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Join The Velo
Membership benefits
- Social Rides & Events
- Local Bike Shop Discount
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Featured Rides
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Cantrall Park Loop
The route up to the top of Cantrall Road is strenuous but worth the effort. You climb through thick fir forests mixed with madrone trees. The average gradient of the climb is 8.9% wi...
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The Lakes Loop
The Lakes Loop is a great training ride in the weeks before the Mountain Lakes Challenge (MLC). It incorporates all of the really hard parts of the MLC and still gets in roughly 50 mile...
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Ashland Watershed Loop
Nothing about this ride is ordinary; the road is single-lane decomposed granite, the route is remote (like cycling in the wilderness), and the surrounding landscape is breath-taking. Yo...
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Woodrat Loop
The Woodrat ride is a great intermediate length loop that quickly takes you out of the populated Rogue Valley into a forrested rural area. The ride is roughly 46 miles with 3000 feet of...
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Greensprings Keno Access Loop
This loop will take you through some very scenic areas around two lakes in the cascade range before you get onto the Keno Access Road. The Keno Access Road does a gentle climb up to a...
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Galice to Wolf Creek Loop
Ride goes from Galice Resort to Wolf Creek. This is a scenic route along the Rogue River and Graves Creek for much of the route. There are many miles on Graves Creek Road that is a si...
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Cedar Flats/Deer Creek
Experienced cyclists who've exhausted all of the possible rides and loops in the Medford/Ashland area may not be aware of this very challening loop south of Grants Pass. Like the Conde...
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Conde Creek Loop
The Conde Creek Loop is one of the harder rides the Club will run each year. It is very similar to the Cedar Flats/Deer Creek Loop in that it is generally a rolling/flat ride with one v...
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Mt. Ashland
There aren't many places around with views like you get on the Mt. Ashland Road. Once you clear the initial mile you are thousands of feet above the landscape below and the horizon open...
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Triple Peak Challenge
Looking for something a bit out of the ordinary? Try riding to the top of Dead Indian, Mount Ashland and the Greensprings in one day. The total elevation gain for the 92-mile thigh-burn...
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Salmon River Loop
If any ride speaks to the rugged beauty of the State of Jefferson, the very challenging Salmon River Loop does it in spades. This 100 mile loop is in the middle of one of the least deve...
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Applegate Dam via Sterling Creek
This route leaves from Jacksonville and starts to climb immediately on Cady Road. Once at the top of Cady you make a left onto Sterling Creek Road. The climb from Jacksonville to the...
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Anderson Gap
The road to Anderson Gap is one of only a few paved one lane roads that climb into the mountains above the Bear Creek Valley. It does this in spectacular fashion. I enjoy hard climbs. A...
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Applegate Lake
The ride to Applegate Lake and back is possible at just about any time of the year, it just so happens that it's about the best moderate length ride to open the season in the spring. It...
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Crater Lake Loop
This is probably the classic ride in Southern Oregon. It brings everything a rider could want to the table. It's a short 33 mile loop around the lake with several options for starting l...
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Butte Falls Prospect
The Butte Falls/Prospect Loop is an amazing ride into the cascades. It has some good climbing - nothing that will break the legs - and superb scenery. Traditionally the club rides will...
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All Ages and Abilities
Bicycling on Southern Oregon Streets Should Not Require Bravery
Making Bicycling Safe for Everyone
Please volunteer to help. Contact president@siskiyouvelo.org to find out what you can do.
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IN MEMORIAM: SUE HUTCHINSON
IN MEMORIAM: SUE HUTCHINSON, 84
LAST RIDE: JULY 3, 2021
I never met Sue, but when Membership Chair, Matt Walker described her as a slender woman who wore a multicolored, fluorescent cycling outfit on a bicycle painted the same, I realized I had seen her on the road many times. She was always riding alone, smiling as we exchanged waves.
Club members Elizabeth Zell and Jean O’Donnell told me Sue was a dedicated athlete who previously participated in running events and triathlons. She stayed in excellent physical condition by swimming and lifting weights at the YMCA in Ashland. But most of all she was the consummate bicyclist, riding her bike almost every day according to her neighbor, John Slawta of Land Shark Bicycles.
Local news media had very little information about the collision which ended her life. I contacted members of Jackson County Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team to learn more. They could not provide a lot of details because of the likelihood of criminal prosecution, however I did not ascertain the following: At about 6:30 am on July 3rd, Sue was westbound on Pioneer Road from Colver Road when she was overtaken and struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Lucas Patterson, 18 years old, who then drove away. Patterson returned to the scene later and was arrested for Hit and Run with Injury and Reckless Driving. Police suspect Patterson was driving while impaired (under the influence) and they are awaiting lab test results. The Police emphasized Sue was riding legally and did nothing to cause the accident. In their words, “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The Police also told me, “Pioneer Road is a very dangerous road for bicycling.” I asked what led them to that conclusion and they said the road was narrow with no shoulders and a drop off on each side for drainage. I pointed out the pavement is good, visibility is excellent, traffic is light and although there are no shoulders, the traffic lanes are standard width so there is plenty of room for vehicles approaching from the rear to pass safely. In my view, Pioneer Road is a safe road to ride on as I often do. Any danger for cyclists there is due to dangerous drivers, not a dangerous road.
This is another sad story about a cyclist killed under circumstances that defy logic. She was riding early in the morning on a lightly traveled country road with the sun at her back. The pavement was dry and in good condition. Yet she was struck from behind a vehicle driven by a young man. Though the cause of his actions are yet to be determined, ultimately there is no excuse for what happened to Sue. We lost one of our own and it could have been anyone of us.
John Fries
Siskiyou Velo Board Member
Posted by Jeff Roberts 5 hours ago | 0 comments | View/Post New Comment
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Velo Melo Saturday October 9th. Gold Hill <-> Rogue River
Saturday October 9th, eleven Velo Melo cyclists including ride leader Phil Kolczynski, enjoyed perfect weather exploring remote Galls Creek Canyon south of Gold Hill. They also toured Valley of The Rogue Park riding to the City of Rogue River.The group stopped by The Rogue River for a break and relaxed for this photo, then returned to Gold Hill for 26 miles.
(Part of the Group elected the optional climb up Sardine Creek Canyon to the paranormal “House of Mystery,” adding 9 more miles; the manager was so impressed that we cycled up to her tourist destination, that she has extended an invitation to return, use her facilities, and check out the Oregon Vortex.)
Posted by Jeff Roberts 5 hours ago | 0 comments | View/Post New Comment
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Velo Melo Ride Sat. Oct. 2
Sixteen (16) Velo Melo Cyclists, including guest/new riders, gathered at Twin Creeks Pavilion for the 33-mile “Tour de Table Rocks” Ride Saturday, Oct. 2.Ride Leader Phil Kolczynski reinforced by John Fries, co-ride leader, split the big group in half and enjoyed smoke-free ideal weather and a refreshment break at Rainey’s store.
Posted by Jeff Roberts 1 week ago | 0 comments | View/Post New Comment
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Oregon Get There Challenge and other RVTD Events
RVTD is supporting the Oregon Get There Challenge and other events in October.
Get There Challenge: October 4-17
Join Anytime! GetThereOregon.org/
Challenge Create an account or login at GetThereOregon.org to participate in the 2021 Get There Challenge from Oct 4-17. Challenge yourself and help make Oregon an even better place to live, work, and play.
Unlock fun and knowledge-building achievements—plus, log transportation options trips and remote workdays for a chance to win prizes, including two $500 cash cards, two $100 Columbia Sportwear gift cards, WiFi extenders, six $50 Made in Oregon gift cards, and more.
Posted by Jeff Roberts 1 month ago | 0 comments | View/Post New Comment
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Velo Melo Ride ride 8/21
From Phil K:Eight Velo Melo cyclists rode 36.2 miles Saturday morning. Our group started with only moderate smoke; we encountered some thicker smoke rated for “sensitive groups.” We continued, some with masks, and climbed into moderate air.
No one said that that he/she was a “sensitive cyclist “ (contradiction in terms?)
Posted by Jeff Roberts 1 month ago | 1 comment | View/Post New Comment
