Photos by Andy Tullis / The BulletinRichard Sweet, of Eugene, zips past two riders traveling in the opposite direction, as he nears the break location for the Cycle Oregon bike tour at Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne on Thursday morning.

TERREBONNE — Cycle Oregon holds a special place in the heart of many a cyclist.

A week of riding the state’s scenic back roads, the bonding with fellow bike enthusiasts, and the chance to explore Oregon’s unparalleled natural beauty are all constantly mentioned by Cycle Oregon veterans as things that make the ride special.

Of course, missing a week of school is not too bad either.

Mike McCarthy, 49, and his daughter Maddie, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Hillsboro’s J.W. Poynter Middle School, were two of the approximately 2,200 Cycle Oregon riders who are wheeling through Central Oregon this week. After starting their seven-day ride in The Dalles on Sunday, riders worked their way to Madras by Wednesday evening. About half of the cyclists — the McCarthys included — participated Thursday in an optional 62-mile loop south of Madras that featured a lunch break at Smith Rock State Park.

“I’m not a native Oregonian, but I feel like I’ve seen more of the state than a lot of true Oregonians,” said Mike McCarthy, who is riding in his 11th Cycle Oregon. He and Maddie are tackling the 489-mile tour together on a tandem bike. “This is great because it’s the only time you get to bike this much and be this well-supported. And you get to see all these towns and communities.”

“It’s nice to get off school for a week,” Maddie McCarthy added with a smile. “And I can eat whatever I want.”

The brainchild of an innkeeper in Ashland, Cycle Oregon’s inaugural voyage was a 320-mile trek from Salem to Brookings on the southern Oregon Coast in 1988. Different routes highlighting different parts of the state have followed ever since. This year’s ride — dubbed “The Magnificent Seven” for its mountain views of Adams, Hood, Jefferson, Washington and the Three Sisters — includes nearly 35,000 feet of climbing. Cyclists leave Madras this morning and by day’s end will ride 80.1 miles back to Tygh Valley, a route that passes through the towns of Antelope, Shaniko and Maupin. The weeklong adventure ends Saturday with a short 40.8-mile return to The Dalles.

“This has been on the bucket list,” said Chris Leimpeter, a 45-year-old firefighter from Pleasant Hill, California, about doing a Cycle Oregon tour. Leimpeter and six other firefighters from Contra Costa County made the trip from Northern California.

“This is awesome,” he added. “Best day of the trip so far.”

The first half of Thursday’s route was highlighted by views of Lake Billy Chinook and The Cove Palisades State Park, crossing the Crooked River through Peter Skene Ogden State Park, and, of course, Smith Rock. The return trip included nearly car-free traffic between Culver and Madras on 10-mile stretch of the Culver Highway, a route pleasantly scented by the area’s lavender farms.

“I have to keep doing this to keep from getting old,” said an Idaho woman, Jo Siegel. A fit 64-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, she said she was making her eighth or ninth Cycle Oregon trip. “This keeps me going.”

Siegel, a retired school teacher, said she took up cycling in her early 40s, eventually crossing the country in 47 days on bike, starting at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and ending at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

“It was a life-changing event,” said Siegel, who said she has since biked on all seven continents.

“Antarctica is a bit of a stretch,” she admitted. “They wouldn’t let me take a bike on the boat, so when we got there, I took an exercise bike from the cabin onto the deck and cycled.”

Even as a world traveler, Siegel was taken aback Thursday by the natural beauty of Smith Rock and the surrounding area.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I didn’t expect this. When I saw this portion of the trip on the map, I expected flat, dry grasslands. This is beautiful.”

—Reporter: 541-383-0305; beastes@bendbulletin.com.