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Weekender Route Talk

Welcome to Weekender–the most fun you can have on two wheels!

Party central for the next two days will be the lush green lawns and stately dormitories of Linfield College. This private liberal arts college is nestled in McMinnville, Oregon and hosts nearly 2,500 students during the school year. This weekend though, it will be all about friends, family, fun and this all-around celebration of cycling we call Weekender!

Day 1: Once bellies are fed, tires are pumped and helmets are securely strapped on, it’s time to ride. There are three routes to choose from on Day 1–a short 16-mile route, a medium 43-mile loop and a longer, more ambitious 73-mile jaunt. Each route starts on campus, heading southwest for the first 7 miles. At this point, the short route heads for home to get a jump on all the festivities while the medium and longer routes head towards the town of Sheridan.
Burned to the ground in 1913 and submerged in flood in 1964, the town you’ll be riding through is actually Sheridan 3.0. From here, the long route continues towards the Coast Range before looping back towards McMinnville at Fort Hill and dipping south through the community of Ballston. Once back at campus, you’ll have plenty of time to relax, rock out to some live music or maybe toss around the Frisbee in the quad.

Day 2: Unlike in college, you won’t want to sleep until noon because we have three more great routes for you to choose from, exploring wine country and the beautiful Willamette Valley. Today’s short route is a leisurely 12 miles to the north of campus, while the medium (37 miles) and long route (52 miles) head south of McMinnville past acres and acres of vineyards, past the Evergreen Aviation Complex–the final resting place of the largest airplane ever constructed– before looping back towards home. The Spruce Goose is part boat, part plane, and all wood. Thanks to the massive windows of the Evergreen museum, this herculean Industrial Age marvel can be seen from miles away or, if you’re so inclined, take a quick detour to get a close-up look.

Once back at campus, you’ll find that there are many more good times to be had and plenty of ways to have them. Because really, isn’t that what college is all about?


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