Jen and I have heard a lot about the mountain biking in Oregon over the last several years. Given that it’s kind of out in the middle of nowhere with no nearby climbing (except Smith, kinda), we have never checked it out. But now we’re in Oregon, post climbing, with bikes in the van. So, we spent a few days sampling the goods.
We did a couple days around Bend, then rode the McKenzie River Trail. After that we visited some friends at Mt Hood and rode the trails at Sandy Ridge, spent a day at Black Rock, another at Alsea Falls, and finally a shuttle lap on the Alpine Trail above Oak Ridge. With few exceptions, the trails lived up to the hype. The builders out here in Oregon know what they’re doing, and they have established some great zones that are worth checking out.
Six great days of riding (with a couple training runs thrown in) have done a great job hammering the legs and the lungs. Jen and I, along with Murphy, are all starting to feel more fit. Plus, we managed to get through all the riding without any serious crashes, which is always a positive. Now we’re ready for some touristy stuff up the Oregon Coast.
