Saturday night in Cottage Grove was one to remember. Those who ventured to Main Street had an opportunity to try on a toga and pose on the hood of The Deathmobile from Animal House (the final scene from this cinematic masterpiece was filmed there). Others stayed close to camp and paid a visit to The Blogmobile where they shared their Cycle Oregon war stories with the world through the magic of social media. Evening announcements contained a moment of silence followed by an emotional performance of America the Beautiful as the crowd reflected on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
On Sunday the riders were treated to cooler temperatures for their long and scenic ride to Reedsport where they had the bucolic back roads all to themselves. In town they were greeted with a warm welcome and a cold carton of chocolate milk. Those who ventured into Bedrock’s Chowder House were rewarded with some incredible local seafood.
Bandon, here we come!
Greg Lee owns and operates Log House Plants in a little town called Cottage Grove, Oregon. Greg also happens to be a very talented photographer AND happens to shoot for Cycle Oregon. His photos from yesterday and today to a very nice job of telling the story of Day One (other than the fact that it was pretty hot out and there was a climb that caught a few people by surprise).
So today’s blog post is courtesy of Mr. Greg Lee. Thanks Greg for all you do.
It was a hot day in Sutherlin as the bulk of the riders made their way to camp. With high temperatures forecast for tomorrow, the smart ones are now tucked away in their tents and ready for an early morning. The Bike Gallery crew worked all through the afternoon assembling bikes. They won’t be getting to bed any time soon. Nor will they get a chance to catch up on their sleep. They keep a grueling schedule, but, thanks to their tireless efforts, the circus will be ready to leave town shortly.
Thanks Bike Gallery!
Even though you’ll be putting in a LOT of saddle time over the next few days, it’s important to remember Cycle Oregon is about much more than the ride. Learning a little about the host communities and meeting the locals is a crucial part of the complete experience, and something not to be missed. These rural communities serve as a refreshing reminder of things that seem to have been long forgotten in many urban areas. Kids have manners, mom-and-pop shops are the norm, architecture matters, and people say “hello” when walking down the street. The people in these towns are genuinely connected to each other in much in the same way cyclists are connected. Perhaps that’s why the two communities always seem to mesh so beautifully.
There’s a wealth of great information on each community in the Rider Handbook (if you haven’t taken a good look at it yet, you can download it here). And, of course, every town has been featured in depth through newsletter articles.
Just in case you missed them, here are some highlights:
Sutherlin
Sutherlin is located in one of the many valleys between the Cascade Mountain Range and the Costal Range and is a sportsman’s paradise. Its proximity to rivers, creeks and ponds makes it a serious draw for fishermen, boaters, hikers and campers. It’s also enjoyed by oenophiles, with many of Oregon’s best wineries within striking distance (including Abacela, which makes mind-blowning Tempranillos and is the namesake for my dog).
There’s even a boxing event scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, put on by the Sutherlin High School’s booster club and the James Gang Boxing gym, at Sutherlin High School.
Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove is nestled in the forests and farmland at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. In 1926 silent film actor Buster Keaton directed and starred in The General, which he shot in Cottage Grove. The film is considered to be one of the greatest in movie history. The highlight of the film was the destruction of a locomotive as it steamed onto a burning bridge. Long before the days of CG and special effects, the scene was shot on the Row River and the train remained there until it was recovered for scrap during WWII.
While the train and bridge are gone, there are plenty of other bridges to enjoy around Cottage Grove. Just want to stay in town? No problem. Downtown Cottage Grove is a National Historic District, so there’s plenty to take in right there.
Reedsport
The ride from Cottage Grove to Reedsport will make for one of the longer, tougher (and most spectacular) days on this year’s Cycle Oregon. The reward at the end of the day is a fantastic coastal town that begs to be explored for a few days rather than a few hours. There are many great coffee houses, restaurants and attractions close to camp, so there are plenty of options for those that want to venture out. Winchester Bay is only three miles from Reedsport, so if you’re itching to dip your toes in the Pacific for the first time, that’s where you’ll want to be.
Bandon
Like Reedsport, there’s no shortage of fun to be found in Bandon. Golfing, horseback riding, fishing, birding, art workshops, wine tasting, hiking and local theater are all viable options. Information on all these activities and more is available in the Rider’s Handbook as well as the Bandon Chamber of Commerce’s website. The optional ride on the layover day is a nice one, but no one can fault you if you choose to do the tourist thing instead.
Powers
Like Sutherlin, Powers is a powerful draw for hunters, fishermen and outdoor sports enthusiasts. It’s a small community, and the entire downtown can be walked in a matter of minutes. But it’s still a downtown worth exploring, and the high school and Senior Center are providing bus service from camp for those who don’t feel like making the one-mile trek. You will have done a lot of climbing to get to Powers, so there’s no reason to feel bad about giving your getaway sticks a quick break.
Riddle
More small-town goodness awaits in Riddle. A river runs behind the fields/park where we’ll be camped, for those who want to take a dip. The old Hanna Nickel mining/smelter site is on the route to town, and if you’re into sawmills there are several within two miles of camp (modern sawmills are actually pretty impressive).
And if you’ve had enough of the small-town thing, the Seven Feathers Casino is five miles away. There’s a wine tasting there from 5-7 on Friday and, if you didn’t get enough rodeo last year, there’s one right at the casino on Saturday afternoon. Something tells me it’s not going to be as amazing as Pendleton, though.
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
