Cycle Oregonian

All done! Riders in Cycle Oregon finished their tour of southwestern Oregon today when they rolled into Sutherlin to a warm and loud greeting. Most had ridden routes that measured either 410 or 499 miles over seven days.

Cycle Oregon made one of the prettiest stops of the trip this morning when we took a break at the Melrose Winery just west of Roseburg.

Cycle Oregon riders head through Myrtle Creek on the seventh and final day of the ride. It’s sunny and calm and a great day for riding through a beautiful part of the state.

Cycle Oregon riders pack up in Riddle for Saturday’s ride to Sutherlin, the final day of the 2011 edition.

Al and I made it to Riddle after 78 miles and a climb that topped out 5,070 feet. Afterward, some riders took their bikes to the Community Cycling Center for work. Here, volunteer mechanic Mike Mode works on a bike in downtown Riddle

One of the morning rituals of Cycle Oregon is checking tire pressures. Most tires require a pressure of between 80 and 110 pounds to perform at their best. Pressures were given special attention Friday morning because riders were beading out on a route full of steep climbs and rapid descents.

Oregonian breaking news editor John Killen pedals away from Myrtle Point on Thursday.

Mary Pell and Jeff Pell of Lodi, Calif., pose in a field of flowers near Coquille on Thursday.

First rest stop of the day, after 25 miles outside Bandon, in a park along the Coquille River near the town of Coquille River.

We sleep in tents and provide our own motive power but that doesn’t mean we can get by without our electronic devices. That’s why the Community Cycling Center, a Portland non profit, has a regular stream of people waiting at it’s tent each day. Money raised by the service goes into to organization’s holiday fund. That fund is used to provide cycling equipment to youths who might not otherwise be able to ride.

Two Cycle Oregon participants walk down from visiting the Cape Blanco lighthouse. The trip out to the cape was one of the optional routes that riders could take on Wednesday. It was cool, foggy and windy on the cape but sunny and warmer along U.S. 101.

It’s a little before 8 a.m. on Day 4 of Cycle Oregon and riders are preparing to leave the tent city in Bandon City Park. Some plan to ride to Cape Blanco, others are heading for Port Orford. I think Al, Rich Read and I will try the Cape Blanco route.

One of the highlights of this morning’s ride to Bandon was the first rest stop, where riders lined up to enjoy Trailhead Coffee. The cart is operated by Charlie Wicker, who rides the route.

Breakfast on Cycle Oregon is a time for food, fellowship and reading the daily ‘Cycle Oregonian.’ Today’s lead story is about our route from Reedsport to Bandon. We’ll spend much of our time on U.S. 101. It’ll be fun to hear how some of the riders new to Oregon react to sites such as Bandon Dunes and the Pacific Ocean.