The Sandy Ridge Shuttle Day is back! After a four-year hiatus, NWTA partnered with Cyclepath PDX to bring back this amazing event on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The forecast called for perfect weather, not too hot but sunny skies, and the week before brought just enough rain for hero dirt. The Sandy Ridge Stewardship team hosted work parties leading up to the event to get all the trails dialed in and running beautifully — heck, they even came out the day before and cleaned up the parking lot!
Registration started at 8:30 a.m., and bikes were being loaded by 8:45 a.m. We had a large fleet of vehicles ready to shuttle all day long. Fat Tire Farm, Hoodland Shuttles, Oregon Territory Outfitters, SRAM, NWTA, Team Dirt, and RTGT Ineos Grenadiers all donated their vehicles and time to shuttle participants. Yakima donated three Hang Tight 6 bikes to maximize uphill capacity.
The first van rolled out at 9:06 a.m., and from there, it was GAME ON. SRAM was on site to help riders get their suspension dialed in. Shuttle days are a great way to really sweat suspension setup because you’re able to get more runs in and not worry about getting too tired. Cyclepath was on site with two mechanics to help make any minor on-site tweaks needed. The first riders were back down the hill surprisingly quickly, and when they arrived, there was a rig waiting to get them uphill again. Sandy Ridge is big enough and diverse enough to spread out riders which led to super short wait times for shuttles and many more smiles.
Cyclepath fired up the grills around 11:30 a.m. with hot dogs coming off soon after. We had beverages provided by Hopworks Brewing, Nossa Familia and Pelican Brewing: a great assortment of beer, Sparkle Hops and cold brew coffee. With the flawless weather, people were sprawled all over the parking lot; eating, chatting, recounting the amazing laps, and getting ready to get some more laps in.
Post lunch, most riders got up for a couple more laps, and by 2:00 p.m., people were starting to call it a day. It was time for some of the drivers to trade out and get a lap or two in. The parking lot was filling up with tired riders relaxing after a long day of shuttles. The last shuttle left up the road at 3:00 p.m.
It was an amazing return to the Sandy Ridge Shuttle Day with over 150 happy riders enjoying the amazing trails, hero dirt and perfect weather. It for sure was a day to remember.
HUGE SHOUT OUT to the crew that brought this event together. 30+ volunteers: drivers, loaders/unloaders, cooks, sign-in, gate duty, mechanics, and pre and post-event logistics all coming together to make it happen:
- Cyclepath PDX – Wrenching, providing lunch, cooking, organizational support, and the drive to bring back the Sandy Ridge Shuttle Day.
- Yakima – For donating 3 hangtight 6 racks
- SRAM – Sponsoring a van to tow a huckwagon and helping folks dial in suspension setups
- Fat Tire Farm – Driving shuttles ALL DAY in the epic FTF van
- Hoodland Shuttle – Driving shuttles all day with their 12-bike huckwagon and Sprinter
- Oregon Territory Outfitters – Driving shuttles all day in their van
- Team Presto Velo – An ace team of drivers and bike loaders
- Team Dirt – Donating their huckwagon, driving, and logistical/organizational help
- RTGT Ineos Grenadier – Turning quick laps in two custom Grenadiers
- Hopworks – A variety of ice-cold tasty beer
- Nossa Familia – Delicious canned cold brew
- Pelican Brewing – Crisp, refreshing Hopwater in a variety of flavors
And MANY other individuals who showed up to volunteer and give back to the mountain bike community they love.
A HUGE THANK YOU!