Mountain biking event draws in hundreds

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Story Published: Jul 27, 2007 at 5:24 PM PDT

By Elissa Harrington

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OAKRIDGE - Welcome to Oakridge, population 3,320. Well, 3,920 if you count the bicyclists in town for the Mountain Bike Oregon event

Eric Wilson came into town for a three day stay with friends and family. he says, "There's about 10 of us that came down this year. Last year there were three of us but we had a good time and have been telling stories about it all year."

Looking at the rows of tents and merchants provides a glimpse into the future of this small town. These days, the log trucks are yielding to two-wheels.

Randy Dreiling is the Co-Promoter of the event. He says, "This gets us on the map more. Oakridge Westward area is becoming a mountain biking mecca."

While the bikers are working their wheels on the trails, local merchants are busy ringing in sales. Dreiling says, "Most people get here a day early."

With a visiting head count nearly a fifth of the towns population there are some things you can't control. Eric Wilson noticed a small problem with his bike. "The free wheel is worn so I'm skipping." Busted bikes are taken to a repair shop just a quarter of a mile up the road. Manager Eugene Cathcart says this is his busiest weekend of the year. "This tends to be more about breaking parts and getting stuff repaired."

With the local economy cashing in, organizers credit the local support. Residents cook the meals, run the information booth, and transport cyclists to the different paths. In fact, the event's success has spurred a second biking weekend held in mid-August. Oakridge resident Danny Baehne says, "Randy's brought in more tourists, more dollars and more interest in Oakridge than anything else has and I've lived up here for 20 years."

"Bike" magazine has hailed Oakridge as one of the top five biking towns in the nation.

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