Cycle Oregon riders have hot weekend in Sisters

Hundreds of cyclists roamed the highways and backroads around Sisters during the first-ever “Cycle Oregon: Weekend Ride." The riders covered hundreds of miles in triple-digit heat. photo by Jim Mitchell Most riders agreed that the first "Cycle Oregon: Weekend Ride" based in Sisters last weekend was a positive experience. But all agreed it was "hot, hot, hot."

The official Redmond high of 100 degrees was two degrees below the record for the date. Unofficially the highest temperature any riders recorded was 111 degrees on Highway 242 heading toward McKenzie Pass.

That was one of the few complaints of the weekend. Riders enjoyed the courses and the support from the Cycle Oregon crews, from the campsite preparations to the water and rest stops along the ride.

Cycle Oregon's motto could well be, "You pedal. We'll take care of everything else." For the $150 ride fee, riders were provided with tent space, meals, shuttles to town, water and snacks on the ride, hot showers, standby medical assistance, "sag" vans, mechanical services and evening entertainment.

Locally, work started Wednesday evening with the arrival of trucks, equipment, and volunteers at the Sisters Middle School athletic fields. On Thursday and Friday teams laid out the site, set up tents and put up directional signs. Bicyclists began arriving Friday afternoon.

Even before the ride, the heat was a problem for one volunteer who needed to be transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion.

Saturday's ride was planned for 75 miles from Sisters to Smith Rock and back. An optional trip to McKenzie Pass of 32.8 miles allowed riders to complete the magic "century" for the day. Out of 730 riders, ages seven to 82, only about 40 ended the ride early and hitched a ride back in one of four "sag vans" on the course.

Sisters Middle School turned into a cyclists' campground last weekend. photo by Jim Mitchell

Then there were those who were determined to get the most out of the day. One woman completed the round trip to Smith Rock then got a flat tire on the way to McKenzie Pass. She walked her bicycle back to the Sisters campsite, repaired the tire and then completed the round trip to the pass.

Back at the campsite, riders relaxed and enjoyed showers, massages, dinner and music before lights out at 10 p.m.

Sunday's ride was shorter and cooler -- Camp Polk Road then Indian Ford Road to Highway 20 and on to Wizard Falls via Camp Sherman. By 6:30 p.m. the ride was over, the campsite had been dismantled and cleaned up and the volunteers met for dinner at Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill & Saloon.

Ride Director Jerry Norquist summed up the event: "This is the first year for a weekend event. Cycle Oregon has a large economic impact on the route we travel each September. When we came through here two years ago, we were here for two nights and we know it had an impact on the community."

Norquist continued, "The problem is outside of that week on the road with Cycle Oregon, the economic impact amounts to the grants that we give to the communities that we ride through. What we are trying to look at is, 'How can we have a greater economic impact on rural Oregon for a longer period of time?'

"Our mission, our goal is to provide economic benefits to the rural communities in Oregon. That was the reason the ride started and that's what our mission is today. We're trying to create a situation where the community really enjoys having us and they call us on the phone after we're gone and say, 'We'd really like to have you back again.' That's our mission."