Press Release: January 2024
“Dirty Freehub Announces the All Access™ Program Funded by Travel Oregon” / January 2024
Big news! Travel Oregon is funding the nonprofit Dirty Freehub to create 20-25 “All Access Ride Guides” for gravel cycling in Oregon. Designed with inclusivity in mind, these electronic guides cater to a diverse range of cyclists – from adaptive athletes and eBikers to seniors facing aerobic challenges, those returning to cycling after a hiatus, beginners, and families looking to cycle together. The guides will feature routes that are shorter, have minimal elevation gain, are easily accessible (not remote), and traverse wider roads. This makes finding and enjoying great gravel bicycle routes in Oregon easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
The Ride Guides will include educational information on history, culture and the environment, downloadable maps, and details that help cyclists select a route appropriate for their level. In addition, the routes will be included in a printed guide designed to inspire cyclists to ride new areas and for cyclists to carry with them on a ride so they can learn about points of interest along the way.
According to Executive Director Linda English, “Over our ten years of providing Ride Guides to gravel cyclists, we have always received feedback from a variety of cyclists that some of our routes can be too long and demanding. We are excited to both help grow the sport of gravel cycling with more entry-level routes and also inspire cyclists who need shorter, easier routes.”
English commented, “Our first step is identifying great bicycle routes across the state. Then, we will create digital Ride Guides with downloadable maps. And when we complete all 20 Ride Guides, we will create a printed guide.”
“The project was initiated when we realized that with the various organizations that offer curated gravel bicycle guides, we only found ten guides across the entire state of Oregon that mapped to our All Access criteria.”
Listen in as we talk with Kevin English, Co-Founder and Director of Content for Dirty Freehub, about the All Access Program and how it came to be.
To create the guides, Dirty Freehub is investing $75,000 into the project, with funding from individuals and sponsors. Travel Oregon is contributing $96,000, with $30,000 reserved for distribution and printing. The printed guides will be distributed through tourism centers and bicycle shops.
So, what exactly is gravel cycling? Gravel cycling uses a bicycle that is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bicycle. Cyclists ride on a combination of paved and unpaved roads, pathways, etc. Gravel cycling has attracted a huge following around the world as cyclists look for ways to escape the dangerous conflict between cars and cyclists and to expand the areas they ride.
According to English, “Oregon is an amazing place for gravel cycling. Our state is loaded with small roads that were created for mining, forestry, ranching and access to outdoor recreation. We have a huge variety of terrain, often with amazing views of the mountains.”
Gravel bikes are the second fastest-growing segment of bike sales, just behind eBikes (also included within this project’s scope). In mountain bike hot spot areas like Bend, Oregon, the ratio of mountain bike sales to gravel bike sales is 1:1.
The All Access Ride Guides are also a perfect solution to support the eBike community. All of the routes will be 100% eBike accessible. This is important in that most mountain bike trails within the state of Oregon do not allow eBikes.
The funding awarded to Dirty Freehub was part of Travel Oregon’s 2023 Competitive Grants Program. Dirty Freehub was one of 56 recipients. Travel Oregon awarded $3.6 million in funding through the program; the money comes from the Oregon state transient lodging tax established by the Oregon Legislature in 2003. This grant aims explicitly to expand tourism infrastructure to be more accessible and inclusive, funding projects through an equity lens around accessibility and inclusion for underserved and under-resourced communities.
Dirty Freehub is a 501(c)3 with over 12,000 miles of curated gravel Ride Guides across the Western United States.
Dirty Freehub has 6 social missions:
- Inspiration. Inspiring people to get out and ride, ultimately promoting health and well-being.
- Accessibility & Inclusion. Helping riders find routes that are appropriate for their skills and athleticism.
- Connection. Connecting cyclists to the culture, history, and heritage of where they ride.
- Bridging the urban/rural divide.
- Sustainability. Increasing the awareness of the lands and wildlife wwe impact when riding
- Having a positive economic impact on the towns where we ride.
All Access is a registered trademark by Dirty Freehub.
