How long until the piano wire show up?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Donnell
Probably real soon 🙂

registerguard.coma1.mountainbike.1019.htmlOpen ↗

I'm all for sharing trail information and bringing new folks into the sport, but there are some spooky speculators with their hooks in Oakridge already. I hope they take some of the advice given and just go high speed explotation up there. That area has some choice riding and great potential. So did Moab, once upon a time.

Donnell, you from around here (Eugene/Springtucky/Oakridge)?

K.

"ireman_1" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Donnell, you from around here (Eugene/Springtucky/Oakridge)?

K.

You should stay away from Oakridge

Quoted message said:

I'm all for sharing trail information and bringing new folks into >the sport, but there are some spooky speculators with their >hooks in Oakridge already. I hope they take some of the advice >given and just go high speed explotation up there. That area >has some choice riding and great potential. So did Moab, once >upon a time.

Quoted message said:

Donnell, you from around here (Eugene/Springtucky/Oakridge)?

Quoted message said:

K.

Being quite the typist I am (read that with the appropriate amount of sarchasm), I left out a VERY important word in the above post when referring to the exploitation of Oakridge: don't. It should have read: I hope they take some of the advice given and DON'T just go high speed exploitation up there. What a difference one Syllable can make. I'm up there riding quite a bit and would love to see the local economy get a boost, but what's the proper way to go about promotion and growth?

K.

ireman_1 said:

I'm up there riding quite a bit and would love to see the local economy get a boost, but what's
the proper way to go about promotion and growth?

Is Oakridge's riding really so different from other Pacific NW (and Northern Cal) areas that it
would experience an explosion of growth? I think they're overestimating their potential. Moab has a
lot to do with unique scenery - which is also why there are two national parks close by.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

BB spray painted on a boxcar:

Quoted message said:

ireman_1 said:

I'm up there riding quite a bit and would love to see the local economy get a boost, but what's
the proper way to go about promotion and growth?

Is Oakridge's riding really so different from other Pacific NW (and Northern Cal) areas that it
would experience an explosion of growth? I think they're overestimating their potential. Moab has
a lot to do with unique scenery - which is also why there are two national parks close by.

I am sure there are lots of areas to research and compare for how to do it, not do it.

Some of the areas that pop into mind are Winthrop/Methow Valley; Bend; Sun Valley/McCall - all of
these areas promote mountain biking to lesser degrees than the Colo. plateau areas. I'm sure there
are others too.

If you look at other models ( ski towns etc) I'd bet that a real factor is local control instead of
Big Money From Out of Town. Locals seem to keep a better handle on planning and quality of life
issues, as long as you can keep the huge developers out of it.

Form where I sit, visiting a well-managed small town for recreation can be a real treat if they've
done it right. This means keeping Wal-Mart , fast food and strip malls out, and preserving the
character of the area.

At any rate, promoting mountain biking beats the heck out of a new mine or increased logging, and
keeps the community alive.

Penny S

BB said:

ireman_1 said:

I'm up there riding quite a bit and would love to see the local economy get a boost, but what's
the proper way to go about promotion and growth?

Is Oakridge's riding really so different from other Pacific NW (and Northern Cal) areas that it
would experience an explosion of growth? I think they're overestimating their potential. Moab has
a lot to do with unique scenery - which is also why there are two national parks close by.

Nope. Oakridge's appeal is absolutely fantastic trails, not mind-blowing scenery. The main reason
the trails are so absolutely superb is that Eugene has had a VERY long history of outdoor
enthusiasts who have created and maintained the trails. Truly, if it were up to the people of
Oakridge, (historically- things are changing) there wouldn't be any trails because there wouldn't be
any woods.

The current undisputed champs of the trail maintenance scene are the Eugene club The Disciples Of
Dirt, who put in more trail work hours than pretty much everybody else in the state combined. Maybe
everybody else in the nation combined.

The DoD are also amazing riders, and put on events like the Creampuff and Barbie Camp to keep
themselves amused, inviting the rest of mountain biking to their parties.

If Oakridge does become the mountain bike Mecca people keep talking about it is predominantly
because of these guys (and gals).

Miles

Quoted message said:

I'm up there riding quite a bit and would love to see the local economy get a boost, but what's
the proper way to go about promotion and growth?

Quoted message said:

Is Oakridge's riding really so different from other Pacific NW (and >Northern Cal) areas that it
would experience an explosion of growth? I think they're >overestimating their potential. Moab has a
lot to do with unique scenery - which is also why there are two >national parks close by.

There really isn't anything "extraodinary" about the raw location of Oakridge. What has been done with the location is exceptional though. Miles Todd stated things very well about DOD's (and others in a much more limited amount) influence and work on the trails. For whatever reason (who knows sometimes-"luck of the draw"?) there is a buzz about the Oakridge area currently and the area really needs something renewable to help the economy, something not clear-cut based. With Willamette Pass staying open in the summer now for the gravity set and some locals and "new locals" putting money in the area appears to have gotten some attention from at least a couple serious prospectors.

I would doubt the area will ever garner the same national attention and "prestige" of Moab, but that remains to be seen. My hope is that the town is able to keep some of its small town charm and draw while still getting a much needed revival. My goal is to become more involved in the trail maintenance and try to help with positive changes in Oakridge.

K.

ireman_1 said:

My goal is to become more involved in the trail maintenance and try to help with positive changes
in Oakridge.

K.

Good luck. I wish you the best. Maybe I can make it back up there next year and we can go ride
Larison Rock (one of my favorites, despite a really bad crash on it) together.

Miles

Quoted message said:

Good luck. I wish you the best. Maybe I can make it back up >there next year and we can go ride
Larison Rock (one of my favorites, despite a really bad crash on >it) together.

Quoted message said:

Miles

We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll be in good enough shape to hang in there with you! Take care.

K.

ireman_1 said:

Quoted message said:

Good luck. I wish you the best. Maybe I can make it back up >there next year and we can go ride
Larison Rock (one of my favorites, despite a really bad crash on >it) together.

We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll be in good enough shape to hang in there with you! Take care.

Hmm, an AMB-Oregon epic?

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)