Frequently-Asked Questions
How do I become a member of Cycle Wild?
Cycle Wild has no memberships – we serve the entire public for FREE. Our classes and trips have no cost attached to them whatsoever. We do accept donations, though, so if you’re feeling generous, please consider contributing something, even if it’s just a dollar.
Your posted camping trip says $5 per person – didn’t you just say you don’t charge anything?
When we post a camping trip, we’re saying that we’ll lead whoever shows up to the promoted destination if they show up at a certain place at a certain time. We don’t charge anything to provide information, for leading you to the site, or for anything else. You are responsible for buying your own food, and for paying any park/campground fees. When we say the hiker/biker camp costs $5 per person, we’re telling you that State Park, County Park, or USFS Campground is charging that much per person or per site.
So, what exactly do you DO, then?
Cycle Wild provides information free of charge to the public to help them experience the wonders of nature through the use of the bicycle. We provide on our website route information to various camping destinations in the Portland rideshed, links to local weather, bike-related information, route-planning and natural/wilderness topics, classes on how to camp, what one should (or could) bring along with them, and how to do it all by bicycle. We also coordinate group trips to local destinations and provide a ride “leader” to guide the group to its intended destination and answer questions.
You mentioned a “rideshed”. What’s a rideshed?
A rideshed encompasses all the places an average rider can reach in a single day on a bicycle loaded for camping. The Portland Rideshed reaches about 75-80 miles in all directions from downtown Portland, covering portions of 2 states, 8 counties, 3 National Forests, and a couple hundred dedicated campgrounds. It includes beaches, mountains, forests, fields, canyons, orchards, vineyards, and prairie. Oh, and a few big cities and lots of smaller towns. There’s an incredibly large variety of places to see and things to do, and they can all be seen or done in a weekend by bike!
How do you carry everything without a car? I can’t possibly fit everything on my bike, can I?
Well, that depends on how much you need to bring with you – or want to bring with you. If your bicycle has a rear rack, you can camp by bike – the necessities aren’t that many. If you want to go really light, then renting a cabin or yurt at a state park is a good way to travel light and still enjoy a natural setting – though cabins & yurts have a higher cost involved.
What skills do I need to camp by bike?
Presumably you already know how to ride a bike. We basically lead two types of trips – beginner rides and intermediate rides. Our ride announcements will state what level a given ride is. “Beginner” rides assume that you are capable of riding at least 35 miles in a day and know how to change a flat tire. “Intermediate” rides assume that you have a basic understanding of what gear you need to camp safely, even in adverse weather. We cover the basics in our Bike Camping 101 class, which is held 3-4 times each year.
How Far Do You Ride?
Most of our trips are between 30 and 50 miles. Each year we do a couple trips under 30 miles (mostly to Milo McIver and Stub Stewart), and typically we do two 3-day trips of 55-75 miles on Independence Day and Labor Day weekends.
Do You Do Trips Outside of Portland?
Not usually – we’re a locally-based nonprofit. Our Bike Camping curriculum is location-independent, but our other services are centered on the Portland, Oregon rideshed. If you’d like to start something similar for your local area, contact us and we can help you get started camping by bike in YOUR rideshed!