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Cycle Oregon Cancels 2020 Rides

It’s with an extremely heavy heart that we have made the tough decision to cancel all of our 2020 events—Classic, GRAVEL, Joyride and WEEKENDER—due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot predict when large events will be allowed again, or when events like Cycle Oregon will be prudent, given the continued need for physical distancing.

We did not come to this decision easily or lightly. We know the widespread impact and ripple effect these cancellations have on you and our other participants; on the Oregon communities who help stage our events and who won’t feel the economic boost from Cycle Oregon being in their towns; on the vendors who support our rides by providing food, drinks, showers, mechanical support and more; and, of course, on Cycle Oregon itself. 

Cycle Oregon is a nonprofit organization that relies solely on the income from these events to fulfill our mission to transform lives through cycling. Like many nonprofits, we are currently facing challenges unlike any we’ve ever felt before, and we are doing our best to preserve our organization. The entire Cycle Oregon staff and board of directors were looking forward to riding with you in the Painted Hills, the Willamette Valley, Corvallis and the Eastern Columbia River Gorge. We are very disappointed not to host these rides in 2020, and we are doing everything we can to be able to host rides and give back to rural Oregon for years to come. As of July 2020 we closed our Portland office, furloughed the team to 60% time, and are working remotely from across Oregon as we develop and implement a strategy to carry Cycle Oregon into 2021 and beyond.

Looking Ahead

We’re already looking forward to 2021, when we plan to offer the same events and routes that were on tap for 2020, provided we can do so in a way that is safe for our riders and the communities we visit. 

Even though we may not be able to come together in person at official Cycle Oregon events in 2020, we are still committed to providing opportunities to connect as a cycling community. While we are furloughing our team over the coming months, we don’t plan to go into hibernation. We will continue to share news and inspirational stories aimed at helping the cycling community stay active and healthy during these uncertain times. If there is anything we have learned over the last 32 years of producing Cycle Oregon, it’s that this community is resilient and will come out of this even stronger.

From all of us here at Cycle Oregon, we hope you stay safe and healthy, and we look forward to connecting with you as the year rolls on.

Support Cycle Oregon

If you would like to support Cycle Oregon and our rural communities during this difficult time, please consider these ways to help:

  1. Donate to Cycle Oregon operations. Doing so will help us continue operating during these uncertain times, and, in turn, support Oregon’s rural communities, which are being hit hard economically by the pandemic. (Note, donations are not tax-deductible, as Cycle Oregon is a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit.) To make a donation, please click here. Thank you for your support!
  2. Donate to the Cycle Oregon Fund, which is a tax-deductible donation. (Since the Cycle Oregon Fund was established in 1996, we have awarded more than 325 grants totaling $2.3 million to communities and organizations throughout the state.)
  3. Plan a future visit to one of Oregon’s world-class cycling destinations. (Gift certificates to small businesses in these places are also a great way to help out.)

General FAQs

  • I signed up for a 2020 ride that has been canceled. What happens next?

    All riders registered for a 2020 Cycle Oregon event (Classic, GRAVEL, Joyride, WEEKENDER) will automatically receive a 70% refund of their registration fee and 100% of their add-on purchases (jerseys, parking, Tent + Porter, dorm rooms, etc.). (Processing fees paid at the time of registration are not included.)

  • When will I receive my refund?

    We will start to process refunds on May 20. The refund will be processed back to the credit card used to sign up for the event within 30 days of that date.

  • Can I donate my refund to Cycle Oregon?

    Yes! If you would like to support Cycle Oregon during these uncertain times, and, in turn, support Oregon’s rural communities, which are being hit hard economically by the pandemic, please consider making a donation. (Note, donations to Cycle Oregon are not tax-deductible, as the organization is a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit). To make a donation, please click hereThank you so much for your support!

  • Why isn’t my donation to Cycle Oregon tax deductible, even though you’re a nonprofit organization?

    Cycle Oregon is a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit. This specific classification under the United States Internal Revenue Service code allows us to publicly advocate for bicycling in Oregon communities, lobby lawmakers, and even endorse candidates for public office. The ability to be politically consequential has been an important part of our work for 32 years. The Cycle Oregon Fund is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit to which all Cycle Oregon event proceeds are directed. Since the Cycle Oregon Fund was established in 1996, we have awarded more than 325 grants totaling $2.3 million to communities and organizations throughout the state.

  • Why aren’t Cycle Oregon participants receiving a full refund?

    As a nonprofit organization, our event fees go toward creating each event, with any proceeds directed back to rural communities through the Cycle Oregon Fund. As you can imagine, planning ahead for our events requires contracts with nonrefundable deposits well in advance of the event, staffing costs and advance purchases from local providers, none of which can be fully recuperated. We have a no-refund policy because registration income enables us to do this year-round work and keep our team and organization intact. We have made the decision to cancel all events now (early May) before locking ourselves financially into our largest contracts, allowing us to return as much money to riders as possible. All registered riders will receive a refund equivalent to 70% of your registration fee and 100% of any additional purchases, including apparel, Tent + Porter and parking.

  • Why are these events, some of which are months away, being canceled?

    We are closely monitoring current trends and forecasts, yet we cannot predict when large events will be allowed, or when events like Cycle Oregon will be prudent, given the continued need for physical distancing. We have made the decision to cancel all events now (early May) before locking ourselves financially into our largest contracts, allowing us to return as much money to riders as possible.

  • Why can’t I roll over my registration to the 2021 event?

    We cannot predict when large events will be allowed, or when events like Cycle Oregon will be prudent, given the continued need for physical distancing. Given this high level of uncertainty, the best course of action at this time is returning fees to registered riders. We do not expect that events like Cycle Oregon will simply go “back to normal” in 2021. In the intervening months, staff will work with colleagues in the event industry to redesign our events to respond to current guidelines and implement the practices necessary to ensure health and safety. 

  • When GRAVEL was postponed, the policy stated that registered participants had through May 31 to request a 100% refund of their registration fees and additional services and products (not including the processing fee). Is that policy still being honored?

    On March 17, we made the announcement that we would be postponing GRAVEL to October due to restrictions around large gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic. When we made that decision, we were optimistic that we would be able to safely hold the event in October. We spent additional unrecoverable expenses to keep the event on the 2020 calendar. When we announced the postponement, we presented multiple options for registered GRAVEL participants, ranging from rolling over their registration to the October date to requesting a full refund. Now that we are canceling all of our 2020 events, GRAVEL falls under the same cancellation policy as all other events: All registered riders will receive a refund equivalent to 70% of your registration fee and 100% of any additional purchases, including apparel, Tent + Porter and parking.

  • How has Cycle Oregon been impacted as an organization by the pandemic?

    Like many nonprofits, we are currently facing challenges unlike any we’ve ever felt before, and we are doing everything we can to preserve our organization. As of July 2020 we closed our Portland office, furloughed the team to 60% time, and are working remotely from across Oregon as we develop and implement a strategy to carry Cycle Oregon into 2021 and beyond.

  • Will you be giving out grants through the Cycle Oregon Fund in 2020?

    Due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 we have paused our annual grant cycle for 2020.  We will share updates and a revised timeline here and through our social media channels and newsletter. Since 1996, we have awarded more than 325 grants totaling $2.3 million through our Cycle Oregon Fund grants to towns and organizations across the state. We look forward to continuing to support Oregon’s nonprofit community well into the future.

  • Your stated cancellation policy says that “my registration fees and other costs will not be refunded by Cycle Oregon, Inc. if all or any portion of a Cycle Oregon Event is canceled or rerouted due to a force majeure event.” Why are you refunding part of my registration fee if you are not required to do so?

    The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that has caused emotional and financial hardship for many people in our community. The reason we have a no-refund policy is that we use the registration income to enable us to do this year-round work and keep our team and organization intact. But we are all in this together. While we can’t offer full refunds, we will be refunding 70% of registration fees, and 100% of any additional purchases made, including apparel, Tent + Porter and parking. This will allow us to pay all the expenses incurred to date while also returning as much money to riders as possible.

  • What about my hotel reservation, massage, bike rental, CCC charging etc.? Is that automatically cancelled as well?

    Not necessarily. If you have made independent reservations for products and services for your event, you may need to contact those vendors separately if you would like to cancel the reservation.

    Sheraton Airport Hotel for Classic – Reservations made under the group block will automatically be cancelled. If you still plan to come to Portland in September and wish to keep your reservation, you will need to contact them at (503) 335-2857 (be sure to mention that you are with Cycle Oregon). All other independent lodging arrangements will need to be cancelled by you.

    Massage – If you have made an appointment for a massage, you may contact your therapist directly or email cycleoregonmassage@gmail.com.

    Bike Gallery – If you prepaid for bike assembly or disassembly with Bike Gallery or had made arrangements for a bike rental, email info@bikegallery.com.

     

  • I Purchased cancellation insurance through Allianz Global Assistance. How do I contact them?

    To view the U.S. Coverage Alert – 2019 Novel Coronavirus / COVID-19 from Allianz Global Assistance, please click here.

    For customer service with Allianz Global Assistance, please call: 1-800-892-0130 (from U.S.) or 1-804-281-5700 (outside U.S./collect).

    To file a claim, please visit: https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/partner