Tomorrow is not yet written. Choose to be an author of a better future for Bend. Vote YES for the Transportation Bond (Measure 9-135) as well as for Megan Perkins, Melanie Kebler, Anthony Broadman, and Rita Schenkelberg. When you do, you’re giving a block of forward-thinking City Councilors real power to enact change on our streets.

Kebler, Broadman, Perkins and Schenkelberg (listed in order of the Council Position they are running for: 1 through 4) all share a refreshing view of how life can be organized in Bend: affordable housing as tied to human-scaled transportation choices wrapped in equity. With Councilors Abernethey and Moseley choosing not to run for re-election, Bend has a historic opportunity to vote in a block of candidates who believe in the free movement of people not in cars.

That said, if you’re a student of the City’s budget, you’ll appreciate the fact that most of the tax base that supports the city is largely pre-allocated. Councilors, regardless of good intentions, are often left wondering how to pay for the initiatives they’d like to enact. Enter the pending Transportation Bond. We have the chance to not only fund active transporation (up to $36 Million which is a figure that varies based on how you define a pro-walking and biking project) like we have never done before, but also to put in place the policymakers who will act on the Transportation System Plan’s lofty goals. I cannot remember when the Bend electorate have been in a position to ensure both funding and policy simultaneously moves towards more balance in our transportation system.

We have a unique chance to create the beginnings of a connected network of targeted improvements for bicycle commuters and pedestrians. This point is doubly important based on how road improvement projects are actually implemented in Bend – each individual project’s budget (and they won’t all hit at once) must be approved by City Council prior to a project moving forward. All the vagaries (see Bend Bike’s critique of the Bond measure) built into the list of projects associated with the Bond leave opportunities for future Bend City Councils bent on implementing equity to ensure that walking and biking are truly viable choices for Bend residents.

Vote by November 3rd by dropping your ballot into an official Deschutes County Ballot dDop Box. Find those locations listed here.

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The 2019 edition of Bike the Bridges will be held on Sunday, August 18th.  Check-in starts at 4:00pm with the ride kicking off around 4:30pm.  This fun and family-friendly bicycle ride showcases many of the beautiful vistas you get when crossing the Deschutes River as it passes through Bend. Let this be your excuse to get a little exercise, make friends, and discover new bike routes to commute around town.

The ride starts and ends at The Gear Fix.

Registration

The event is free but registration is required.  When you register online, be sure to indicate which route you’re interested in.

3 Route Options to Choose From

Family-friendly: 3 miles

This family-friendly 3 mile route includes three bridges and two short sections on road. The majority of this route is on paved trail.

Shorter Ride: just over 7 miles

This 7+ miler will include seven bridges with 99% of the route on pavement but for two very short gravel sections.

Long Ride: almost 12 miles

Over an 11 mile route covering nine bridges mostly on pavement but does have a few gravel miles in the mix north of the 1st Street rapids.

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Registration Required

Registering online: Click here.

Two Route Options

Long Route – 14 miles

Family-friendly Route – 9 miles

The 2018 edition of Bike the Bridges will be held on Sunday, August 19th.  Check-in starts at 4:30pm with the ride kicking off around 5pm.  This fun and family-friendly bicycle ride showcases many of the beautiful vistas you get when crossing the Deschutes River as it passes through Bend. Let this be your excuse to get a little exercise, make friends, and discover new bike routes to commute around town.

We had a good sized crowd last year on the River Trail for the ride. Don’t miss it this year!

We’ll start and end at The Gear Fix. Pizza will be provided by The Gear Fix and adult beverages provided courtesy of Deschutes Brewery.

Registration

Our event is free but registration is required.  When you register online, make sure to tell us what type of route you’re looking for: short or longer.

3 Route Options to Choose From

Family-friendly: 3 miles

This family-friendly 3 mile route includes three bridges and two short sections on road. The majority of this route is on paved trail.

Shorter Ride: just over 7 miles

This 7+ miler will include seven bridges with 99% of the route on pavement but for two very short gravel sections.

Long Ride: almost 12 miles

Over an 11 mile route covering nine bridges mostly on pavement but does have a few gravel miles in the mix north of the 1st Street rapids.

As always, we ask all attendees to follow our How We Roll guidelines to help us promote a good vibe during our rides.

Lastly, won’t you help us spread the word about our ride?  Fill out our online form to print out and put up our event poster at your workplace.

Come join our fun!

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June 3rd @ 1pm

Join Bend Bikes at Whole Foods Market for our annual Eastbound & Around Ride. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover Bend’s wonderful eastside off-street trails.

There are two route options this year.

• Family-friendly route (7.5 miles) – click here for route details
  
• Longer route (9.5 miles) – click here for route details
  

Both include a mix of gravel and pavement on parts of the Larkspur and Coyner Trails.

Check-in at 1pm; ride start at 1:30pm.

The event is free, but some (electronic) paperwork is required. Click here to register.

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October 14th @ 2:30pm

Join Bend Bikes at Whole Foods Market for our 2nd annual Eastbound & Around Ride. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover Bend’s wonderful eastside off-street trails.
There are two route options this year.

 
• Family-friendly route (7.5 miles) – click here for route details

 

• Longer route (9.5 miles) – click here for route details

Both include a mix of gravel and pavement on parts of the Larkspur and Coyner Trails.

Check-in is at 2:30pm with the ride starting at 3pm from Whole Foods Market.

Make sure you join us after the ride back at Whole Foods Market’s parking lot for beer (courtesy of Crux Fermentation Project) and food.

The event is free, but some (electronic) paperwork is required. Click here to register.

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People starting to show up at The Gear Fix in advance of last year’s ride.

Last year’s Bike the Bridges was a hoot with its two route options. This year, Bend Bikes is upping the ante.

Family-friendly: 3 miles

This family-friendly 3 mile route includes three bridges and two short sections on road. The majority of this route is on paved trail.

Shorter Ride: just over 7 miles

This 7+ miler will include seven bridges with 99% of the route on pavement but for two very short gravel sections.

Long Ride: almost 12 miles

Over an 11 mile route covering nine bridges mostly on pavement but does have a few gravel miles in the mix north of the 1st Street rapids.

Bike the Bridges is free but registration is required. When you register online, make sure to tell us what type of route appeals to you:

See you on August 13th @ 6pm at The Gear Fix!

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Help spread the word
 
Get a free Hydro Flask if you fill out an online form to print out and put up the Bike the Bridges event poster at your workplace.

Date: August 13th
Time: 6pm
Start: The Gear Fix > 550 SW Industrial Way, Bend

The event is free but registration is required. Click here to get started.

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The 2017 Bike More Challenge is kicking off May 1st! This free Challenge is designed to engage businesses across Oregon in a friendly competition to see which business can get the most people to bike during the month of May (which is National Bike Month).

Each year over 10,000 individuals participate in the Challenge in which workplace teams log their cycling trips (both work and non-work related) between May 1-31. A points model is used to determine winners across various business size categories. Points are awarded for logged rides, as well as for the recruitment of new riders. Prizes are earned not only for challenge winners, but also for reaching various benchmarks along the way! A celebration is held at the end of the challenge to applaud everyone’s participation and commitment throughout the month. The Bike More Challenge is fun, free, and a great way to get people riding!

If you are interested in joining the Bike More Challenge, please click here. If your business is not yet registered, you can register as an individual and register your business at the same time!

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Their tour will be a leisurely, family-friendly ride along part of the Larkspur Trail, one of Bend’s best kept secrets: a 4 mile off-street trail that runs north/south on Bend’s east side. Conditions will dictate how far you’ll go along the trail; last year, there was a little bit of snow

A few hearty riders from last year’s event.

The Larkspur Neighborhood Association will be helping to spread the word with door-to-door requests of residents who border the trail to decorate their backyards and help light up the Larkspur Trail during the month of December.

After the ride, there will be a gathering back at the Senior Center with food and drink (courtesy of Whole Foods Market Bend), beer (courtesy of Deschutes Brewery), and a raffle. Raffle items to include prizes from Bend Electric Bikes, Cairn, Hydroflask, Primal Cuts as well as a grand prize of a $150 gift certificate from Bend Velo to go towards a J.Livingston bike build.

The event is FREE but registration is required. Click here to register.

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