Come Bicycle Tour the Crooked River Canyon with Good Bike Co.

Good Bike Co. offers 1-7 day Bicycle Touring trips in and around Central Oregon with Inn to Inn shuttling, bicycle rentals, and on call tech repair each day. We create the trip for you, you get to go out and enjoy it! Connect with us to book your 2017 Central Oregon Tour. Big thanks to Mackenzie and Central Oregon Daily for a great day Bicycle Touring the Crooked River Canyon.

http://zolomedia.com/destination-oregon-crooked-river-cycling/

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Good Bike Co. LLC || 284 NE 3rd St, Prineville, OR 97754 || 541-903-0509 || info@goodbikeco.com || @goodbikeco || www.goodbikeco.com

Studded Tires || Now is the time!

Suomi (was Nokian) & Schwalbe Studded Tires

How effective are the studs?

To describe the stud's effectiveness, I'll use an analogy. Think about walking with rubber soled shoes on three surfaces; dry clean asphalt, glare ice, and glare ice that's been sprinkled with sand. On the dry asphalt you can run and make sharp turns without any concern about your shoes skidding. On the ice, you can only walk carefully, changing direction and speed slowly, lest you Fall Down Go Boom (that's FDGB for those of you, "in the know" so to speak). On ice that someone has nicely sprinkled some sand over, you can walk easily and perhaps even run. But if you do run you won't be making any sharp turns or trying to stop quickly, as you would on dry asphalt, since you know full well that those little grains of sand aren't glued onto the ice, and can roll if pushed hard enough.

Riding on ice with studded tires is like walking on ice that's been lightly covered with sand. It's pretty safe. You're not likely to fall unless you do something stupid. You're not going to have the same traction you would have on dry pavement. But you're going to have far more than you would with regular tires on ice. Keep in mind that there's ice down there and you'll be fine. Try to be a hero, and you'll probably pay a price.

Those awful defective tires!

Nokian and Schwalbe studded tires have a thick layer of rubber on the sidewalls. Very often you'll see small indentations in the rubber, caused by air bubbles in the rubber when it's liquid. These are not defects, the screaming epithets of bow tie clad tire collectors notwithstanding. Some folks buy tires to ride; apparently, others buy them to look at. It takes all kinds. ;-)

How to decide between models.

As you read through the descriptions of the various models, you'll notice that I recommend some for riding on the road, some for off road, some for pavement, and others for dirt. Some work better on plowed roads, some are better for getting out of icy ruts. It can be difficult to accurately describe the differences in performance between some of these tires. Take for example the Nokian W106 700x35 and the Nokian A10 700x32. Other than the obvious difference in width and height, these two tires are quite similar in performance, though they look different. The W106 has deeper tread blocks, which makes it better in deep snow than the A10 with its finer tread. But on clear asphalt, the A10 will have lower rolling resistance, again due to the tread. But how big is the difference?

Anyone who has spent much time on snow knows that it changes its consistency quite a bit between when it falls from the sky, until it finally melts away in the spring. Snow can go through many cycles of melting and refreezing. It packs down under its own weight, as well as under foot and the tires of cars and trucks. Snow at 29 degrees is very different from snow at 12 degrees. And these varying snow conditions affect the behavior of bicycle tires. You could have two identical bicycles and riders, one with the A10 and the other with the W106, and on Tuesday the W106 might work better on snow than the A10, when on Wednesday, the A10 could be better. Nothing has changed other than the snow, which has been on the ground another day, or perhaps has had another layer added overnight. There's really no way of predicting how two tires might compare all the time. And, the difference in rolling resistance, while real, isn't like the difference between riding a full knobby mountain bike tire and a high quality slick tubular sewup racing tire with silk casing. It's a fairly small difference. All studded winter tires are going to have high rolling resistance, compared with fast summer tires. A half hour summer commute can easily become a 35 minute commute on studded tires. And if I had to guess, I'd say the difference in riding time for that half hour commute, comparing the W106 and the A10 on clear pavement, would generally be more like a minute. So, yeah, it's real, but how important is that minute to you? Perhaps the added clearance between the tire and fender offered by the smaller A10 would be more important. Or maybe the greater distance between the road surface and the rim, due to the larger tire size in the W106 would be most important. If you're dealing with water covered potholes in Boston, it may well be. Only you know the answer to that.

Air Pressure

Ignore the printed pressure ratings on the sidewalls of studded tires, and all bicycle tires for that matter. The tire manufacturers know that most people hold the erroneous belief that the higher the pressure, the better. So they base their pressure rating on some percentage of the highest pressure the tire will hold before blowing off the rim. But that doesn't mean that your rim will withstand the force placed on the sidewall by your tire at that pressure, or that the ride at that pressure will be better. I'll soon have a more complete explanation posted here. But for now, use the following as a rough guide to air pressure.

The skinniest tire we sell is the Nokian A10 700x32 or 30-622. 30 to 32mm wide. Use 60psi as the maximum pressure in this tire. The widest tire we sell is the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 700x2.25 or 57-622. 57mm wide. Use 30psi as the maximum for this tire. (I run mine at 25psi) As the tire gets fatter, the PSI must be lower. If the 57mm wide tire could hold 60psi, the rim's sidewalls would be subject to extremely high loads, and would soon crack, unless you were using an extremely heavy rim, which most people wouldn't want to use.

By the way, with no snow or ice on the ground, don't ride aggressively with studded tires. Just as riding hard will wear the tread blocks of regular knobby tires quickly in summer, it will do the same in winter, and the studs will be more likely to rip out of the tire. Take it easy on the clear patches.

By the way, with no snow or ice on the ground, don't ride aggressively with studded tires, even the W240. Just as riding hard will wear the tread blocks quickly in summer, it will do the same in winter, and the studs will be more likely to rip out of the tire. Take it easy on the clear patches. You can let 'er rip on the ice, but not on pavement or rocky trails. Stud wear and stud damage are two different things. The studs don't wear out, being carbide. But they can be ripped out.

If you are buying tires for riding single track in winter, and you need to save money, there is a way to do it. Get a very aggressive tire for the front, an Extreme 294 or Ice Spiker, and then use an Extreme 120, Mount & Ground or Snow Stud in the rear. You won't get quite as good grip while climbing a steep trail as you would by having aggressive tires front and rear, but if your trails aren't too steep, you should be just fine. The more aggressive front tire will still be there to get you through icy ruts. For the commuter riding paved roads, there really is no alternative to having the W106 or A10 on both wheels. So unless you're riding to work on rail trails, I strongly recommend you use studded tires on both wheels, not just the front.

About the studs

The studs in all Nokian and Schwalbe tires are made of carbide, which is a very hard material. The studs are quite durable. But it is possible occasionally for a stud to come out of the tire. This is most likely to happen when riding single track. On single track in winter you can get a mix of snow, ice and exposed rock. When climbing steeply or braking hard while descending, studs can occasionally tear out of the tire when you go over exposed rock. It happens rarely, and mostly it happens with heavier riders, say over 200 lbs. Losing a stud once in a while is no cause for alarm, it's normal wear and tear, and is not covered by the warrantee. With 294 studs in the Extremes for example, you'd have to lose a whole lot of them for the tires to perform poorly. And in fact, most riders will never lose a stud on the Nokians. But it can happen. Just keep riding, have fun, and don't worry about it.

And don't worry about the studs damaging your inner tubes. They won't. The tires are carefully designed to prevent the studs from puncturing the tube. The base of the stud is flat, like the head of a nail. So (to extend the analogy) the point of the nail is outside the tire to grip the ice, and the head of the nail is embedded in the tire casing. And, yes, you do need inner tubes with our studded tires. They will not work without inner tubes. And, you can just use your regular old inner tubes. You don't need special tubes for these tires. As tires age, the casing deteriorates, and then the studs can push through the casing. But it's not so much that the studs are damaging the casing, but more that the old worn out casing can't keep the studs in place.

The studs will not make the bike skid on pavement. If they did we couldn't sell them. They only help the tires to NOT skid on ice. They have no effect on pavement, except for a chattering sound.

Like all things, studded tires will eventually wear out. The casing may fail around a knob. Some knobs may break off. Some studs will rip out. The sidewalls will tear or shred. This happens to all tires eventually, these Nokians and Schwalbes are no different from other high quality tires. We could sell tires that would outlast your bike. But they would be too heavy and you wouldn't want to ride. So I suppose that would make them last even longer. When your tires wear out, you'll have lots of great memories of all those rides that wore out your tires. So when they wear out, don't get mad. Get another pair and go back out and ride some more.

One thing's for sure. Your winter tires with carbide studs will outlast any other studded tires available, at least those that use steel studs.

Getting off your bike!

So there you are, riding along on glare ice with good control. You start to think you're a hero. And then you have to stop. So, you grab the brakes, the bike comes to a controlled stop, and you put your foot down, just like in the summer. ZING! Your foot slides to the side, and you fall over doing a perfect Olga Korbut split. That's right, your shoe doesn't have carbide studs like your tires. So, unless you're a gymnast, be careful when you stop on ice!

27" & various other sizes?

There are no 27" tires available with carbide studs. Don't confuse 700c with 27", they aren't the same. Please don't call or write asking for 27" studded tires. They don't exist and since there are virtually no bicycles in current production using 27" tires, I would be shocked if any company would start making a 27" studded tire. Also, there are no 16" or 12" or 18" studded tires. To my knowledge, no studded tires exist for penny farthings, Tonka Trucks, Formula 1 race cars or baby carriages, although I saw a report on Fox News that babies have entered a class action suit in federal court against tire manufacturers claiming discrimination. So, stay tuned.

I Have a Racing Bike!

I'm sorry you have a racing bike. Really, I am. The reason I'm sorry is that nobody makes a studded tire that will fit on any modern road racing bicycle. Racing bikes typically come with 700x23mm (23-622) tires. If you look at the clearance between your tires and those parts of your bike that the tires come close to, you'll see that there is probably no more than 4mm or 5mm clearance at some points. And at the top of the tire, particularly where the tire goes under the front brake, you could have as little as 3mm of clearance.

Since the smallest 700c (622) studded tire is 32mm, measuring about 30mm tall and wide, there is simply no way that they will fit in most racing frames.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do the studs really work?

A: No. It's hard enough just getting the lazy bums out of bed in the morning. Forget about work!

Q: How long will the tires last?

A: About two weeks, or two miles, which ever comes first, or last, or...

Q: I normally ride 700x35 tires. Will the 700x35 tires fit on my bike?

A: Absolutely not! But they'll make great wall hangings for your garage.

Q: Are you just kidding?

A: Moi?

The Real FAQ!

Q: You used to say that only Nokian made good studded tires. Why have you changed your tune and are selling Schwalbe?

A: Schwalbe used to specify steel studs for their studded tires. Now they have carbide studs, just like Nokian, so I'm now happy to sell Schwalbe studded tires as well as Nokian. We've been selling many other Schwalbe tires for several years now (see my web page) and the quality is terrific. We've been very happy with the quality of the Schwalbe studded tires.

Q: Will the studs rust?

A: Yes, you'll get some surface rust on the studs, it's normal, and it has no ill effect on the studs. Just keep riding! ;-)

Q: Are replacement studs available?

A: No, unfortunately. I have loose studs here for installing in new tires that arrive here with a stud missing. But I have no studs to sell for replacement.

Q: How can studs fall out of the tire tread?

A: The main reason studs fall out is riding too aggressively on pavement or on rocky trails. You cannot use studded tires on dry ground the same way you would use summer tires. On ice, you can ride as hard as you dare without damaging the tire or losing studs. But when you reach a bare patch of ground, you must take it easy, lest the studs be ripped from the tread.

Q: Why do Nokian tires have a tag stating that you should ride the tires on paved roads for 30 miles before using them on ice?

A: It's because Nokian is very sloppy in how they install the studs, and doesn't take the time to ensure that every stud is fully seated in the tire tread before shipping it. With some studs partly hanging out of the tire tread, if you ride them hard, the studs can easily fall out. Riding them "easy" is supposed to help seat the studs. Of course this as all just bovine excrement, and those half seated studs can still easily fall out.

Q: My friend heard that studded tires will skid on roads without ice because the metal studs can slide on the pavement. Isn't that true and shouldn't I only use them on ice?

A: While it is obviously true that a tire made entirely of carbide would have precious little traction on asphalt, the carbide studs in bicycle tires, as well as those in automobile tires only protrude a very short distance from the rubber surface; one millimeter in the case of bicycle tires, and about 3mm in the case of automobile tires.

The studs are embedded in relatively soft rubber, so when the stud contacts pavement, it sinks back down into the tread, and only slightly effects the contact pressure of the surrounding rubber for perhaps 1mm in radius, leaving well over 99% of the remaining tread with exactly the same contact with the pavement, but with infinitesimally higher pressure. On the softer ice, the carbide stud sinks, not back into the tire tread, but into the ice.

Anyone claiming that studded tires have less traction on either wet or dry pavement only proves that he's never ridden a bike with studded tires, nor driven a car with them. They are perfectly safe on roads without ice. Were that not the case, tire manufacturers would have been hauled into court decades ago and studded tires would have been banned. While in the cycling world there is some confusion about the subject, in the automobile world studded tires are well known as the life saving devices they are. Since every driver knows that in a typical winter, you spend perhaps 2% of your time driving on ice, and the rest of the time on clear pavement, were there any truth to the notion of these tires being a danger, they wouldn't be available for sale, certainly not in our litigious society. There is nothing to be concerned about.

Q: Most days in winter there's no ice on the roads. Should I swap out the studded tires for regular tires when I know there won't be ice? Won't my studs last longer if I don't ride them on clear pavement?

A: No. You should put the studded tires on in the late fall and leave them on all winter. If the studs were made of steel, you would need to be concerned about wear. Carbide studs last as long as the rubber tire itself, so there's no need to worry about stud wear. And, you never know when water might find its way onto the road surface during the day, only to freeze after the sun goes down and you have to ride home from work. It's best to be safe. Leave your studded tires on all winter. Sure, they're a little heavier, and you can hear the studs chattering on the pavement. That's the price of added safety.

The Most Frequently asked Question of All!

Q: Which tire should I buy?

A: I'll try to boil it down here.

Singletrack

If you don't know what singletrack means, feel free to skip to the next section, and don't buy the Nokian Extreme 294, 700c Extreme 294, Schwalbe Ice Spiker or Ice Spiker Pro.

If you ride singletrack, you know that your tires need to have large knobs or tread blocks to give you traction climbing, descending and cornering on dirt, leaves and gravel. In the winter, you need the same type of tires you use in summer, but to deal with ice, you also need studs. The various Nokian Extremes and Schwalbe Ice Spikers have aggressive knobby treads, just like summer tires, but on many of the tread knobs, they also have a carbide stud. So these tires are for riding singletrack in winter. Just like in the summer, if you ride knobby tires on a paved road, your bike will roll slower than it would if you had a smooth tread tire. We have studded tires for riding on the road. So you don't need to use knobbies with studs on paved roads. Use knobbies on singletrack.

Dirt Roads and Paths that May or May Not be Plowed

Roads and bike paths that only sometimes get plowed are likely to have icy ruts. What's an icy rut, mommy? It's when snow falls, and a car or bicycle is driven over the snow, and then it rains or gets warm, and the snow starts to melt, and then the temperature drops, and the tracks made by the car or bicycle tires becomes a semi permanent fixture on the surface of the ice. If you ride your bike into one of these ruts, it's difficult for the tire to leave the rut. It might start to climb up the side but then it slips down to the bottom of the rut. In order to get out, the tire must have studs positioned towards the side of the tread, so it can grip the side of the rut, and climb out.

Tires such as the Nokian W240, Nokian Mount & Ground (M&G), and Schwalbe Marathon Winter all have studs placed towards the sides of the tread. The M&G has the least studs, and is least expensive as a result. The W240 has 240 studs and a moderately aggressive tread, almost as aggressive as a singletrack tire but not quite, and it therefore has lower rolling resistance when you are on clear pavement than a knobby would have.

If you ride mainly on plowed roads, but want to be safer in the event you do decide to go off on some unplowed trails, one of these tires is your best choice. Rolling resistance might be slightly higher than with a pure road tire like the Nokian A10, but if you do get into a rut, you'll prefer having one of these rather than the A10, or a W106.

Plowed Roads

If you only ride on roads that are regularly plowed, you'll never have to deal with icy ruts. If you never have to ride on rutted ice, you won't ever need studs towards the sides of your tires. You only need studs in contact with the ice when your bike is upright or just leaning in a turn. Turning doesn't require studs near the sidewall of the tire. So a tire like the Nokian W106 or Nokian A10 will be just fine. These tires are less expensive because they have fewer studs, and studs are expensive to make. While I haven't done a side by side comparison, my educated guess is that the W106 should give better traction when riding on new snow, or while it's snowing. But I suspect the A10 has lower rolling resistance when riding on clear pavement.

Remember!

Studs only affect traction on ice. Studs have no affect on snow or dirt or pavement, either wet or dry. So when you look at the photos of the various tires, you're looking at two things: the rubber tread, and the location of the studs. They are two entirely separate issues, because the rubber tread has no influence whatsoever on ice, and the studs have no influence whatsoever on anything other than ice. So when I talk about one tire being better in snow than another, it has nothing to do with the studs, only the rubber tread.

This page updated: Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Peter White Cycles
Hillsborough, NH 03244
USA
(C) Copyright Peter Jon White, 2002.

Bicycling Boosts Crook County Economy

Mountain biking, related activities add tourism jobs

By Stephen Hamway / The Bulletin / @Shamway1

Published Nov 11, 2015 at 12:01AM

Long known as a regional center for logging and agriculture, Crook County is trying to attract a different outdoor industry.

The county has a number of projects designed to make Prineville a regional hub for bicycle-related tourism, including the first Ochoco Gravel Roubaix, a bike race that drew 150 riders, and a 1.5-acre bike park in Prineville slated to open next spring.

Perhaps most importantly, several public and private parties are adding to the region’s mountain biking trails, leveraging the city’s proximity to the Ochoco Mountains and 66 acres of state land in southwest Prineville, known locally as the Lower 66. Central Oregon Trail Alliance is adding to the approximately 3 miles of nonmotorized trails in the Lower 66, according to Darlene Henderson, COTA’s Crook County chapter representative.

Casey Kaiser, executive director of the Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce, said the addition, which is designed to extend trails to the top of the rim overlooking downtown Prineville, would add up to 15 miles of trails to the system within three to five years.

Additionally, Kaiser said Crook County wants to double the amount of single-track trails in the Ochocos, to around 150 miles. These trails, which could be complete within five to 10 years with help from volunteers and various state and federal agencies, represent an opportunity to diversify the Crook County economy, Kaiser said.

“Prineville historically has been pretty dependent on industries that have had a lot of ebbs and flows,” he said.

Crook County’s economic recovery has lagged behind the rest of Central Oregon. In September, Crook County had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate that was more than 3 percentage points higher than the rate in adjacent Deschutes County, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Woodgrain Millwork, once Crook County’s third-largest employer, will be shuttering its remaining operations in Prineville at the beginning of 2016.

However, the leisure and hospitality sector has bounced back somewhat in recent years. In the second quarter of 2015, 633 jobs in Crook County were in leisure and hospitality, up from 589 during the same period in 2014. County Commissioner Seth Crawford said bike-related tourism is leading the charge.

“I’ve seen a lot more people coming into town and eating in town and staying in hotels here,” Crawford said. “Outdoor tourism is really our bread-and-butter.”

Outdoor tourism in Prineville received a boost in October 2014, when Good Bike Co., the first retail bike shop in town, opened on NE Third Street.

“You need about three, four things for that (bicycle) industry to flourish, and I filled one of those gaps,” said owner James Good. “It gives you more validity … as an industry within the community.”

Good said one advantage that Crook County has over other mountain biking destinations is its remote location. Unlike Bend or Hood River, it’s easy to find relatively deserted biking trails near Prineville.

Kaiser added that the trails in the Ochocos tend to be more rugged and technically challenging, which attracts a different demographic. The only thing missing, Good said, is more trails.

“You talk to anyone in Bend, if they know the Ochocos, they’ll say it’s probably some of the best single-track riding in Central Oregon,” he said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com

Prineville Bike Park on fast track to reality!

Group has raised enough funds to start construction

Katie Higgins

http://www.ktvz.com/news/prineville-bike-park-on-the-fast-track/34541238

PRINEVILLE, OR

The Bend bike scene just got a little bit of friendly competition from another High Desert city. That's because the Crook County chapter of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance finally has enough funds gathered to build a bike park near downtown Prineville.

The city is already a stop for many cyclists traveling one of two major trails that  run right through Prineville, the Trans-American and Oregon Outback.

"It just dissects Prineville," James Good, owner of the Good Bike Co., said Tuesday.

Good says he meets people from all over the world at his shop.

"Last week, we had a guy from Switzerland and a group from Australia," Good said.

His shop caters to passers-by and locals. He says the bike scene in Prineville has always been there, but now it's emerging even more. It's not a hidden secret any more. The bike park will help that even more.

"The bike park and these local trails, it's enough to get people out and about," Good said.

Crook County donated a one-acre parcel to the Crook County Central Oregon Trail Alliance chapter. The bike park will have rock and wood features, jumps, pump tracks and more. It'll be \open to mountain bikes, strider bikes and BMX bikes.

"I'm up in the mountains, and if I get up in the mountains to a really rocky, technical section. I can come back in town and practice it and hopefully ride it next time," Good said.

Anyone can practice, but it's locals who got the wheels turning.

"A lot of local businesses are supporting tools and materials," Good said.

That's everyone from kids donating a dollar to large businesses donating thousands. Others are donating in kind, giving materials and time. Construction is planned to start next year.

To find out more about the project, visit: http://cotamtb.com/2015/prineville-bike-park/

Central Oregon Farm and Ranch Tours

Pigs and goats and cows and … bikes! Central Oregon puts its own spin on agritourism this summer and fall with the inaugural Crooked River Open Pastures (CROP) series in and around the town of Prineville, just 35 miles north of Bend.

Organized by the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance, the Saturday tours include rotating farmers markets at local farms and ranches, the chance to meet the farmer and various family-friendly activities. “For visitors it’s a great opportunity to learn about where their food comes from,” says Seth Crawford, Crook County Commissioner. “That’s why I take my daughters. I want them to know.”

CROP events run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are free of charge. The fun began in May and will run through October 10, culminating with a day at Windy Acres Dairy Farm (with special guest Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, chronicled in Michael Pollan’s best-selling book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” There is a small fee for this event).

Prineville’s bike shop, Good Bike Company, will host two-wheeled tours along the CROP stops. Visitors can also book guided bike tours of the area on other days. Good Bike owner James Good says road bikers will find authentic, down-to-earth people in a beautiful area. “There is exceptional road riding and exceptional farms and ranches producing some the of the best cheeses and meats and vegetables that you can find,” says Good Bike owner James Good, “So to combine the two is the perfect marriage.”

The CROP tour on July 11 visits Bluestone Gardens, which offers herbs, plants, goats milk and landscape design services. On July 18, Dancing Cow Farms hosts, giving people the chance to view heritage and pasture-raised cows, sheep and poultry. Flying Pig Hops farm is the venue on August 8. Crawford says the location, tucked in at the western edge of Crook County, offers gorgeous views of Smith Rock. On August 15, visitors can meet a professional forester and have a “timber-to-table” experience at Wine Down Ranch. September 12 will see a harvest gala at Smudgie Goose Farm, and Sept. 19 takes people on a tour of award-winning Brasada Ranch.

CROP tour enthusiasts can pick up a passport and collect stamps along the way for a yet to be determined prize. For more information, go to the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance’s website.

Oregon Outback 2015

Gravel ride across Oregon likely to roll into Prineville today

Crook County proving popular for bikepacking and gravel riding

By Beau Eastes / The Bulletin / @beastes

James Good expects the first Oregon Outback riders to reach his Prineville bike shop, Good Bike Co., some time today.

The Outback, the 364-mile unsanctioned and unsupported off-the-grid gravel ride/race that starts in Klamath Falls and concludes in the Columbia River Gorge, kicked off Friday in Southern Oregon. While most of the 200 to 300 bicyclists participating in this year’s event will take five to seven days to complete the ride, a handful of hard-core “bikepackers” — camping via bike — will be shooting to finish the whole trip in around 24 hours.

With his shop located in the only full-service town on the route — the Outback riders also roll through the booming metro areas of Silver Lake, Fort Rock and Shaniko, to name a few — Good is planning on helping cyclists 225 miles into the Outback any way he can.

“We’ve got a map room, coffee, beer, a lot of different resources,” said Good, who last summer opened his bike business in a former service station on U.S. Highway 26 right in the heart of Prineville’s downtown. “We’re in an old gas station, so we try to help people refuel, whatever way that means to them.”

Cycling is becoming more prevalent in Crook County, which in the past has been known more as a ranch and ag area than a place supportive of spandex and singletrack.

In less than two weeks, on June 4, Good’s shop will celebrate its grand opening in conjunction with the official introduction of the Lower 66 mountain bike trail network on the west side of Prineville. Later this summer, Prineville hopes to break ground on a BMX bike park, and the Central Oregon Trail Association recently adopted several mountain bike trails to maintain within the Ochoco National Forest.

City and county officials are working on earning a scenic bikeway designation from the state for a ride south of town in the Crooked River Canyon. And Prineville has long been a stop on the TransAmerica Bike Trail, the road cycling route that starts at the Pacific Ocean and ends at the Atlantic.

But the regional surge in bikepacking and gravel riding may be where Crook County truly makes its mark in the cycling world. The county is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of gravel and dirt roads.

“The Ochoco (mountains) and gravel roads are five to 10 miles from town,” said Good, who in August is putting on the inaugural Ochoco Gravel Roubaix, which will offer 10-, 45- and 120-mile gravel races. “There’s a lot of designated and primitive camping in the Ochocos that you can turn a beautiful ride into a fun, short weekend experience.”

The incredible growth of the Oregon Outback highlights the soaring interest in long-distance bikepacking trips. After organizing a handful of gravel rides around the state, off-road enthusiast Donnie Kolb put together the unpaved beast that would become Oregon Outback in 2014. He figured he would have a hard time attracting more than 50 people on a ride that climbs more than 14,000 feet over 360 miles. To his astonishment, he had to shut down registration after 400 bikers signed up. Slightly more than 100 cyclists actually completed the first running of the Outback. This year that number was expected to be closer to 300.

“The riding in Central Oregon is spectacular,” said Abraham Sutfin, who owns the bike shop Abraham Fixes Bikes in north Portland. “It’s some of the best in the state.”

Sutfin, who has done long-distance bike tours all over the Pacific Northwest and even New Zealand, says the allure of gravel riding is the chance to get off the grid and provide for yourself.

“It puts cyclists in a place where they don’t have to rely on state parks and bike hostels,” said Sutfin, whose latest project is to find a rideable route along the Deschutes River from its conflux with the Columbia all the way to Bend. “In Oregon, you can pull off on the side of any dirt road and camp and not bother anyone. … Getting off paved roads, it brings people to places where they don’t have to rely on civilization.”

Even Travel Oregon, the marketing arm of the state, is getting in on the gravel craze, publicizing popular gravel rides around Oregon.

“This isn’t just a fad,” Good said about newfound popularity of bikepacking and gravel riding. “Yeah, they’ll be some ebbs and flows … but I just see it growing.

“There’s something to be said about Prineville,” he added. “It’s still very Western and real life. It’s refreshing for folks. The area’s not this big, hyped up place, but instead it’s real and fun and you can have a unique experience out here that’s hard to find.”

Rode Trip: Pedaling in Prineville via @pathlesspedaled

Bend, OR is generally considered Central Oregon’s bicycle capital. It has a great cycling culture, plethora of bike shops, and easy access to both mountain bike trails and great road rides. However, this past weekend we explored a town not too far away from Bend that we feel has the bones to be the next adventure bike capital of Central Oregon – Prineville.

Yep, Prineville.

Prineville is already on the map, so to speak, for bicycling. It is directly on both the Adventure Cycling TransAM route as well as the Oregon Outback. It has a great local brewery, Solstice Brewing Company, and most recently a local bicycle shop again, The Good Bike Co. Several community members are aware of the potential of bicycle tourism in Prineville, as seen by a recent Ford Foundation leadership class choosing bike racks as their signature project. In Prineville, all the ingredients are finally coming together.

Riding the North Star

We’ve spent a little time in Prineville, but haven’t really delved deep into the cycling in the area until this weekend. We decided to ride one of the RideWithGPS Ambassador Routes in the area called the North Star that was mapped out by James at The Good Bike Co. It is a 45-mile loop starting and ending in downtown Prineville, and traversing fantastic country roads and mixed terrain in the local Ochoco Mountains. We were joined by Laura’s brother and sister-in-law, who are Bend residents and also curious about the riding possibilities out of Prineville.

We started at around 11am from Good Bike Co and rolled North on Main St, which eventually becomes McKay Rd (pronounced “mc-KAI” by the locals). Main St has an ample bike lane out of town, which we appreciated. After passing some businesses and residential areas, the land opens up considerably. You find yourself surrounded on either side by ranches and farms. By mile 5, you are on a gentle country road that looks as pastoral as anything you’ll ever see. The traffic was extremely light and the few cars that passed went out of their way to pass safely.

The fun starts at around mile 13 when you are on NF-33 and the pavement turns into dirt. The road surface on the ascent was pretty hard-packed and surprisingly smooth. Laura rode 28mm Panaracer Gravel Kings which have a fairly fine file tread pattern and didn’t have a problem. The only tricky part was near the summit where the road was wet from melting snow. It made for a tacky surface. If we had wetter conditions, it wouldn’t have been as pleasant, since we no doubt would have been slogging through a lot of mud. The climb was pleasantly shaded and ran alongside McKay Creek that was flowing with water. James told us that it is seasonal and generally dries up in the Summer, so its not a reliable source of water later in the year. You’ll also notice quite a number of primitive camping areas along the road (mental note for future bike tours in the area).

The descent was fun and fast. It is on the downhill that you finally get a few views of the surrounding mountains, so be sure to stop and take it in. Just before we hit pavement again we passed Wildcat campground, an established Forest Service campground with a vault toilet and supposedly drinking water (as per the Forest Service website), although we didn’t confirm it. As you make your way back to civilization, you’ll pass an impressive monolith of rock known asSteins Pillar that juts out above the tree line like a prehistoric skyscraper.

At about mile 31, you’re back on a paved country road that gently descends towards HWY 26. Once you hit the highway, it is a straight shot back into town. There is generally a pretty good shoulder the whole way. If it’s hot or if you are running low on drinking water, a stop at the reservoir is in order.

This was one of our first longer rides in the greater Prineville area and we were pretty impressed with how quickly you could get out into the wilderness on your bike. While Prineville isn’t the first bikey town that leaps into your head when you think of Central Oregon, we did see a handful of other cyclists on the road (we even spotted a group wearing some jerseys from a Bend bike shop). This route is great for beginner to intermediate riders. The elevation is gained pretty gradually except for a few stretches of 7-8% near the top. Once you are pass the summit, the route is generally trending downhill, giving your legs a rest. It’s the perfect length for a day ride in the area if you are passing through town.

While in Prineville, we got a chance to talk with James and Natalie, the owners of the The Good Bike Co. The shop is centrally located and the building used to be an old car service station. Because of this, there is a huge outdoor awning which provides shade for the outdoor seating. The Good Bike Co. is a next-wave bike shop, serving beer and coffee, in an unlikely place. They have a great outdoor patio where James envisions many a cross-country bike tourist or day rider will find themselves after a long ride.

Although the shop isn’t even a year old, James is finding himself busier than he thought he would be. Since he has opened, locals have been bringing their bikes to be repaired in droves (the unseasonably nice weather has jump-started the riding season). While he is focusing primarily on repairs and service, he has also found himself selling a lot of hard tail mountain bikes to local residents. The local mountain bike advocacy group, COTA, has been hard at work creating a new 3-mile mountain bike trail that you can easily access from town. Since this resource is so close to downtown and doesn’t require a long drive to get to, a lot of Prineville residents have either been dusting off their old mountain bikes or buying new ones.

James hopes to cater to touring cyclists on the TransAm as well as the growing adventure bike segment. He is carrying some pretty interesting products, from Bartender bags from Randy Jo to frame bags from Revelate. Out front, he has a few fat bikes and even a Surly Straggler for rent. He and Natalie are also looking to put on a 100-mile gravel race later in the year!

Beyond just operating the bike shop, James and Natalie are also looking at the bigger picture and the potential of bicycle tourism in Prineville. James actively attends the local chamber meetings, is part of a proponent group for a potential Scenic Bikeway, as well as working with other businesses to figure out ways to combine agritourism and bicycle tourism in the area.

Is Pedaling in Prineville’s Future?
We’ve always had a soft spot for Prineville. We had a great welcoming experience as bike tourists there when we were on the TransAm 3 years ago. Since then, we’ve passed through a few times and have always thought that there is great potential for the town to capitalize on bicycling. It seems as if, with the addition of a new bike shop and leadership excited about bicycling, this might be the time for Prineville to create a strong cycling identity and give that other bike/beer Central Oregon town a run for its money.

Prineville goes full bore into bicycling

COTA hopes to have new trail system done by June

By Beau Eastes / The Bulletin / @beastes

Published Jan 7, 2015 at 12:01AM / Updated Jan 7, 2015 at 06:17AM

Crook County COTA chapter

Website:www.cotamtb.com/chapters/crook-county

Email: CrookCountyRep@cotamtb.com

Note: Ad-hoc work crews to finish Lower 66 begin this month

PRINEVILLE — The wheels are moving on multiple bicycling projects in and around Prineville.

The Crook County chapter of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance announced Tuesday night at its January meeting at Good Bike Co. that by this June it hopes to have the area’s newest trail system, Lower 66, completed, as well as a 1.5-acre BMX bike park.

Lower 66, which sits on 66 acres of state land just south of the Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint off state Highway 126, will boast three miles of multiuse trails within the Prineville city limits once completed.

The two main loops are nearly finished, said Darlene Henderson, head of the Crook County trail alliance chapter, with the connector trail between the north and south loops requiring most of the work. Signage and a trailhead kiosk are also expected to be added.

The Prineville Bike Park, which will be located adjacent to Ochoco Creek Park, is in the initial fundraising stage, according to Henderson, but she expects construction to start and finish within a two- or three-week period this June. COTA, which has raised $10,110, estimates the bike park will cost approximately $102,000.

“All the right pieces have just fallen together in the last two years,” Henderson said about Prineville’s recent plunge into the cycling community. “You’ve got to have a good relationship with land managers. You’ve got to have public officials like (County Commissioner) Seth (Crawford) get behind these things. You’ve got to have people willing to organize and people like Stephen (Henderson, Darlene’s husband) do the trail work. And you have to have a meeting place like Good Bike Co.”

“Projects like this,” Darlene Henderson added, “you’ve got to have all the pieces in play.”

Lower 66 and the Prineville Bike Park could be just the beginning of a wave of bike-related projects in Crook County.

COTA has submitted a multiphase trail proposal with the U.S. Forest Service for a 270-mile trail network within the Ochoco National Forest. Phase 1 would create a 75.2-mile trail network based around the current Lookout Mountain Trail northeast of Prineville.

Crook County bike enthusiasts are also looking at more rides within the city limits, similar to the Lower 66 trails, to enhance the cycling opportunities in the area.

“The Lookout Mountain trails, those will attract tourists,” said Crawford, who is also a Central Oregon Trail Alliance member. “But projects like Lower 66 and the bike park, those are about quality of life for residents of Crook County. We’ve got an amazing quality of life here, but if you don’t get ahead of the curve, you fall behind. This is an opportunity to improve our quality of life.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0305,

beastes@bendbulletin.com