Our third installment of My Favorite Route takes a detour off pavement as we discover the wonders of GRAVEL (Day 1 2019) as seen by artist, designer, YouTube content creator, and all-around-good-times-bike-rider Dustin Klein. Born and raised in North Dakota, Dustin was drawn to the West Coast by wheels, at first skateboards and then fixed gear bikes, while along the way creating art and brands within each burgeoning scene. In 2015 Dustin moved to Portland, Oregon and inspired riders worldwide with his signature enthusiasm, encouragement, and expression through the wonders of Oregon gravel adventure.
His YouTube channel boasts over 34,000 subscribers though his ride reports, product reviews, and how-to videos often garner several hundred thousand views each. His popularity is, no doubt, partly because he’s exactly the kind of guy you’d want to ride with all day. He’s a very good bike rider but doesn’t ever show off. He knows a lot about bikes but wants to hear what you think about yours. Going fast is fun but so is stopping to take a photo or enjoy a homemade snack. It’s the production style and regular cadence of his videos that are the other elements of his success.
Watch a few “Every Thing’s Been Done” episodes and you feel the connection to what Dustin loves about riding all over Oregon. Dustin, often a solo or small group rider and always self-supported, rolled into Cycle Oregon GRAVEL 2019 to discover the wonder of a day under the care of Cycle Oregon. He made lots of friends that day and takes a look back at it with us here. Thank you, Dustin.
My Favorite Route – Dustin Klein
Cycle Oregon GRAVEL 2019 Day 1 – Dufur, Oregon
Cycle Oregon GRAVEL set the standard for what I thought a cycling event can be; all set against the wonderful Dufur off-pavement terrain. One part party, one part bike ride, one part community- all mixed together to make a perfect weekend get-away.
“How cool was that? Seriously, luxury gravel.”
Staging out of one location is really the key to the whole event. This “home base” is the nexus of the experience. Sharing food with future friends, grabbing a beer with someone you just met, and then seeing folks again on the ride. The casual consistency of being able to run into folks again and again quickly established connections which lead to friendships that enhance the whole experience. Not to mention the food, endless beers and support system that makes the ride so unique.
“Home stretch… there’ll be lunch, hot showers, beer, dinner, and then whisky. Holy cow!
“This place is amazing! They feed you! There’s free beer! The food is amazing! There’s a whole field of like-minded weirdos camping! There’s music! A bonfire! This place is insane!”
“The route is so well marked! You don’t need a Garmin. What a nice change of pace (for me).”
Website: dustinklein.com
Instagram: dustinklein_
YouTube: Every Thing’s Been Done
Facebook: kleindustin