Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) heads to Oakridge for Mountain Bike Oregon
This past weekend, riders from around the US and abroad gathered in Oakridge, Oregon for three days of downhill mountain biking, camping, and music.
Mountain Bike Oregon (MBO) combines the thrill of mountain biking with the fun of a festival atmosphere. All-day shuttles took riders up into the mountains and back down to the onsite camping and bike vendors. Each day ended with evenings in the Hydro Flask beverage garden featuring free Deschutes Brewery and Oakshire beer, 2 Towns cider, J. Wright Vintner wine, and Humm Kombucha. With free bike demos available each day, this was truly a mountain biker’s paradise.
Why was OCVA in Oakridge?
This was OCVA’s first year as the title sponsor for MBO. But why did the coast sponsor an inland event? In many ways, Oakridge is a lot like us. Like other small towns on the coast, Oakridge was once a logging town. Tourism, especially trail systems and events like this, offer a way for these towns to reinvent themselves. Mountain biking and other outdoor recreation opportunities offer a lot to these shifting economies, and Oakridge offers a great example of just how well-loved these places can be.
So what better place to get people excited about our coastal trail system than at the premier mountain biking event in the state?Over 500 riders are now stoked to check out the coast on two wheels, and we can’t wait to see them on the trails.
The event kicked off during the Thursday night welcome party with a few words from our South Coast Destination Coordinator, Dave Lacey, who welcomed everyone on behalf of OCVA and introduced our coastal mountain bike networks and Ride the Dirt Wave events.
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, our team loaded up on the shuttle bus and rode endless miles of Oregon’s best singletrack. The stoke was high, and we carried it into our OCVA-sponsored happy hour, where we welcomed riders to snack on local seafood and coastal beers from Public Coast, Pelican brewing, and 7 Devils Brewing. We played frisbee golf, chatted about all things bikes, and sent riders home with their own Ride the Dirt Wave socks and cycling water bottles.
We rode with seasoned MBO attendees and first-time riders, and got them excited to check out the coast trails. The best part? Riders agree that the coast is the perfect mountain biking location because it’s not just trails— with the beach, hiking, and water activities nearby, it offers something to keep the whole family busy for an extended trip.
We can’t wait to get back up to Oakridge for more epic riding, and in the meantime, we look forward to welcoming all the new riders to our home trails.
