Cyclist ‘city’ descends upon Madras

Riders on the Cycle Oregon tour parked their bikes in Madras Wednesday. And as they have with every other stop, they built a city of tents and trucks to house themselves.

“You know, I’m not really a camper. This is my first time in a tent for more than a night,” said Tom Miller, a cyclist from Illinois cycling Oregon with his three brothers.

Deb Morey of California is in her fifth year on the tour, and said she loves the feeling of camaraderie among the cyclists.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “I’m in a tent city. I have a number, like an address, and neighbors that I see every day.”

The “neighborhood” in Juniper Hill Park consists of 500 tents provided by the Cycle Oregon team, as well as an estimated 700 additional tents brought in by riders on the journey.

Amenities include showers, a food hall, a performance stage, and much-appreciated massage and acupuncture tents.

“I didn’t even think I was going to ride today,” Morey said. “But one of the people at health services looked at my knee and had me feeling better for another 12 hours on the bike. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

A complex city on a hill, and perhaps most impressive is the speed in which it was all put together.

“The shower trucks come in, the service trucks come in, and we get it all set up in a couple of hours,” said Chris Knott, volunteer coordinator with Cycle Oregon.

The layout of tents, where water and food services abound, is similar to that of a fire camp. Knott says that they hired a crew that works to build these cities in times of crisis, or recreation.

“They’re really good at taking a remote area, and setting up where they’re needed,” he said.

“Putting the shower and food trucks here or there, they’re really good at adapting.”