Anyone ridden Bend, Oregon trails before?

[DT5150]

I'll be flying out to Oregon for a family vacation this summer. Bend, in my mind, is great destination like Moab is. I rode the awesome "Phil's Trail" in Bend in the past and plan to do it again on this trip. Of course, I'll be finishing the day off with some Deschutes beer (The Fat Tire beer of the NW). I plan to put in one long day of riding multiple trails as that's all the time I can leave my wife and kids behind for. ;)

Can anyone suggest any other great singletrack trails in the Bend area?

Thanks in advance. John

[ppgc]

Of course, I'll be finishing the day off with some Deschutes beer (The Fat Tire beer of the NW).
Thanks in advance. John

I don't know about the trails out there but I recommend the Black Butte Porter and the Inversion IPA. The Twilight Ale isn't bad either. They have some good beer so make sure to smuggle some back to MN. :) Have fun out there.

[TML]

Sounds like you've already ridden Phil's trail. That's a great one! My wife and I rode there a couple of years ago.

Next on the list should be the McKenzie River Trail. I've heard nothing but great stuff about it. I haven't ridden it but have hiked many spots on it and it is gorgeous! There's a little bit of everything along it, from pumice desert to waterfalls and lush forests. Look it up on MTBR, there's quite a few pictures.

Hit up Bend Brewing while you're in town also. They have a nice patio overlooking the Deschutes river. Hopefully you'll be there when they have a batch of their Apricot ale on tap. Great stuff!

Have a great trip!

[rsporty]

Hey is this the John for the MNSCS races last year, must be I know that Black Butte Porter Jersey has something to do with this post! Hey I know the Bend trails pretty well having lived there for a while and I can loan you some of my maps. The Phils system is always fun, but there is some sweet spots you should hit. I can hook you up with some of my maps and show you a couple of differnet loops based on how much time you have.Overall the Bend area really kicks ass boasting over 300 miles singletrack, all leading to Deschutes brewery. The Mckenzie recommendation is a good one, but is about 70 miles outa Bend, but definetly one of my top 5 and there is no trail quite like it--it's best ridden from the top to bottom with 3000 feet descent, 1500 ascent and about 26 miles of the finest 1x track you ever laid your eyes on. Are you doing the series this year, if so look for me and I can get you the map and some reccomendations.

[DT5150]

I actually have ridden the McKenzie from top to bottom once. That was when I was an out of shape rider a few years back. It kicked my tail even starting at the top. Lots of volcanic rock to negotiate made it tough.

And Ryan, yes this is the John you are thinking of from MNSCS wearing the Black Butte Porter jersey! I will definitely look you up this year. Are you going to be at Erik's Cup? Looking forward to hammering it with ya.

Any more suggestions are welcome.

[Oddbjorn]

McKenzie River is a must-do. It's a stunner and a true destination trail. I'd go to Oregon for the sole purpose of riding it again. (We were out there a few years back.)

John's right: Even riding it top to bottom is a great challenge, but it is also incredibly sweet in terms of scenery and ride quality. And negotiating the lava is definitely tricky.

There's even a nice hot spring toward the bottom, just a half mile off on a spur.

I'd set up a shuttle so you ride top to bottom and have a ride waiting at the bottom.

We also rode some nice stuff outside of Sisters, rode a very dusty Deschutes River Trail right out of Bend, and went to the top of Black Butte (and rode the jeep trails back down). All worthwhile, though none were as wicked good as McKenzie.

[ibismojo2001]

McKenzie River is a must-do. It's a stunner and a true destination trail. I'd go to Oregon for the sole purpose of riding it again. (We were out there a few years back.)

John's right: Even riding it top to bottom is a great challenge, but it is also incredibly sweet in terms of scenery and ride quality. And negotiating the lava is definitely tricky.

There's even a nice hot spring toward the bottom, just a half mile off on a spur.

I'd set up a shuttle so you ride top to bottom and have a ride waiting at the bottom.

We also rode some nice stuff outside of Sisters, rode a very dusty Deschutes River Trail right out of Bend, and went to the top of Black Butte (and rode the jeep trails back down). All worthwhile, though none were as wicked good as McKenzie.

My in-laws live between Bend and Redmond and I ride there often. Love Phil's trial and Mckenzie River. I also rode some stuff hooked to Phil's but couldn't get there without local knowledge. You should hit up the local shop - I think Web Cyclery is there if i'm not mistaken. Aside from the offroad stuff the road riding there is also primo. You should check it out!

[DT5150]

Micheal, Hey it's good to know that you've been there. We will have to talk about this sometime when I see you at the races. When I lived in Oregon, I too rode some trails outside of Sisters but I forget the name now. Basically, it was singletrack heading south out of town with occasional views of the Sisters mountains. Is that what you are talking about. Anyways, it was a good ride.

Were you able to ride to the top of Black Butte? I hiked to the top once but didn't think biking was possible. Correct me if I'm wrong there.

Gary, I plan to rent a Trek Fuel EX8 at Web Cyclery when I get there. I will ask them for tips about connecting from Phil's. I recall getting a little lost when I was on Phil's previously, looking for connecting trails. Although, I never did any road riding while I lived there, I would love to do that too. The Cascade Lakes Hwy. would be awesome! Thanks for the tip.

Thanks and keep the suggestions rolling. My decision is getting tougher with all the choices.

[fsrmatt]

You might want to get a hold of the guys at Hutch's Cycle too when you get there. Pretty good shop and they rent Specialized and Cannondales.

[SCBlur03]

I live in OR and am in the process of relocating to MN. I have ridden the Phils trail and the Descutes River trail around Bend, as well as others. Depending on the time of year, summer riding in Bend is very sandy and not a lot of fun.
I would certainly add McKenzie, but depending on when you're going, Oakridge is THE destination for mountain biking in OR. There are 400 miles of trails and lots of very cool locals to help. Oakridge is a little drive from Bend, but if you're willing to go there you will not be disappointed.
You can check out a yahoo group called Disciples of Dirt and post and they'll hook you up. Also, go to MTBR and post in the Oregon forum for help.
Check out www.mtbikeoregon.com (http://www.mtbikeoregon.com) as well to see if your dates match. I've guided there in the past and it is a cool event.
Please let me know what I can do to help (names of locals, etc) and I'll get you set up.

What are you planning on bringing to ride?

John

[SCBlur03]

Can anyone suggest any other great singletrack trails in the Bend area?
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I sent you a PM as well. I live in OR and am moving to MSP as we speak. Bend is cruddy in the summer - way too dusty.
I love McKenzie as well and will miss it dearly. Oakridge, OR has 400 miles of incredible singletrack if you can stomach a 100 mile drive. It would only take 1.5 hours to get to Oakridge and some of the best singletrack in the country, imho.
I know lots of locals and have done some guiding there myself. If you're interested let me know and I'll put you in touch with the right folks. the locals are seriously in shape riders, but as mellow as they come!
By the way, Mirror Pond is my favorite beer from Deschutes.