Why is the ride being cancelled?

There are several very serious wildfires raging throughout the state, the worst of which happen to be concentrated in or around the areas the ride was planned. From a health, safety and logistical standpoint it is no longer possible to hold the event.

 

Who made the decision to cancel?

The decision was made by the Cycle Oregon board and staff and was based on recommendations made by numerous state and local agencies including ODF, USFS, BLM, ODOT and fire Incident Commanders. Several factors went into this decision including the health and safety of the riders, the welfare of the communities, the desire to not be a burden to fire fighting efforts and rider experience. Air quality is extremely poor throughout the region and other parts of the state.  In some places visibility is measured in feet rather than miles.

 

Will riders be issued refunds or other compensation?

Riders will be compensated in some way. Since many of the hard costs of putting on an event like this have already been incurred and/or are not completely refundable, it will take us a few days to determine how this will work. Our goal is to be as fair and generous as possible while also honoring financial commitments that have already been made. We will communicate our next steps by next Wednesday, September 6th.

 

What about the communities we were supposed to visit?

One of the most important elements of Cycle Oregon is to benefit the host communities. We plan to honor our financial commitments to our host communities by working with the Cycle Oregon Fund at the Oregon Community Foundation.

 

Why aren’t we going somewhere else?

Because of the extreme fire potential throughout the state, the risks of trying to move to another area at this time is something we’re not willing to take. Safety is our number one priority. In addition, providing 2,000+ riders with an unparalleled cycling experience in Oregon requires more than a year of planning. As many of you who have ridden with us in the past know, it is possible to make last-minute changes to parts of a route if needed, but starting from scratch at this point would be extremely challenging and we could not ensure the Cycle Oregon experience folks are accustomed to.

 

Why wasn’t this decision made earlier?

Like the weather (which has a lot to do with wildfires) it’s very difficult to make accurate long-term predictions about fires with any amount of accuracy. We developed contingency plans hoping that conditions did not worsen, but they have, and those plans are no longer a possibility.

 

Why wasn’t this decision made later?

Based on a number of factors, including giving riders as much time as possible to change plans and reducing the extra cost that would be incurred by the organization, vendors and partners.

 

Does this mean we will be doing this route in 2018?

We will assess the state of things in the future and make that determination.

 

Has this happened before?

This is the first time in 30 years we have had to cancel any Cycle Oregon event.

 

What about the 30th anniversary?

The organization is still turning 30 this year. However, next year will still be the 30th ride and, based on missing out this year, celebrating our next reunion in some fashion will be very much in order.

 

It’s too late to cancel my travel plans what should I do?

We will be compiling a list of other opportunities that are available to experience in Oregon.

 

I still want to ride, where should I go?

We will be compiling a list of other opportunities that are available to experience in Oregon.

 

How can we get additional information?

We will be sending an update by Wednesday, September 7th

 

How can I help?

We’re still working on next steps, so the biggest help would be to give us some time as we develop the next course of action.