We’re adjusting the registration process for 2012, to make it fair for everyone everywhere. Registration will be online only, and opens Feb. 7 at 9:00 p.m. (PST). The Kickoff Party route announcements should end at 7:45, giving everyone time to get home before registration opens.
Kickoff Party – February 7 (Tiger Woods Center, Nike, doors open at 6 p.m.)
Week Ride – September 8-15
Weekend Ride – July 13-15
Ken Chichester does many things for Cycle Oregon. In addition to his leadership role in route planning, he’s also in charge of obtaining road-use permits from city, state and federal agencies. During the event, he’s all about keeping riders safe. Here’s what he has to say about the small contingent of folks that make the ride a little less enjoyable for the rest of us.
In the 1960s, to combat a perception that all motorcycle riders were dirtbags and criminals, the American Motorcycle Association issued a statement saying 99 percent of all motorcycle riders are decent and lawabiding citizens, and the true bad apples only made up 1 percent of the riding public. Unfortunately, various “outlaw” motorcycle gangs enjoyed the notoriety of being such a rare species, and quickly began referring to themselves as one-percenters. To them it was a badge of honor to be recognized as a problem.
Similarly, the majority of Cycle Oregon riders are wonderful, conscientious and courteous folks and are a pleasure to ride with. However, there is always that small number of riders who through arrogance, indifference or simple ignorance act like idiots whenever they get on a bike. These riders threaten the safety and enjoyment of the ride for everyone around them. They also are responsible for a growing number of motorists who have legitimate reasons to dislike cyclists.
The Cycle Oregon one-percenters are not hard to spot. They’re the ones who don’t bother to slip into a single-file line when cars approach from behind. They’re in pacelines that are way too big to exist safely in a group ride. They’re the ones who don’t wait even a second to overtake other riders, and pull into the traffic lane in front of cars and trucks. They’re also the ones who won’t move to the right when they know they’re being passed. They’re the ones who ignore traffic laws. Unfortunately, they can occasionally be spotted in herds, which can result in even less courteous behavior. Strangely, some of the worst offenders are the most experienced riders in the bunch.
Volunteers who spend time on the course in vehicles are usually shocked to see how blatantly lame these riders can be. Even hard-core cyclists can be converted into belligerent motorists if they follow a group riding four abreast long enough (ask me how I know).
The good news: That kind of behavior does not need to be tolerated. And when we see it, we can take action. We encourage the motorcycle officers who follow the course each day, and local police officers, to ticket those who flagrantly disregard traffic laws. Cycle Oregon staff can and will pull people from the ride who repeatedly violate safety rules.
Cycle Oregon is a great time. And a little consideration on everyone’s part makes it even better. We can all be positive ambassadors for cycling by riding lawfully, courteously and safely.
Steve Shulz on the Hunt for One Percenters
Weekend Ride photos are available for viewing. Click here to view your photos.
When you hit a different town virtually every day for a week – while pedaling 400+ miles along the way – it can be hard to get a good feel for all those volunteers who make each town the unique experience it is. But it’s going to be easy to notice the Umpqua Valley Mounted Posse – they’ll be the folks patrolling the parking lot in Sutherlin on horseback, helping you find your spot and then making sure your vehicle is secure.
The mounted posse is just one example of the eclectic mix of groups Cycle Oregon encounters – and supports financially – at each stop of the event. And they’re certainly representative of all those groups, in that what we do for them tends to resonate far beyond their ranks. We spoke to Deby Hackney, the current Captain of the Umpqua Valley Mounted Posse, to find out some details.
This group has its genesis in the Douglas County Sheriff’s Posse, formed in the 1940s. Several generations of horseback riders contributed their efforts and expertise, and when the newly elected sheriff decided in 2003 that a government agency mixing horses and the public was a liability concern, he disbanded the group. But the folks involved saw too much good in what they provided to just let it die – so in 2004 the Umpqua Valley Mounted Posse was formed to carry the torch.
Their mission is simple and broad: “We’re volunteers who are dedicated to the community,” Deby explains. The group currently has 12 members (“We’re always looking for more, and you don’t have to have a horse,” she adds). They provide a variety of community service, including search and rescue, mounted security for events including rodeos and concerts, and horsemanship education to keep youth interested in horses so they’ll continue the tradition.
But one of their most fulfilling activities is their involvement each June in Camp Millennium, a facility for kids affected by cancer. “We have a Horse Day every year,” Deby says. “We go out and provide a day of riding. Kids can ride horseback or in carts, or they can just pet the horses. It’s a fantastic event; we see some of the same kids year after year, and they’ll tell us, ‘You taught me to ride!’ We look forward to it every year.”
For Cycle Oregon, they’re planning a yeoman effort – first they’ll be guiding arriving riders to parking spaces in a huge field they’ll arrange to have mowed; they’ll be working on foot and mounted. And then they’re going to patrol that lot, 24/7, while riders are out on the road for a week.
“We’re going to set up trailers called ‘living quarters horse trailers’ – kind of an RV in the front and horse trailer in the back,” Deby says, “and we’ll have a corral for the horses. We’ll share four to six different horses, taking shifts. It’s no problem – we’ve all ridden each others’ horses!”
And when it’s all over, they’ll take the money Cycle Oregon pays them for their duties and use some of it to upgrade their equipment and uniforms for the numerous parades they attend – and they’ll also spread it around among their favorite causes:
• An annual scholarship for a third-year student at Oregon State University who is interested in large-animal veterinary studies;
• Fingerprinting and Child ID kits for local families;
• Adopting a needy family for the holidays, providing food and gifts, or adopting a local senior citizen year-round.
Deby sums up her group, and their activities, like this: “The best part is just being able to provide something for people – kids petting a horse, or helping on search and rescue for law enforcement. Everyone in the group has a passion for our horses, plus serving the community. It’s a great combination.”
