The Best Bike Ride in America

Tips from Fellow Riders

Cycle Oregon’s Panel of Experts

In 2008, we enlisted the help of a team of veteran Cycle Oregon riders, asking them to provide their hard-won insights into a variety of topics. The idea was to help new riders plan and prepare – and help returning riders smooth things out. From our Panel of Experts, here are pearls of wisdom on training for Cycle Oregon.

Stephen Marino of Plano, Texas
Pat Holliday of John Day, Oregon
Robert and Kathy Alvarado of Beaverton, Oregon
Bob Armstrong of John Day
Nancy Plummer and George Sears of Arvada, Colorado
Greg Armstrong of John Day
Chris and Lori Milan of Boring, Oregon
Dave Anderson of Glide, Oregon

Training

  • Try to plan opportunities to train on terrain similar to the Cycle O route. Check out local cycling club rides to get used to riding in groups. It’s a good idea to sign up for event rides in your area (like metric and full centuries) in the spring and summer to stay motivated and maintain your fitness level. Spinning classes and indoor trainer/stationary bike can be effective, but it’s important to get as much “time in the saddle” as possible by actually riding.
  • It’s important to note that what you get out of your training is what you put into it, meaning you need the time in the saddle and should try to have a minimum of 1,000 miles by the end of the summer. You should also ride a variety of terrain and in different weather conditions (e.g., heat training, etc.). While summer is busy for many people, it is possible to be ready by September to ride Cycle Oregon comfortably.
  • If you haven’t done CO before, a minimum goal would be to ride at least double the length of CO before September rolls around.
  • I plan so that I peak physically for Cycle Oregon. I don’t want to overtrain and be “saddle weary” when CO rolls around.  The goal is to be in good cycling shape so CO is a challenging event and not a tough week, but also so the week in the saddle will be fresh and something I look forward to. I like to slow down the last two weeks before CO and get my bike into the shop for a thorough going-over before CO. One tradition I have is to put new rubber (700×25, and a durable tire like Conti’s Gatorskins) on the rims approximately one week before we leave for CO.
  • People need to know that you can do Cycle O even if you’re not a high-mileage rider.
  • I rode only about 300 miles each season before my first five Cycle O’s, and almost all those miles were between May and August. It was very helpful during those times to sign up for one sponsored ride of 50+ miles each in the months of May, June and July. That was the only way I would take the time to do long rides. Really, no rocket science involved. Just try to go out and exercise on your bike to have fun.
  • We put in long hours and have to work really hard at creating time to ride. We start in the spring with shorter rides without any hills, usually 15-30 miles. After a week or two we take to the hills. We keep up the 15-30 mile weekday rides through September, with weekends reserved for longer rides (30-60 miles). After 10 Cycle Oregon adventures, we’ve found that steady effort always pays off. One thing is certain… we always end Cycle Oregon in the best shape we’ve been in all year long!