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Thread: Bend OR

  1. #1
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    Bend OR

    Taking a trip to bend for 2 days need to know campground to stay at and trails to ride that can be shuttled preferable all day rides. Also doing phils for a day

  2. #2
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  3. #3
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    On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
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  4. #4
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    cogwild for shuttles etc. (right beside baldies BBQ)


  5. #5
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    Hypothetically, let's say you have two options:

    Option A: Travel to Mt. Shasta and ride the fun-but-nothing-amazing town trails one day, and a truly spectacular backcountry gem with a 4,500' finger kiss-worthy descent another day.

    Option B: Travel to Bend and ride ??? I've heard mixed reviews about Bend trails. Some people say it's amazing, other say it's lots of flat dusty relatively boring XC trails.

    Assume all else is equal. Free places to stay at both locales.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Hypothetically, let's say you have two options:

    Option A: Travel to Mt. Shasta and ride the fun-but-nothing-amazing town trails one day, and a truly spectacular backcountry gem with a 4,500' finger kiss-worthy descent another day.

    Option B: Travel to Bend and ride ??? I've heard mixed reviews about Bend trails. Some people say it's amazing, other say it's lots of flat dusty relatively boring XC trails.

    Assume all else is equal. Free places to stay at both locales.
    go to shasta, and make a side trip to shuttle Mt Ashland on the way down.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by californiagrown View Post
    and make a side trip to shuttle Mt Ashland on the way down.
    Not really an option. Traveling SLC->Trinity Co.->Shasta or Bend->SLC. I'd love to ride Ashland, but it would be a significant detour and the Trinity->Bend drive is already 5.5 hours

  8. #8
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    Oct 2004
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    Swampy Lakes to Tetherow is a good shuttle in Bend. Like MtnLion sez, Cog Wild has a shuttle service.
    If you're willing to drive a ways, McKenzie River Trail from Clear Lake to Paradise is pretty good. Contact Horse Creek Lodge re: shuttles.
    https://www.horse-creek.com/horse-cr...trail-shuttle/
    Cog Wild may drive you to MRT trailhead & pick you up at Paradise as well.

    As Whiteroom Guardian sez, Oakridge shuttle riding is better than around Bend.

    Note - it's a 100 mile drive from Bend to Oakridge, and about 75 from Bend to end of MRT

    Camping is difficult to find this time of year. Best bet is dispersed camping off one of the USFS roads as you head SW on Century Drive out of Bend.

    ETA - Dan, I'd go with your option A, unless you want to ride at Oakridge instead of around Bend

    ETA2 - If you would prefer living indoors while in Bend, check out the Tokyo Starfish Bud and Breakfast https://tokyostarfish.com/pages/bud-n-breakfast

  9. #9
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    We're not camping, so that's not a problem. My Dad lives in Shasta and his GF lives in Bend, just trying to figure out whose house to go to.

  10. #10
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    I thought the MRT was good, but not worthy of the hype it gets. The scenery is awesome though and may be reason enough for the ride but the trail itself wasn't all that memorable. And yes, Cog Wild shuttles it.

    I'm hoping Oakridge is several steps above MRT in terms of fun biking.

  11. #11
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    Aug 2007
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    Just two days at either place? Can you drive a bit from bend or are you stuck riding near-bend trails?

    Zion, I don't understand how you can ride MRT and care that the trail is not burly enough. But I can say Oakridge is quite different in many ways.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by muted View Post
    Zion, I don't understand how you can ride MRT and care that the trail is not burly enough. But I can say Oakridge is quite different in many ways.
    Just for clarification, nothing to do with burly, just not particularly fun if taken as a whole.

  13. #13
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    Sep 2009
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    Quote Originally Posted by zion zig zag View Post
    I thought the MRT was good, but not worthy of the hype it gets. The scenery is awesome though and may be reason enough for the ride but the trail itself wasn't all that memorable. And yes, Cog Wild shuttles it.

    I'm hoping Oakridge is several steps above MRT in terms of fun biking.
    I rode it as an overnight bikepacking trip (biked up logging roads from Blue River) and had more fun taking it easy with gear strapped to my bike, than ripping downhill. From someone out of town, I think the scenery alone is worth it (waterfalls, old-growth forest)...but in terms of riding there are more variety trails in Oakridge. Keep in mind MRT is better to ride during the week, if possible, as I've heard it can get jam packed on weekends (plus uphill hiker traffic).

    I've only ridden a handful of trails in bend, but from my limited experience, trails can get pretty dusty and hot during the summer. With that said, there's a ton of options that are pretty much bikeable even from town. Can't comment on any riding in southern OR or Shasta area, but bend has a lot going on in summer, too, if you want to incorporate some river floating, fishing, etc.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by muted View Post
    Just two days at either place? Can you drive a bit from bend or are you stuck riding near-bend trails?
    Yeah, two days at either locale. 1-hr drive from Bend max. Shasta is a known quantity.

  15. #15
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    I've ridden in Bend but never Shasta, I'd be going to Shasta.

  16. #16
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    Bend was an incredible let down for us when we went. great town but biking was meh.
    Oakridge was complete opposite, amazing biking with a town that i thought would be more Bend like, but was just a DQ and a decent bbq joint and not much else.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by nortonwhis View Post
    Oakridge was complete opposite, amazing biking with a town that i thought would be more Bend like, but was just a DQ and a decent bbq joint and not much else.
    You missed the brewery? It's really good.

    https://www.brewersunion.com/pub/index.php

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Yeah, two days at either locale. 1-hr drive from Bend max. Shasta is a known quantity.
    I'd be surprised if there wasn't 2 great rides within an hour. That's a low bar for a bike town. But I haven't gone there, sorry.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by dfinn View Post
    I've ridden in Bend but never Shasta, I'd be going to Shasta.
    [/fistbump]

    If you end up in Shasta some time hit me up for beta on that ride.

  20. #20
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    Shasta - ride the backcountry gem one day. Check out the trails around Redding the other day - they are pretty sweet.

    http://www.reddingtrailalliance.org/...after-the-fire

    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/new-mi...alifornia.html

  21. #21
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    Redding in August is a hard no. Good lord that place is hot as balls in the summer. That jump trail does look fun, though.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by dfinn View Post
    You missed the brewery? It's really good.

    https://www.brewersunion.com/pub/index.php
    We went yeah. It was cool for the size of the town, but the beers to me seemed a bit meh. Had nicer stuff from the grocery store.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by nortonwhis View Post
    Bend was an incredible let down for us when we went. great town but biking was meh.
    Oakridge was complete opposite, amazing biking with a town that i thought would be more Bend like, but was just a DQ and a decent bbq joint and not much else.
    Exactly this! I'd highly recommend Oakridge over Bend. Everyone knows about Alpine, but make sure you do Hardesty, love that trail!
    Lotsa trail in Bend but it reminds me a lot of NV riding, dry, dusty & sandy, exactly what I get in late summer around Tahoe.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Option A: Travel to Mt. Shasta and ride.........................a truly spectacular backcountry gem with a 4,500' finger kiss-worthy descent another day.
    I'd love to know more about this one, care to share?
    "The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size."

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