Two wheeled Clinic

A free bicycle repair event will take place at the Clover Building on the Crook County Fairgrounds.  

This past holiday season Bicycle Re-source of Bend reconditioned and donated over 50 bikes and helmets to the Crook County Holiday Partnership that distributed them to area children for Christmas.

“They have made it their mission to help some of the more rural outlying areas,” said Brenda Comini, director of Crook County Human Services. “We have had a wonderful partnership with them and we want to not only bring bikes to the community, but get kids out on them and teach them how to keep their bikes usable.”

To that end, the Bend-based nonprofit, along with Prineville’s Good Bike Shop’s owner James Good, will hold a free bicycle repair clinic on Sunday.

Jeff Schuler, founder of Bicycle Re-source, said that he and Comini provided information about the clinic to all of those receiving a bike from the partnership.

“Brenda and I thought that this year we would give them a follow-up to maintain their bikes,” said Schuler. “We are on our fourth year with the partnership and each year we try to think of a way to expand on the educational aspect of biking.”

This will be Good’s first year working with Schuler, someone he says comes out from Bend to do a lot of good things for the Prineville community.

Good explained that there will be up to five bike stations offering everything from flat tire repair, to brake service and derailleur adjustments, to safety checks.”

“I am excited to be a part of it this as it will connect me with cyclists in Central Oregon,” said Good. “The clinic is also a great way to offer residents some quality bike repair.”

Good added that in addition to repairs, the clinic will offer advice on proper bike etiquette and safe riding tips.

Comini sees the clinic as a natural extension of what both businesses are trying to bring to Prineville.

“Schuler’s partnership with Good is all about promoting biking in the area and the safe and proper use of bikes,” she said. “It is a healthy family activity that we are all trying to encourage.”

Good says that in the near future there will be a number of opportunities for bicycle users to enjoy the outdoors on their new two-wheelers.

“The new COTA bike park will be coming on-line this summer and the Lower 66 mountain bike trails should be complete,” he said.

Good has also been asked to be a presenter at the Oregon Governor's Conference on Tourism in Eugene this April.

“I will be participating in a discussion with the Agritourism Working Group,” said Good. “I will be talking about my connection with the High Desert Farm and Food Alliance and our plans to offer one-day bicycle farm tours.”

Good is also involved with planning an August off-road event that will offer rides of 125, 45, and 10 miles that will highlight biking in the Ochocos.

Schuler said that he is happy to see Good in Prineville, offering local cyclists a solid bike shop resource.

“When we leave, James will be there,” said Schuler. “We will try to help him in any way we can.”

Schuler added that he expects a good crowd for Sunday’s clinic.

“We expect that this clinic will be our biggest,” he said. “We know there is a need and the good weather helps. We want to get people out riding their bikes.

The free bicycle repair clinic will take place on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Clover Building at the Crook County Fairgrounds.

There will be a drawing for bike helmets and two refurbished BMX bikes.

For information about the clinic, call Jeff Schuler at 541-410-9620.

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

America’s Best Gravel Races

SPORTS & OUTDOORS : SPORTS By JEREMY BERGER on 6.5.14 by Gear Patrol

Not counting inflatable helmets and leather wine carriers, gravel grinders are the coolest new thing in cycling. The appeal of these races — aside from being long and arduous and skull rattling — is that they take cyclists on dirt and gravel roads through lesser-known, seldom-raced tracts of America. There’s also something about them that’s distinctly American: most of them are located in the Midwest, they’re often unsupported, and they don’t have any fancy Italian words in their names. These are 10 of the best gravel grinders in America.

OUR PICKS: A. The Oregon Stampede | B. Gold Rush Gravel Grinder | C.Odin’s Revenge | D. Dirty Kanza 200 | E. Trans Iowa | F. Ten Thousand | G. Barry Roubaix | H. Amish Country Roubaix | I. Hilly Billy | J. Green Mountain Double Century

Frosty's Fat Bike Race Series at Nordic Valley, UT

It was fun to stop by and be a part of the Frosty's Fat Bike Race Series at Nordic Valley Ski Resort today. It was a great event where they had 43 participants that raced a 2 mile loop course for up to 12, 9, and 6 miles for Expert, Sport, and Beginner respectively. 

A fat bike is a tire width of 3.75" wide plus. Most commonly fat bikes are fully rigid with no suspension but now you will find fat bikes with front suspension or front and rear suspension as found on most mountain bikes. Fat bikes are rapidly increasing in popularity. In addition to packed snow and Nordic trails, you can find them on hunting trails, city trails, and in the summer months on dirt single track trails. They are quite versatile and really fun to ride!

The race was sponsored by Nordic Valley in Eden, UT, Mad Dog Cycles of Provo, UT, and The Bike Shoppe of Ogden, UT. Thanks for allowing Good Bike Co. to be a part of your event.

Good Bike Co. LLC recognized as Bike Friendly by Travel Oregon!

Good Bike Co. LLC has been recognized as Bike Friendly by Travel Oregon – Our business has achieved recognition in Travel Oregon’s Bike Friendly Business program! We’ve demonstrated our commitment to serving visitors who ride bikes and to providing specific amenities they may need.

Thank you Travel Oregon for teaming up with us and making bicycling in Central Oregon even more accessible.

Hitting the trails to highlight what's down the road

Created on Friday, 19 December 2014 00:00 | Written by Kevin Sperl

At 3:30 p.m. this past Monday, about 30 bicyclists riding a collection of cross bikes, mountain bikes and fat tire bikes, made their way down Second Street, heading west.

The group of bikers from Prineville and Bend had gathered at Good Bike Co., on Third Street, where owner James Good was busy prepping bikes as almost his entire fleet of rentals had been reserved for the ride.

The group was taking part in the Winter Root Beer Ride to raise awareness for the planned Prineville Bike Park that COTA hopes to construct next summer.

In addition to the group ride, the day’s activities included the sampling of a specially crafted root beer at Solstice Brewing, courtesy of Joe Barker, a showing of a number of short bike park films, and a raffle of bike gear.

The destination of the group ride was the recently constructed COTA bike trail along what is called the Lower 66 property, just north of the grade, and accessed via Rimrock Road.

I tagged along on a bike graciously provided by Good. After a quick group photo, we headed over to Second Street and began pedaling west.

The weather was less than comfortable, but what is typically expected of a winter-time trail biker —temperatures were in the low 30s and a light snow had begun to fall.

The location for Prineville’s bike park has been secured and will be located adjacent to Ochoco Creek Park, on a northeast corner 1.5-acre lot.

The City of Prineville signed a 40-year lease on the property with the Crook County Parks and Recreation District, effective Sept. 1 of this year -- something that COTA deemed necessary in order for the park to become a reality.

“COTA can raise money and provide volunteers, but we do not have long-term liability or management abilities,” said Darlene Henderson, COTA’s Crook County Chapter representative. “So, a partnership with CCPRD is what is allowing this to move forward.”

It is hoped that the park will provide a variety of terrain appealing to both experienced and beginning riders of all ages. It will offer jump and flow trails, pump tracks with bermed turns, wood features such as log rides and ladder bridges and rock obstacles.

According to COTA, the sport of mountain biking is growing and they feel the proposed bike park will provide area riders with a safe area for exercise and to hone their skills.

“We will be proceeding with a hybrid design for construction,” said Henderson. “COTA will hire design expertise to maximize the area and make sure that we can provide for all levels of riding.”

The bulk of construction for the park is planned as a volunteer effort and COTA is actively recruiting for help.

As the biking group headed west down Second Street, we attracted a variety of bewildered glances from passing motorists who probably weren’t used to seeing such a large group of bikers, especially in winter.

After about 10 minutes, we regrouped at the trailhead, where Good gave a brief introduction to the trail and the route we would be taking.

We headed out in single file along the single-track trail. Almost immediately, we discovered that the trail was going to be a bit muddy. Many of us, including this reporter, experienced a bit of rear wheel slippage as we headed up the grade. There was a lot of dismounting and walking of bikes, quickly causing a traffic jam.

As we got to the top of the grade, Good announced that the group would be splitting into two.

“Those who want a bit more of a technical ride can follow Travis Holman,” he announced. “The rest of us can head back down to take the bike path back to the store.”

I was one of those who opted for heading back, and I wasn’t alone. It was getting dark quickly, and it wasn’t getting any warmer.

Besides, that crafted root beer was on people’s minds, and Barker was one of those opting to head back.

Eric Newman, of Bend, was just the kind of bike rider that local COTA trail building efforts in Prineville is hoping to attract to its trails and bike park.

“I’m always looking for an excuse to get out of work early,” said Newman, as he sat atop his fat tire bike. “I’m out here to support whatever is going on in Prineville. I love it out here and I am looking forward to the ride.”

New Bike Shop opens in Prineville via the Bend Bulletin

New bike shop opens in Prineville

Good Bike Co. offers bicycle tours, along with sales, service

By Joseph Ditzler / The Bulletin / @josefditzler

Published Nov 12, 2014 at 12:01AM

Check out Good Bike Co. online at www.goodbikeco.com.

PRINEVILLE — The new bike shop in town sells bike tours, too, and, because this is Central Oregon, beer.

James Good opened up the Good Bike Co. on 284 NE Third St. just a month ago, after moving to town with his wife, Dr. Natalie Good, in July from Ogden, Utah. Natalie Good works for St. Charles Health System.

Prineville made them feel welcome, James Good said, and people such as Woody Starr of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance and Crook County Commissioner Seth Crawford encouraged his plan to open a bicycle shop. The potential for guided road and trail rides in Crook County is boundless, Good said.

He also plans on organizing bike tours farther afield, to Bend breweries, Oregon wine country and Utah, and in conjunction with other services such as lodging and farm-to-table dining.

“Not one person has said, ‘Good luck,’ or, ‘This isn’t going to work here,’” Good said. “Everybody comes and says, ‘We’ve needed this.’”

Prineville has one other bike shop, Back Alley Bikes, at 311 NE Beaver St. Owner John Malpass said he and his wife sent flowers to the Goods when they opened the Good Bike Co.

“I’m a little, tiny maintenance shop, and I work on a lot of older bicycles,” Malpass said. “I don’t sell bicycles or lead bicycle tours or anything. What James is doing is a different business model than I’m doing.”

Good’s shop fills a vacancy in the local tourism economy, Crawford said. No other local business offers guided trail rides in the Ochoco Mountains, for example, he said.

Crook County has joined with Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indian Reservation to promote the area as River Canyon Country, a tourist destination, Crawford said. “We’ve been under-served by tourism promotion up to this point, and this is an opportunity to shine a light on some of those assets,” Crawford said.

He said Good impressed him with his background in outdoor recreation and his enthusiasm for opening his own business. Good started work at a small bike shop in his native Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he learned the basics of bike maintenance and customer service. After earning his business degree at the University of South Dakota, he worked for REI’s bike and ski shops in Seattle and Boulder, Colorado, and in quality assurance for Petzl, maker of climbing equipment, in Ogden, he said. He also guided rock climbers in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

“I bounced within the outdoor industry from bikes to climbing to skiing,” Good said. “I’ve been kind of pinballing around.”

All along, he said, he held on to a dream of owning his own shop. The sale of his and his then-fiancée’s homes in Ogden provided the capital to get started, he said. Start-up expenses included the building renovation, along with the requisite parts and tools for bike repairs and an inventory of bicycles. He carries Schwinn, Cannondale and Surly brand bicycles for rent and sale. Good is one of a handful of bike shops in Oregon with a license to sell beer and will pour customers a pint of Boneyard Beer’s RPM or Solstice Brewing Co.’s Better Off Blonde from the taps inside the shop.

He’s busy enough, he said, to plan on hiring someone next spring. In the meantime, he said, he lays out tour routes and rides his own bicycle whenever he gets the chance to explore Central Oregon.

“After living in five states in the last eight years or so, the riding potential out here, it’s endless,” Good said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7815,

jditzler@bendbulletin.com

Bike racks coming to Crook County

By Dylan J. Darling / The Bulletin / @DylanJDarling

Published May 10, 2014 at 12:01AM

New bicycle racks should start to appear around Crook County towns this summer.

The racks are the result of a Ford Family Foundation leadership class, said Sandra Henning, Paulina District ranger for the Ochoco National Forest and a participant in the class. The foundation is a nonprofit, based in Roseburg, focused on improving communities in rural Oregon. The class is made up of community members, from high school students to hospital workers to retirees.

Along with providing a place to lock up bicycles, the racks should help with the beautification of Prineville and Powell Butte, and possibly Post and Paulina, Henning said. Two designs are planned for the artistic racks.

“One is a wagon wheel and one is a hitchin’ post — kind of a Western theme,” Henning said Tuesday.

As with plans to add more mountain bike trail miles, a goal of the bike racks is to help draw cyclists to Crook County.

“Bike tourism is huge,” said Shawn Benson, a Prineville insurance agent and a member of the class.

Each rack probably will cost about $1,000, and the class is fundraising to pay for the project, Henning said, including taking donations at grocery stores around Prineville. So far the class has raised about $5,000.

If the class can reach the $5,000 fundraising goal, it may earn a $5,000 matching grant from the Ford Family Foundation, said Chad Carpenter, who heads up a tutoring nonprofit and is also a member of the class. He said the racks probably would be put in public places, such as parks.

“We are working with the city (of Prineville) and the county to determine where we can install them,” he said.

Initial drawings of the bike racks show the wagon wheel design holding two to seven bikes and the hitchin’ post design holding seven bikes, but Carpenter said both designs could be expanded to fit where they’re placed.

“We are going to have the flexibility to make those as long as we want them,” he said.

Bike racks would be welcome in Prineville, said John Malpass, owner of Back Alley Bikes, a Prineville bike shop.

“There are very few,” he said Tuesday morning after taking a call while waiting in line at the bank. “In fact I have my bike tied to a post outside of the bank here.”

Mayor Betty Roppe also likes the idea of bike racks in Prineville.

“People like to ride their bikes downtown,” she said. “… This will be an asset for us.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7812, ddarling@bendbulletin.com