Riding Oregon’s scenic bikeways and exploring the state on two wheels makes for a pretty amazing vacation for anyone with “cyclelust.”

The only thing better is when someone else picks up the tab.

Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism arm, is looking to film several groups of riders this summer and fall for a web video series promoting Oregon’s scenic bikeways. In exchange for serving as “talent” for the videos, the state will pay food and lodging costs for the lucky groups selected.

“The idea is to try to find people excited about (the state’s designated scenic bikeways),” says Laura Crawford, who along with her business partner and companion, Russ Roca of the bicycle tourism group The Path Less Pedaled, film and produce the videos for Travel Oregon. “People that want to volunteer their time, we treat them really well with food and lodging during the whole shoot.”

Crawford and Roca have been flooded with emails after announcing on July 19 on the website BikePortland.com that they were looking for cyclists to film. Originally needing talent for four scenic bikeways — they have already shot and produced videos for the McKenzie Pass and Old West routes (see the link in the toolbox) — Crawford and Roca are now looking for cyclists who are interested in the 59.3-mile Grande Tour in northeastern Oregon, a figure-eight loop that starts and ends in La Grande, and the 36.4-mile Twin Bridges route that starts in Bend and loops through Tumalo State Park.

“We’re trying to wrap up filming for nine (scenic bikeways) by the end of the year,” says Crawford, who like Roca is based out of Portland. “And then Travel Oregon will publish them (throughout the next year).”

With loose narratives plotted out for each video, The Path Less Pedaled team has formed a rough outline for what kind of cyclist they need for each film. For the Grande Tour, Crawford and Roca are looking for four cyclists between the ages of 40 and 60 to film between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5. The schedule calls for two full days of shooting plus two overnight stays, one camping and one in a hotel. The Twin Bridges shoot, which they hope to film Oct. 12 and 13, calls for a couple in their 40s or 50s. The filming for the Twin Bridges loop includes riding and activities in Bend.

“We’re really excited to be involved in this project,” says Crawford, whose company also has shoots scheduled for the Tualatin Valley and Sisters-to-Smith Rock bikeways later this summer. “People are just starting to clue into this idea that cycling tourism can be a huge boost to an economy, especially in some of these smaller, rural areas.”

That sentiment rings true for Tumalo Coffeehouse owner and operator Lori Petrich, whose coffee shop is nestled along the Twin Bridges bikeway.

“(The designated bike route) certainly brings business into the coffeehouse on the weekends,” says Petrich, who opened her shop last November. “They seem very pleased we’re here.”

While most of the state’s designated bikeways have long been popular rides among local cyclists, the signage and marketing that come with being an Oregon Scenic Bikeway makes the routes more accessible for tourists.

“Every day people come in here looking for rides,” says David Mitchell, a sales associate at Hutch’s Bicycles’ east-side Bend location. “One I send them on is Twin Bridges. You don’t have to get out a map, it’s all signed. That’s a plus.”

The Path Less Pedaled’s Crawford says she and Roca hope to eventually film all 11 of the state’s official scenic bikeways, including Central Oregon’s Metolius River Loops and Madras Mountain Views routes.

“There’s no definite dates or plans out there yet for them,” she says. “But they’re on the radar.”

Wanna go on a ride?

Paths Less Pedaled (www.pathlesspedaled.com) is seeking cyclists to film on two more scenic bikeways this year. Here’s a rundown of the rides and the (loose) narratives they have in mind:

• Sept. 3-5, the Grande Tour Scenic Bikeway, a 59.3-mile route that starts and ends in La Grande after looping through Baker City. Paths Less Pedaled is looking for four cyclists, in their 40s, 50s, or 60s, for two full days of filming. Riders will camp one night and be put up in hotel the other . Some van support is available during the ride.

• Oct. 12-13, the Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway, a 36.4-mile loop that starts and finishes in Bend with two crossings of the Deschutes River. Filmmakers would like to shoot a couple, in their 40s or 50s, for one full day of riding and activities in Bend. The trip includes one night in a hotel in Bend.

Interested cyclists should email Laura Crawford and Russ Roca at pathlesspedaled@gmail.com and include a photo of yourself and your group.