Howdy friends!
October is here and fall riding is in full swing! The temps are perfect, the trails are pristine, and we’re excited about all the amazing things happening in Sisters Country. This month we’ve got updates on new trails coming to the area, big news about accessibility in Oregon, upcoming events, and some seriously cool adventure stories. Let’s dive in!
In This Edition:
🛠 Shop Updates (Fall Hours, Service Queue & Inventory Deals)
⛰️ HUGE Trail News: Sisters Trail Additions & Realignments Approved!
🌲 Sisters COTA Chapter Meeting (Oct 23 at the Shop!)
🙌 COTA Year End Fundraising Kickoff Party
🎫 Oregon First State to Earn ‘Accessibility Verified’ Status
🚴 Oregon Timber Trail Adventure Route Story Continues
🎪 Mudslinger Events 2026 Lineup Announced
📺 Must Read & Watch
🛠 Shop Updates
Fall Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10 am - 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday: CLOSED
Service Department:
Last month everyone took advantage when we boasted our 24-hour turnaround! Awesome - thank you! However... appointments are recommended and we’re currently about 1-2 days out. But call us and explain your situation, not all repairs are the same. We want to make sure you can keep riding! Especially this time of year with cool mornings, warm days, earlier sunsets, and a little rain - the trails are oh soooo sweet!
Also... be thinking about taking care of your bike before you put it away for the season. A happy bike is a clean bike! Sealant refresh, suspension service, a good tune... we’ll get you sorted.
To schedule an appointment please call us at 541-719-1213.
Time to Think About Riding Indoors:
Hopefully not too soon, but trainers are available! Give us a call or come on in to checkout our inventory and/or hear about what we can order in.
SALES Continue:
Fat Bikes - SALE!
Demos - SALE!
Other in-stock bikes - SALE!
Clothing - SALE!
Additionally, new Fall Patagonia and Club Ride in stock! As the old German saying goes, “there’s no bad weather, just bad gear.” Come in and we will get you covered... literally.
⛰️ HUGE Trail News: STAR Project Approved!
This is the news we’ve all been waiting for! The Sisters Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest recently signed its approval of the Sisters Trail Additions and Realignments (STAR) Project, which includes the creation of nearly 17 miles of new trail and formalizing 30 miles of existing routes, including the realignment of 12 miles of trails to improve wildlife habitat and protect natural resources.
These trails, which will be constructed over the next several years, include hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails, and are the first new trails in the Sisters Ranger District in over 15 years.
The STAR project includes trail actions on 19 existing and proposed trails to meet the need for unique recreational experiences, trail connectivity, restoration or abandonment of fire damaged trails, additions of existing routes to the official Forest Service trail system, and/or realignment of system trails.
Multiple local nonprofit volunteer trail organizations were involved in the planning process and/or will be doing the on-the-ground implementation work. These include Sisters Trails Alliance (STA), Oregon Equestrian Trails (OET), Save East Cascades Trails (SECT), and Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA).
“The STAR project will help us achieve the Sisters Country Vision goal of a livable city and region that remains welcoming even as we grow. Planning for these projects has been an exciting, collaborative process with trail users, our partner groups and the Forest Service. We look forward to working together to expand the trail system with new and improved equestrian, bicycle and hiking trails, and facilitate access for everyone to enjoy the beautiful recreational areas throughout Sisters Country.”
Stephanie Presley, STA Executive Director
“This is an exciting opportunity for the town and the region to increase the variety of trails and trails for mountain bikers. These new trails will offer more progressive, downhill oriented biking which, to date, has not been present in this region of Central Oregon.”
Cody Gardner, COTA’s Sisters Chapter Representative
All of the groups involved expressed deep gratitude to the Forest Service for making this project possible. When the agency doesn’t have capacity to coordinate volunteer efforts, projects like STAR can’t happen. The groups urge everyone to support Federal funding for our land management agencies.
Want to support the S.T.A.R. Project? Donate here.
🌲 Sisters COTA Chapter Meeting
When: Thursday, October 23, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Blazin Saddles
What: Pizza, salad, beverages, and trail talk
This is one meeting you won’t want to miss! Lots of exciting things are coming in the world of trails in Sisters! After a summer of group rides, the Sisters Chapter is heading back to regular meeting format. All are welcome - bring a friend!
Topics will include:
BIG updates on the Sisters Trail Additions and Realignments
Fall trail work opportunities
Planning for 2026 riding season
Community connections and upcoming events
🙌 COTA Year End Fundraising Kickoff Party
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: Worthy Brewing – Hop-Mahal Dining Room
What: Join us as we kick off COTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year! We’re gathering at Worthy Brewing to celebrate an incredible year of trail stewardship with the people who make it possible – our amazing volunteers, trail builders, and riders.
This is your chance to connect with the community, learn about what’s ahead for 2026, and support the trails we all love.
RSVP: www.meetup.com/cota-central-oregon-trail-alliance
🎫 Oregon Becomes First State to Earn ‘Accessibility Verified’ Status
The Oregon Tourism Commission (AKA Travel Oregon) has worked with Wheel the World (WTW) to earn the state of Oregon a landmark designation: the first state to become “Accessibility Verified.” The designation elevates transparency and promotes inclusivity in travel experiences for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.
This milestone follows a coordinated statewide effort to evaluate, promote and improve the accessibility of tourism businesses across all seven of Oregon’s tourism regions, from hotels and outdoor adventure experiences to cultural attractions and culinary experiences. Oregon is now the first state to offer visitors with disabilities and/or mobility challenges the opportunity to plan travel itineraries through an online resource that keeps their needs top of mind.
Through this coordinated statewide effort, WTW has assessed more than 750 hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses in 43 communities across the state, and all Travel Oregon Welcome Centers, evaluating mobility, visual, hearing, and cognitive features to ensure travelers with diverse needs can plan with confidence.
“Earning the distinction of being the first Accessibility Verified state reflects Oregon’s deep and ongoing commitment to welcoming all travelers. Through this designation, we’re building a tourism landscape where inclusion is meaningful and central to the visitor experience.”
Kevin Wright, VP of Brand Stewardship at Travel Oregon
To help bring the story to life, Travel Oregon and Wheel the World partnered with accessibility advocate Kaylee Bays, the first wheelchair user to compete on So You Think You Can Dance. Kaylee explored Oregon’s accessible offerings firsthand, experiencing the dramatic landscapes of Smith Rock and kayaking surrounded by stunning mountains on Hosmer Lake in Central Oregon.
“I used to assume nature wasn’t something I could really be part of. Oregon showed me that I was wrong. It opened a whole new world for me. Kayaking and experiencing places like Smith Rock showed me that people are taking real steps to make outdoor adventures inclusive and accessible.”
Kaylee Bays
🚴 Oregon Timber Trail Adventure Route
Joe’s Journey Continues: Days 3 & 4
OTTA Board Member Joe Miller is documenting his ride on the new Oregon Timber Trail Adventure Route, and his latest installments are pure gold!
On days 3 and 4, Joe and his riding partner Hanna traveled 110 miles and spent more than 21 hours in the saddle. As they encountered terrain that they generously characterized as “fun riding, but hard work,” Hanna began classifying gravel surfaces in a novel way—by comparing them to different foods.
As the two of them continued on their way to Chemult, they would intermittently ride through butter gravel, rice and beans gravel, beef stew gravel, and later ice cream gravel. While not yet steeped in the new system’s methodology, most of us back here in the shop have come to believe that ice cream gravel might be the 5 out of 5 that we’re all searching for.
Read Joe’s full story on the OTTA blog: oregontimbertrail.org
The OTTA is also heading to the 2025 Oregon Outdoor Recreation Summit in Pendleton (November 6-8). Board Member Steve Brook will be participating in a panel presentation highlighting Operation ROAM 2025, a 200-mile bikepacking expedition along the Fremont section of the Oregon Timber Trail, recently completed by six military veterans.
🎪 Mudslinger Events 2026 Lineup
As the rain starts to fall, Mike and Andi Ripley have a big year planned for 2026! From Pendleton to Carlton, Oregon, and the Central Oregon region, as well as the Oregon Coast, they’re bringing you incredible cycling events throughout the state.
2026 Event Schedule:
Real West Gravel - March 15, 2026
39th Mudslinger XC - March 28, 2026
Sasquatch Duro - April 11, 2026
Oregon Coast Gravel Epic - May 2, 2026
West Coast Gravel - May 3, 2026
Oregon Gran Fondo - May 16, 2026
Sisters Stampede - May 24, 2026
Takelma Gravel Grinder - June 27, 2026
Bend Dirt Fest - July 11, 2026
High Cascades 100 - July 18, 2026
Ring of Fire - September 26, 2026
Sign up to start your training plan! (Or just wing it with us!)
Check out the full lineup at mudslingerevents.com
Sisters Stampede 2026 Early Registration is OPEN!
The Sisters Stampede sells out every January—don’t miss your chance to be part of Oregon’s biggest Memorial Day Weekend mountain bike tradition! As of this writing it’s already 20% sold out.
NEW for 2026:
50% Self-Credit Policy: Plans change, and that’s okay. Credit yourself up to one week before the event or transfer to a friend until Sunday the week of the event
Postpartum Policy: We proudly support our women racers! Family comes first.
Register now at sistersstampede.com
📺 Must Read & Watch
Josh Nordell’s Endurance Newsletter
Check out Josh Nordell’s new Endurance Newsletter! Josh is writing an incredible endurance-focused newsletter for the local community. While this is not a Blazin Saddles production, we think you’ll love following along with his adventures and insights. His first edition covers some of the incredible athletic feats former SHS students have recently tackled. Read it here: substack.com/@endurancenewsletter
Dan Schmidt’s Cycling Journey from London to Amsterdam
Dan Schmidt, former shop mechanic, SHS graduate, and now Thomas J. Watson fellow is on a year-long global exploration of emerging social technologies. And to get from place to place he has opted to ride a fully-loaded Brompton folding bike.
Checkout this video documenting his journey from London to Amsterdam. You can read more in-depth about this journey and his work by checking out his Substack here:
GCN’s gravel tire width comparison - Which width is fastest?
Thanks for rolling through this month’s Roundup! October is truly the best time to ride in Central Oregon - cooler temps, less dust, and all trails are open.
If something sparked a question, or you’ve got a photo or story to share, hit reply. We love hearing from you.
Keep those bikes maintained, layer up for cooler mornings, and we’ll see you on the trails or in the shop soon!
Ride on,
The Blazin Saddles Crew
541-719-1213