Experience Oregon's rich harvest season while riding the 4th annual Harvest Century, a benefit for Community Vision. Pumpkins mark the way on three looped routes - 42, 75 and 102 - that begin and end in historic Champoeg State Park. These beautiful fall rides take you through Yamhill valley wineries, a quaint ferry crossing and offer breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and the coastal range. You'll also have a chance to explore some unexpected places right outside of city centers.

Harvest Century riders will find plenty of opportunities to have fun along the way, including collecting a poker hand of cards - one at each rest stop - to vie for the best hand and prizes at the finish line. You'll be well taken care of along the way, too. The start line continental breakfast features Portland-roasted coffee from Nossa Familia and Taco del Mar will serve up a hearty mid-ride lunch. The finish line party features Rogue beer and live music from Back Porch Revival. As usual, you can count on bountiful rest stops, friendly support and a well-marked course with pavement markers and a cue sheet/map. Mechanical support is provided by the experts at Performance Bike. Pre-register by September 18th and receive a free commemorative t-shirt.

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As summer winds down and fall approaches, 2,000 cyclists gear up for one of the true velo treasures of Oregon - Cycle Oregon. Small, welcoming towns, vibrant scenery and a chance to explore the areas that make Oregon a special place are what draw people from across the world every September.

Cycle Oregon 2006 is currently under way. They've reached Heppner and have 520 up-and-down miles and 15 gourmet catered meals left to enjoy on a scenic tour of Western Oregon hamlets. At night, hot showers, beer and fresh pizza await the exhausted riders in base camp. The night sky shines over a sea of tents as the entertainment stage heats up - featuring performances by local artists and some of Oregon's most renowned acts. Yoga, bike repair, clinics and more, there's no shortage of services on Cycle Oregon.

Don't worry, if you're not out there on the ride this year you can virtually experience the journey by reading the Cycle Oregon blog reports on BikePortland.org. Written by Jonathan Maus, the official Cycle Oregon blog correspondent, these reports (and photos) offer an intimate glimpse of the beautiful route and the people who are out there on the trail.

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Take part in thrilling cat and mouse racing, with riders divided into two or three groups at the Veloce Handicap Series races at Portland International Raceway. The first group is given a head start and the next groups start one minute later. The groups must catch the one in front of them in order to engage in contest sprints. Each group completes the same number of laps and finishes at the same time, making for a fun-to-watch and fun-to-race event.

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North Central Oregon is still flecked with some of the most diverse prehistoric plant and animal fossils in North America. Casual visitors can easily stumble upon small flakes and chunks of old mudflows and ashfalls, with fragile mammal bones, fish scales and bones and the leaves and nuts from Oregon's first ancient forests, embedded in stone. Kind of makes you want to take a bike tour to explore, doesn't it?

The Rockin' and Rollin Bike Tours offer a chance to ride through time as you explore Oregon's John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and learn about past climates and climate change. The Saturday ride is a mt. bike tour of areas where volcanoes once towered above a tropical landscape of banana trees, palm trees and ancestral chocolate plants. The Sunday route is a road ride at a relaxed pace along a gentle grade with relatively low traffic. The tour offers a chance to understand the human history of the region, including native American heritage and early ranching. Full services on both rides include SAG vehicles, all-natural locally grown foods and free rides back to the start for you and your bike. Proceeds benefit Oregon

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Cyclocross has taken Portland by storm. This down-and-dirty sport marked with cowbells, spectators in rubber boots, and mud-covered chain rings is great to race or just to watch. A strong culture has developed around the local cyclocross races (hence the cowbells rung wildly as racers fly by) and cyclocross is here to stay. The 2006 season kicks off on October 1 at the Alpenrose Dairy.

Hone your 'cross skills with some of the top local 'crossers and most experienced racers in the Pacific Northwest at the Wednesday night clinics. The clinics are held at Alpenrose Dairy. Get measured practice first so you can train properly later. Organizer and accomplished racer Erik Tonkin says it's also an opportunity to "socialize with your brethren." Each time you show up, your name gets put in the hat for the grand-prize drawing at the last clinic. However, if you pre-register for all four nights, you get your name in the hat not four times but five times. The prizes have yet to be revealed.

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