Bend, Oregon Cycling Groups Want to Make the City Safe for Riding

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. 

Bend cycling groups are hoping to make it easier to commute by bicycle 

Officials are hoping to create a “low stress bikeway network” by 2025 in the city. Officials are coupling this with a plan to increase public transportation routes to reduce single-person car trips.

Some of this is undoubtedly thanks to advocacy from local biking groups like Bend Bikes, a bike-commuting nonprofit, as well as the popularity of cycling in Bend. Bend Bikes isn’t just continuing to advocate for safer bikeways and streets but also making sure existing bike paths are well maintained and free of gravel so riders will keep using them. 

Cycling groups like the Bend Area Cycling Enthusiasts have as many as 3,000 members. Another local group, the Bend Bellas—which caters to female riders—doesn’t just plan rides but also workshops on bike safety and repairs. Members are also encouraged to volunteer to maintain local bike trails, making riding safer for everyone. These groups all promote using Bend’s local bike shops which are great place to get additional information about riding safely or local bike friendly policies under consideration from the city government that riders might want to support.

Once Bend bike safety improves, city ridership will increase

Unfortunately the current state of Bend’s city bike infrastructure means that it’s safer to cycle outside city limits on scenic bikeways, gravel roads, or mountain trails than to ride next to traffic. Too few of the streets cyclists need to use for transportation are graded or offer protected bike lanes. Hopefully with a city government that’s on board and the continued advocacy of local cyclists that will change.

Bike commuting in Bend is still on par with other American cities at only a small percentage of the population. In Amsterdam, bike capital of the world, over 60-percent of trips are done by bicycle. Amsterdam was once as car-centric as other cities but, after a few fatal crashes, the city overhauled its transportation network to focus more on cycling and public transportation. The possibilities for Bend—already a town full of cyclists—are exciting.

Scarborough Bicycle Accident Law is pleased to be representing athletes coast-to-coast from our Bend, Oregon and Tampa, Florida offices. If you need personal injury consultation, do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

Bicycle Accident Team Members in Drake Park. From left: Matt Scarborough, Stacy Simmons and Amy McConnell