Our weekly round-up of interesting bike news, commentary, and the best of what our favorite riders are up to.
Everesting, Cycling’s Latest Obsession – When shelter-in-place orders first came in it seemed as though the entire cycling community took to indoor trainers and virtual riding programs. It was a decent enough fitness substitute for many and keeping the pedals turning did a lot for mental health, too. But as the weather improved with springtime many cyclists wanted to get back out on the road and we’ve seen a good amount of research to suggest that riding outdoors poses little risk of COVID-19 transmission. Though rides and races are on hold cyclists are still looking for a challenge and the once obscure concept of Everesting has risen to sudden prominence.
It’s diabolically simple, pick any hill anywhere in the world and climb it on repeat until you’ve totaled the equivalent of Mt Everest (29, 092′ / 8,848m). Simple, though, does not mean easy; this is an incredibly arduous task physically and mentally. Even the task of hill selection will require considerable introspection. Will you prefer a short climb done dozens of times or a long climb done more than seems reasonable? The rules dictate up and down – over and over again, this challenge is not about a loop where you’ll have the diversity of varied ascents. Once the realm of oddballs and climbing fetishists, Everesting has found its way into the cycling mainstream. In just the past week we’ve seen the record for this feat broken twice, 7:52:12 and then an eye-popping 7: 40:05, both by riders from the United States. Which got us to thinking…
What Oregon climbs would you choose for your attempt? Here are a few routes from Oregon-based Ride With GPS to consider along with how many ascents you’d have to make to achieve a successful Everesting. Got a climb you love, tell us in the comments.
Quick Mt Tabor Climb x 74 times
McKenzie Pass x 13 times
Pilot Butte x 63 times
Crater Lake / South Entrance x 11 times
NW Old Germantown x 45 times
McBeth / Fox Hollow Road x 32 times
“In many ways Everesting is just the tangible, insane challenge we need for this often intangible, insane, challenging time. You do it largely alone in a quiet area with minimal, if any, support, so it’s a perfect challenge to maintain social distance and #ridesolo during the COVID-19 pandemic.” – Bicycling Magazine
Bicycling Magazine posted a great feature story on Everesting this week but leave it to Editor-in-Chief Bill Strickland to have a little fun with it. We are big fans of Bill and you won’t find a truer fan of the bike, we’re happy he keeps us in check and finds ways to make us smile through all this. Congratulations, too, on this incredible achievement, Bill!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAgET9LloTL/
Oregon Counties Continue to Open – Marion and Polk Counties are now among the total of 33 Oregon counties in Phase 1 of Governor Kate Brown’s Building a Safe and Strong Oregon re-opening plan. Under this plan and with specific restrictions, restaurants and bars for dine-in patrons, gyms, health clubs, hair salons, nail salons, and shopping malls may be open. Residents in Phase 1 counties are also allowed to hold gatherings of up to 25 people – with physical distancing requirements. While these openings allow for residents to return to local businesses non-essential travel is still not permitted under the plan. Travel Oregon has a helpful guide on What To Know About Oregon’s Outdoors Right Now.
For more information and up-to-date status on all Oregon counties, click here.
Discount Code for Cycle Oregonians – Nossa Familia Coffee has been a part of Cycle Oregon since 2005 and they are offering Cycle Oregon riders, friends, and anyone who loves bicycling in Oregon a special deal on their delicious coffee. Use the code NOSSACO2020 when shopping online and you will receive 15% off your order plus Nossa Familia will make a 5% donation back to Cycle Oregon.
Valid now through the end of September! This offer can also be combined with their free shipping over $25 deal (through May 31st) with code FREESHIP25. (Enter each code separately, please, at checkout.)
Nossa Familia is family run, farm direct, bike friendly, and a Certified B Corporation – Oregon’s first coffee roaster to achieve this distinction. Please share your support with them.