike repair stand, signage with directions and a park and ride, artistic bike racks, an information kiosk, benches and picnic tables, and a water fountain.
Further, Oregon State Parks aims to erect 19 bike hubs and bike pods throughout the state. Where bike hubs will serve the needs of day users for cycling and other recreational activities, the bike pods will cater towards cycle tourists and offer amenities such as lockers, electrical charging stations for phones and computers, and maps.
The Bike Concierge
Whether planning a cycle journey in Oregon from out of town or a wine weekend with the girls, The Bike Concierge eliminates the barriers to cycle touring. Thom and Shelley Batty started the business in July of 2014 with the goal of increasing and promoting cycling in the state. The Bike Concierge will help you ship your bike to their office in Oregon City, reassemble it, give it a tune up, and deliver it to your hotel where it will be ready and waiting upon your arrival in Portland. They’ll also ship it back to your local bike shop at the end of your journey.
The Bike Concierge can also arrange and design tours, provide SAG (Support and Gear), and provide pick up and drop from your hotel or airport. They will also help you create custom bike tours ranging from drop offs at the top of Sandy Ridge for a day of mountain biking or point to point tours along the Oregon Coast. Further, The Bike Concierge also offers emergency pick up to stranded riders, regardless of whether their journey began with the company.
Oregon Beer
It’s no secret that Oregon provides some of the best food and beer in the nation. When traveling through the state by bike, you’re never far from a brewery, and Oregon breweries know that adventurers build big appetites. Some favorites around the state include:
Barley Brown’s in Baker City off the Grande Tour Scenic Bikeway
Agrarian Ales Brewery off the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway
Standing Stone Brewery and Caldera Brewing off the Casade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway
