Bend, Oregon is a great place to be a cyclist.
Oregon itself is the second most bicycle friendly state in the country according to the League of American Bicyclists. Bend, with a population of about 103,000, has dozens of bike shops in town and thriving cycling scene with cycling groups, rides, and races to join. One of Oregon’s officially designated scenic bikeways starts in downtown Bend and three others are easily accessible from the city.
There are a lot of places to get out and enjoy riding of all kinds and gravel riding—an in-between of road cycling and mountain biking—is especially popular on many routes in the area. A local nonprofit, Dirty Freehub, maps and shares the best gravel routes for riders in Bend and beyond.
Despite such a bike-friendly culture, cycling within city limits still leaves a lot to be desired.
Bend’s bike infrastructure needs work
While Bend is certainly full of bike lovers—both residents and tourists—the city’s infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. While riding for recreation is popular, the number of people using bicycles for transportation could be much higher.
Weather is one problem. There are roughly 186 sunny days a year in Bend but the high desert environment means a lot of very hot and very cold days for riding. In the winter, the temperature often hovers between 24 and 40 degrees. Snow tends to linger after a winter storm and often is cleared off the roads into road shoulders or bike lanes, making a difficult, cold ride even harder.
Like many cities, Bend was designed with cars in mind. The city’s public transportation system is underfunded and still leaves a lot to be desired, meaning there are more cars on the same roads cyclists need to use to get around the city. Many dedicated bike paths were built with recreation in mind more than transportation. This means it’s easier—and sometimes safer—to go gravel riding just outside the city than it is to commute to work.
Bend streets can be dangerous for Oregon cyclists
Bend got the number four spot on a list of Oregon cities with the most bike commuters but that doesn’t mean it feels safe to ride to work. Between 2007 and 2016 there were 198 crashes involving a cyclist in Bend with six fatalities. In 2023, a 15-year-old died in a crash while on an e-bike, which is prompting changes to e-bike laws as well as local infrastructure.
In 2023, the city got its first bicycle-protected roundabout. But when city officials attempted to bike across town, using the new infrastructure, they still found unsafe sections near parks and schools.
