OROVILLE– Nonprofit tour operator Bicycle Rides Northwest, based in Bend, Oregon, is bringing a large-scale, fully supported road-bicycle tour to Oroville, staying two nights at Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16-17, before departing the morning of Thursday, July 18.
The event brings up to 300 riders on each tour, accompanied by roughly 60 crew members and vendors. The Washington 2024 tour starts and ends in Colville, with additional overnight stays in Northport, Curlew and Republic. The tour brings along its own caterer, shower truck, portable toilets, baggage trucks, bike mechanics and more.
Riders will arrive in Oroville throughout the afternoon of Tuesday, July 16, coming from Curlew via Chesaw Road. On Wednesday, July 17, they’ll leave town between 6 and 8 a.m. to ride a loop route around Palmer, Spectacle and Whitestone lakes on Loomis-Oroville Road, taking Highway 7 back to Oroville. They’ll depart between 6 and 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, via Highway 7 to Tonasket, then ride on Highway 20 to Republic.
Cyclists ride at their own pace, so the group spreads out over the day. The tour operators put out signage warning drivers of the event in places where they’re likely to encounter the riders, and the tour has five on-route support vehicles with signs and flashing lights. Riders are required to follow the rules of the road, and the event will not require any traffic control. The organization emphasizes being good visitors to towns along the route.
“We love taking our riders to the most beautiful places in the Northwest,” says BRNW Executive Director Jim Moore. “A big part of that is seeing new places and meeting new people. We want our riders to be respectful of local residents and businesses, and convey that cyclists are a positive presence in town and on the road. We find letting people in each town know we’re coming makes a better experience for everyone, because it’s not a surprise to see hundreds of riders strung out along a road.”
BRNW has been leading tours for more than 35 years, with routes in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Each year’s two large tours are on new routes, with the goal of visiting as many towns and scenic destinations as possible. The organization pays communities and organizations site fees, offers fundraising opportunities for local teams and groups, sources food and supplies from local businesses, and provides host communities with grants each year to apply to whatever project or use will provide the most benefit.
