Bike Magazine

Bike Magazine says when people first hear about Bend, Oregon, they often imagine wet, mossy terrain. Oregon, after all, is known for getting rain, and a hell of a lot of it.

Bend, however, defies that preconception. The city sits in the high desert, and the Cascades to the west capture much of the rain blowing in from the coast, which often leaves Bend dry and dusty in the summer.

And this makes for some interesting and diverse riding. One might begin a ride cruising through canyons and over lava formations, only to enter lush alpine forests full of old-growth trees … Bend truly offers a bit of everything.

- Bike, March 2010