Press
Below you’ll find a collection of posts, articles, and excerpts which have either been authored by the Dirty Freehub team or are about Dirty Freehub.
8 Gravel Biking Trails With Stunning Views
When the heat recedes and fall leaves shimmer, hop on a gravel bike, one of the easiest ways to get deep into wild country. Essentially a slightly beefed-up road bike, this sturdy steed is designed to cruise down unpaved roads and packed-dirt trails. While gravel bikes don’t deliver the […]
Post Fire Recreating in Central Oregon
This summer, those of us who weren’t preparing for an evacuation spent time looking for good pockets of clean air. AQI numbers had a whole new meaning. But now that fall is here, we are left with a patchwork of crispy forests, some closed forest roads and areas that will take years to […]
Parkinson’s Podcast with the Phinney Foundation
In this podcast, Chris Krueger interviews three people to discuss riding gravel with Parkinson’t Disease including a physical therapist who works with people who have Parkinson’s, a cyclist who rides with Parkinson’s and the Executive Director of Dirty Freehub. The podcast includes discussions […]
I’m Back On Track
Dirty Freehub’s Gravel Champ Jim Sipe is featured in this magazine (which has a distribution of 50,000 to doctor’s offices across the US), to inspire other Type 1 Diabetics to try gravel cycling. (Just scroll down to find the article) Jim also talks about working with Dirty Freehub.
Gravel Cycling Website Goes Analog
In today’s hyper online world, a website begetting a book — and a series of them, no less — might read like putting the cart before the horse.
Yet, delightfully, the popularity of Dirty Freehub — the result of a married duo’s passion for route scouting, mapping and storytelling — […]
Update: End of the Trail? Bend Trails Goes Offline
The founders of one of Central Oregon’s richest resources for mountain biking trail intelligence are bookending their decade-long community give-back with a plea:
Keep Bend Trails alive by buying it.
Gravel Champ Rick Marshall: Podcast on Riding Across the US
Dial in on this podcast that features our Gravel Champ, Rick Marshall as he talks about riding across the United States. Rick is an active duty Army veterans who uses gravel cycling to combat PTSD.
Impact Report 2025
Hot off the press, Dirty Freehub’s Impact Report for this year. Our calendar year starts Oct 1st!
Heading outside: gravel routes
More cloudy days this weekend. Fingers crossed the sun breaks through once or twice. Sunday looks like the day to get out, with temperatures rising into the 60s. Local trails may be waterlogged due to rains this week, but expect our sandy soils to soak things up come the weekend. After some […]
Three Things Nobody Tells You About Cycling the Aufderheidi
There are three things no one tells you about cycling the Aufderheide: 1. the first 30 miles are straight uphill; 2. the second 30 miles are straight downhill; and 3. it ends at the magical Westfir Lodge.
Halloween Haunts: Dirty Freehub Spooky Gravel Routes
This Halloween, swap cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns for dust, gravel, and ghost towns. At Dirty Freehub we’ve curated a spooktacular lineup of gravel rides from our “Ghosts” collection. Each route blends history, adventure, and just the right amount of spectral energy.
Dirty Freehub Inducts MS Advocate David Toste into Gravel Champs Hall of Fame
Dirty Freehub is proud to announce the induction of David Toste of West Linn, Oregon into the Gravel Champs Hall of Fame, honoring his dedication to both the gravel cycling community and advocacy for those living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple […]
Webinar: Gravel Biking for Destination Communities
State of Washington Tourism (SWT) hosted the latest episode of the Tourism Skillshop on gravel biking as a form of destination development for rural communities. The recording of this webinar is now available on YouTube. Feel free to contact the subject matter experts who presented during this […]
10 Reasons I Didn’t Think I Could Ride Gravel with MS
By Gravel Champ David Toste, Dirty Freehub
Here’s some practical advise for getting yourself to stop thinking about why you CAN’T ride gravel!
The Fatigue Will Feel Overwhelming? I started with short rides, listening to my body, and building slowly. Even a 2-mile spin counts. Many […]
Dirty Freehub’s Inclusive Gravel Cycling Campaign Empowers Riders with Disabilities
Dirty Freehub, a Bend-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting gravel cycling adventures, is launching a new statewide campaign to empower and inspire people with visible and non-visible disabilities to explore Oregon by gravel bike. With support from the Travel Oregon Competitive Grant Program […]
Miles out of cherry country: A 45-mile gravel ride from The Dalles
Having rolled out from Sorosis Park, up on a bluff above The Dalles and the Columbia River, 20 minutes earlier, I was pedaling uphill on a lonely, winding paved road through sprawling cherry orchards. Heading away from the river with clear views of both Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams whenever the road […]
Travel Oregon Competitive Grant Awarded to Dirty Freehub
Three Central Oregon businesses have received grants from Travel Oregon that are designed to increase access and inclusiveness, according to a statement by the agency, including Dirty Freehub. (Subscription required)
$280,000 granted to tourism-related projects across Central Oregon
BEND, Ore. — Visit Central Oregon is granting $280,000 to seven different tourism-related projects throughout the High Desert. The money comes from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, which raises money through Oregon’s transient room tax.
Parkinson’s Foundation Webinar with Dirty Freehub
Dirty Freehub is excited to participate in the Parkinson’s Foundation webinar on April 27th.
Gravel Riding Around Oregon’s Painted Hills
I pedal my gravel bike up to the shaded overlook at the Painted Hills Unit, a particularly beautiful part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. I’m halfway through the day’s gravel ride on one of the area’s dozen routes with my dad and his friend, and we’ve made a split […]
March Newsletter
Our latest and greatest information about what’s happening in Dirty Freehub.
Gravel Biking on the Oregon Coast
Gravel biking on the Oregon Coast isn’t just about the ride — it’s a chance to connect with the land and enjoy the unique charm of the region. Even in winter the Oregon Coast scenery is striking, with misty mornings, dramatic skies and variable weather to set the mood. When geared up […]
January Newsletter from Dirty Freehub
What’s happening at Dirty Freehub as of January 2025.
Dirty Freehub Impact Report 2024
Our 2024 Impact Report provides a full picture of Dirty Freehub: survey results, financials, plans for the future, full recap of what we did last year and more. We are really proud of our accomplishments; we hope you take the time to review it.
Dirty Freehub Spooky Gravel Routes
Spooky, spooky. Find your Halloween haunt at Dirty Freehub in our GHOSTS collection. Gravel routes like Devils Cashbox near Tucson, the BEAST near Oakland or Deadman Willis near the Columbia Gorge. Ride Skull Hollow in Central Oregon or Cannibal 5 on the Oregon Coast. Visit ghost towns, old […]
October Newsletter
Looking for a list of our latest Ride Guides and Podcasts? Check out our October Newsletter.
13 Bucket List Activities in Bend, OR: Discovering Oregon’s Playground
One activity that will get your heart rate up is joining riders alike at Dirty Freehub—a non profit that connects cyclists to where they ride. The site has over 12,000 miles of curated gravel biking ride guides across the Western US, with plenty of local rides to start with here in Bend. […]
Oregon Coast: Insider View of Gravel Cycling
Oregon is famous for a rugged coastline with empty beaches, quaint fishing villages, sand dunes and outrageous seafood. But what’s so special about riding gravel? We just love the overall green experience, riding quiet forest roads among trees that seem taller than skyscrapers. And while […]
Gravel Opportunity Offers Economic Opportunity for Lake View
Last weekend, Dirty Freehub (www.dirtyfreehub.org) hosted their first ever “Popup Event” where they invited twenty cyclists to Lakeview for three days of gravel riding. Cyclists loved the perfect weather, the great hotels, the restaurants, the local bike shop, and the quiet gravel roads. […]
Rough ‘n Wild Biking Guide to Oregon Coast Hits the Ground Running
Visit Central Oregon has announced that seven recipients will be awarded a total of $280,000 in grant money as part of the Central Oregon Future Fund. Now in its third annual cycle, the grant program supports local tourism projects that benefit both visitors and Central Oregon residents. Visit […]
Launch! Oregon Coast Gravel Guide
From Brookings to Astoria, the Oregon Coast offers amazing gravel cycling. At Dirty Freehub, we are launching the Oregon Coast Gravel Guide which is a pocket paper booklet with the following:
Beautiful art from a local Oregon Coast artist.
Photos that have been stylized to match to the […]
August Newsletter
The August newsletter from Dirty Freehub which includes a list of our latest Ride Guides and Podcasts.
$1.1M For Oregon Coast: Funding to support Accessibility and Inclusion Initiatives
Dec. 13—Oregon Coast organizations have received $1,109,761 in competitive grants from Travel Oregon to fund accessible and inclusive tourism projects in the region.
Across Oregon, 56 grant recipients were awarded $3.6M aimed at enhancing local economies and communities through visitor […]
Deschutes Trails Coalition Announces 2024 Small Project Grant Awards To Support Local Trail Stewardship
The Deschutes Trails Coalition announced awards totaling $22,062 for their annual Small Projects Grant program. This program funds trail-related projects within the Deschutes National Forest. Now in its seventh year, the program has cumulatively funded nearly $250,000 since its start in […]
June Newsletter
The Dirty Freehub newsletter which includes our latest Ride Guides and podcasts.
