Oregon cycling in numbers
50%
Bike ownership
5,000+
Miles of trails
250
State parks
88
Bike friendliness score
Oregon from a cyclist's perspective
Oregon feels built for bikes, with landscapes that range from misty coastline to high desert and forested volcanic peaks. From a cyclist’s perspective, it offers a rare combination of destination‑worthy routes, everyday riding culture, and a policy environment that generally treats bikes as a serious part of transportation rather than an afterthought.
For many riders, the Willamette Valley is the natural starting point. Quiet farm roads, vineyard views, and gentle river grades make this corridor appealing for touring cyclists and casual riders alike. The state’s officially designated scenic bikeways highlight some of the best of this terrain, stitching together historic towns, covered bridges, and low-traffic backroads in a way that feels curated for two wheels. On the western edge of the state, the Oregon Coast draws riders for multi‑day journeys linking small fishing towns, bluff‑top viewpoints, and long stretches where the Pacific is in constant view. While traffic and weather can both be factors, the scenery and sense of journey are difficult to beat.
Mountain bikers see a different side of Oregon. The Bend area has become a major hub for singletrack, with networks that mix fast, flowing trails through ponderosa forest and more technical volcanic terrain closer to the Cascades. Further afield, backcountry routes such as the Oregon Timber Trail invite experienced riders into multi‑day bikepacking adventures across forests, alpine basins, and remote communities. These trips reward preparation and self‑sufficiency but showcase just how much rideable country the state has beyond its highways.
City riding in Oregon varies, but the largest urban areas are generally more bike-friendly than most of the United States. Portland remains the flagship example, with an extensive network of neighborhood greenways, painted bike lanes, and separated paths that make many inner‑city trips comfortable for riders who are not hardened commuters. Intersections are improving, and car traffic can still feel intense on some arterials, yet the overall environment communicates that bikes belong. Eugene and Corvallis offer a similar sense of comfort on a smaller scale, with campus‑driven bike cultures, connected paths, and local governments that tend to support cycling in both planning and practice.
Not every part of Oregon feels equally welcoming. High-speed rural highways, limited shoulders, and seasonal weather can make some routes challenging, especially in winter or during wildfire season. Still, for a visiting cyclist or a rider considering a move, Oregon stands out as a place where bikes are part of the identity of many communities, and where it is possible to build a riding life that ranges from daily errands to ambitious cross‑state adventures.
Oregon Cycling Weather
Oregon offers a premier summer riding window with endless sunshine and mild temperatures, perfect for exploring its vast landscapes between the refreshing coastal mists.
Sunny days a year
190
Riding season
Mar - Oct
190 sunny days a year
Riding season
Oregon Cycling Destinations
McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway
Riding McKenzie Pass feels like slipping through several different worlds in one outing. The road climbs from dense forest into a stark lava landscape near Dee Wright Observatory, with broad Cascade views on clear days and an almost lunar feel under overcast skies. When the highway is plowed but still closed to cars in late spring, cyclists often enjoy long stretches of quiet pavement with only the sound of wind and tires. Even in the main summer season, traffic is typically moderate compared with better-known mountain passes, and the lack of services between trailheads helps keep the experience focused on the landscape rather than roadside commerce. Riders who prefer a big day can treat it as a full out‑and‑back from either side, while others shuttle to the summit and savor the descent amid jagged lava fields.
Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway
The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway links Champoeg State Heritage Area and Armitage Park near Eugene through a ribbon of farm roads, riverside stretches, and small towns that still feel connected to their agricultural roots. Riders move through hop fields, vineyards, and hazelnut orchards, often with the Cascades rising hazily to the east and the Coast Range to the west. Traffic varies, but much of the route follows relatively quiet two‑lane roads where passing vehicles are occasional rather than constant. Services are frequent enough that touring cyclists can ride light, with bakeries, diners, and campgrounds appearing at comfortable intervals. The overall character is more about flow and scenery than brute difficulty, especially if you divide it into two or three days.
Oregon Timber Trail
For mountain bikers and bikepackers, the Oregon Timber Trail has become almost mythical. It runs the length of the state through a patchwork of national forests, high plateaus, and volcanic ridgelines, linking dusty lodgepole pines in the south with mossy Cascades and Columbia Gorge views in the north. The singletrack and dirt‑road mix puts riders deep into landscapes that most visitors only glimpse from highway pullouts. Water and resupply require careful planning, and long stretches feel far from cell service or pavement. That remoteness is part of the appeal, turning the trail into a multi‑week immersion rather than a series of disconnected rides. Towns along the way increasingly recognize bikepackers, so it is now easier to patch together lodging, resupply, and shuttle options than in the route’s early years.
Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway
The Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway climbs out of Ashland toward the protected high country of Cascade‑Siskiyou National Monument, trading downtown coffee shops for oak woodlands, conifers, and distant peaks. The route starts with a sustained climb that feels honest from the first switchback, but traffic is usually light enough that riders can settle into a rhythm and focus on scenery. Cresting the high point, the sense of space opens wide, with views across the Bear Creek Valley and into California on clear days. The payoff is a long, twisting descent that rewards confident cornering and good brakes. Ashland’s compact core at the finish offers easy access to food, lodging, and bike services, which makes this loop convenient as a stand‑alone destination ride or the centerpiece of a weekend.
Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway
Just west of Portland, the Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway offers a calmer, more rural experience than riders might expect so close to a major metro area. The route runs past vineyards, berry fields, and small towns, with sections of car‑free path along forested corridors that can feel almost hidden from nearby development. Grades are modest, making it accessible to riders with a range of fitness levels, and the combination of transit access and local bike shops simplifies logistics for visitors. On clear days, glimpses of Coast Range ridges and distant peaks frame the farmland. For Portland‑based cyclists, the bikeway frequently serves as a gateway to longer loops that explore deeper into wine country or toward the Coast Range, while visiting riders appreciate how quickly it trades city noise for birds and farm machinery.
Corvallis to the Sea Trail
The Corvallis to the Sea Trail links a university town in the Willamette Valley with the Pacific, creating a full narrative arc from farmland to tidepools in a single route. Gravel riders and adventurous tourers wind through Coast Range forests, logging roads, and clearings that offer occasional far views back toward the valley. The surface is a mix of gravel, dirt, and limited pavement, so wider tires and low gears make the experience more enjoyable. Traffic is sparse for most of the route, with logging trucks more common than everyday drivers in some sections. Camping and rustic lodging options near the western end let riders turn the journey into an overnight or multi‑day outing, and the emotional payoff of finishing at the ocean gives the ride a satisfying sense of completion that lingers well after the bike is packed away.
Oregon Cycling Events
From Cycle Oregon’s scenic adventures to Portland's massive Bridge Pedal, Oregon’s events offer premier supported riding across the state's iconic landscapes.
Cycle Oregon (Rally / Classic)
Cycle Oregon is the state’s signature multi-day ride, blending small town hospitality with carefully curated routes through valleys, mountains, and historic communities. Riders camp together each night, with live music, local food, and a rolling festival atmosphere that still manages to feel friendly rather than overwhelming. Daily routes typically balance scenic reward with manageable challenge, using quiet paved roads where possible and highlighting rivers, forest corridors, and big summit views. Strong support is part of the draw, from well-stocked rest stops to on-route mechanics and SAG, which makes the event approachable for riders stepping up to their first weeklong tour.
Event website
Oregon Gran Fondo
The Oregon Gran Fondo is a one-day showcase of the South Willamette Valley and Coast Range foothills, starting and finishing in Cottage Grove. The event draws a mix of racers and recreational riders, thanks to fully supported aid stations and multiple route options that share the same festive start and finish. Paved backroads roll past farms, forests, and reservoirs, with longer options adding extended climbs and remote stretches that feel far from traffic. Mixed surface routes introduce gravel sectors that reward wide tires and confident descending. The gran fondo format suits riders who like a personal challenge within a social, non-closed course setting.
Event website
Reach The Beach
Reach the Beach is a long-running American Lung Association fundraiser that delivers riders to the Oregon Coast on fully supported routes. Participants choose from several start towns of varying distances, then converge on a shared finish line near the beach for food, music, and the classic photo with the Pacific in the background. The atmosphere leans inclusive and mission-driven rather than competitive, which makes it a popular first century for newer riders and a spring ritual for seasoned groups. Support is substantial, with frequent rest stops, mechanical help, and clear routing that allows riders to focus on turning pedals.
Event website
Providence Bridge Pedal
Providence Bridge Pedal is Portland’s signature urban ride, briefly transforming freeways and river bridges into a rolling bike parade. For one morning each year, thousands of riders get a rare chance to pedal over multiple Willamette River spans, often including freeway bridges that are usually off limits to bicycles. The tone is celebratory and family-friendly, with everything from children in trailers to serious riders on fast bikes. Views of downtown, Mount Hood on clear days, and riverside neighborhoods make the experience as much about place as about pedaling. It is an ideal way for visitors to sample Portland’s bike culture in one concentrated dose.
Event website
Blackberry bRamble
The Blackberry bRamble, organized by Eugene GEARs, combines classic Willamette Valley countryside with a relaxed community vibe and a famous post-ride feast. Routes roll out from Eugene onto quiet paved roads lined with orchards, fields, and low hills, offering both scenic views and steady, sustainable climbing. The event strongly emphasizes rider support, with route markings, food stops, and mechanical assistance that help newer riders tackle longer distances confidently. Back at the finish, riders gather for blackberry themed desserts and local fare, turning the day into as much a social gathering as a physical challenge.
Event website
Tour de Fronds
Tour de Fronds is a small town gem in Southern Oregon’s Coast Range, based in the community of Powers. Riders choose from multiple paved routes that follow low-traffic forest roads into deep green valleys, alongside rivers, and over sustained climbs to high viewpoints. The scenery highlights old-growth stands, waterfalls, and quiet clearings where you are more likely to hear a creek than a car. Local volunteers anchor the experience, staffing rest stops and serving home-style food at the finish. For riders who prefer intimate events and big scenery over crowds, it is one of Oregon’s most rewarding one-day rides.
Event websiteWhy Velosurance is best for your bicycle
Not all types of insurance are created equal. Velosurance levels the playing field by offering stand-alone bicycle coverage, where claims won’t affect your homeowner's or renter’s policy premiums.
| Policy Coverage |  | Homeowner/Renters Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Insured at Full Value | Yes | Possibly |
| Crash Damage | Yes | No |
| Theft Coverage | Yes | Limited |
| Theft by Force | Yes | No |
| Theft of Accessories | Yes | Limited |
| Theft Away From Home | Yes | Possibly |
| Vehicle Contact | Yes | No |
| Personal Liability | Yes | Possibly |
| Permissive Use Policy | Yes | No |
| Replacement Rental | Yes | No |
| Event Fee Return | Yes | No |
| Cycling Apparel Coverage | Yes | No |
| Medical Payments | Yes | Possibly |
| Racing Coverage | Yes | No |
| E-bikes | Yes | No |
| Coverage in-transit | Yes | No |
| USAC, USAT and IMBA Member Discount | Yes | No |
| FREE INSTANT QUOTE |
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