From cyclists racing to the finish line in downtown Bend, mountain bikers cruising down Phil’s Trail and families leisurely pedaling along the Deschutes River, bicycling activities have become a major attraction in Central Oregon.

They’ve also pumped up the local economy.

Visitors participating in bicycle-related tourism last year brought in nearly $76 million to the region and helped generate about 900 jobs, according to a recent study.

“Cycling tourism is a key activity that impacts every community in Central Oregon in a variety of different and very positive ways,” said Alana Hughson, president and CEO of the Central Oregon Visitors Association. “Not only is the region a host to world-class, competitive cycling events that put Central Oregon on the national cycling circuit, but the region is an enormous draw for leisure cyclists who are enthusiasts of the sport in a recreational approach.”

The state has created 11 scenic bikeways throughout Oregon — 10 in the last three years, and five of which are in Central Oregon. And the number of cycling competitions in Central Oregon is rising each year. These factors have grabbed the attention of tourism agencies like Travel Oregon, Central Oregon Visitors Association and Visit Bend, who are taking a look at the economic impact.

Bicycling plays a significant role in visitors’ motivations to travel, their destinations and their spending, according to the study prepared by Portland-based Dean Runyan Associates for Travel Oregon, the public name for the Oregon Tourism Commission.

Visitors who participated in bicycle-related activities spent nearly $400 million statewide in 2012, representing about 4.4 percent of direct-travel spending for all activities.

In Central Oregon, bike-related tourism represented 11.6 percent, the second highest among seven regions of the state behind the Columbia River Gorge-Hood River region, according to the report released in April.

And other research suggests bicycling could be an even bigger draw in the city of Bend.

One-third of those who visited Bend last summer rode a bike, according to the 2012 Bend Area Summer Visitor Survey conducted by Visit Bend, said Kevney Dugan, director of sales and sports development for the city’s tourism agency.

Of that 33 percent, he said, 18 percent participated in road biking and 15 percent rode mountain bikes. And a number of them were competitors.

Bend is becoming known as a regional and national destination to mountain and road bikers, he said.

“Central Oregon Trail Alliance and the Forest Service have created a mountain bike network that is easily accessible to the masses. We have quality roads with very little traffic that surround the area, and a culture that accepts cycling,” Dugan said.

“Once we became known to have those assets, the competitions quickly followed.”

In the past five years, he said, the city has hosted nine USA Cycling National Championships. And just last year, he said, Bend hosted roughly 15 cycling events, from professional races like the Cascades Cycling Classic to renegade mountain bike events like the Blitz to the Barrel.

More competitions coming to Central Oregon, he said, means more of a boost to the local economy.

Last year, the Masters Road Nationals created about $1.2 million in tourist spending, including lodging, restaurants and retail.

“The biggest thing that races do for a local economy is bring in new people,” Dugan said. “The national championship … brings in people from almost all the 50 states, which is bringing in new people to experience Bend.”

But the economic benefit of bicycle activities goes beyond competitions, extending to tour companies and local retailers.

Bicycle-related travel spending generated about 4,600 jobs within the state, and 920 jobs in Central Oregon according to the Dean Runyan study.

“People want to compete here, train here and have leisure rides with their families. The whole thing is continuing to grow and evolve,” Dugan said.

The region offers something for every level of cyclist, whether recreational or competitive, agreed Hughson of COVA.

Several small businesses have launched in recent years with the popularity of cycling, including Cog Wild Bicycle Tours, Wheel Fun Rentals, Let It Ride Electric Bikes and the Bend Tour Company, she said. Each offers a different type of experience and all are popular with visitors, she said.

“Central Oregon’s cycling outfitters make it easy and affordable for cycling enthusiasts of every level to engage, explore and enjoy the sport while on a vacation in Central Oregon,” she said.

Kevin Gorman, owner of WebCyclery and WebSkis, said there are not only more events than ever before, but there are more customers who want to rent bikes.

“It seems like during the summer just about every weekend there’s something to be done on a bike,” he said.

Gorman, who opened his Bend shop in 1998, said he started his demo-rental fleet about a decade ago with one or two bikes. Now he’s up to about 25.

In the past, he’s only rented mountain bikes, out of his shop on Southwest Industrial Way. But this summer he’s adding road bikes, and he plans to offer fat-tire snow bikes this winter.

“It definitely brings in business,” he said, referring to bicycle-related tourism. “We get a lot of people seeking us out when they come to town.”