Each of the 7 Wonders of Oregon offers a different, exciting ride. To celebrate this, we asked seven of the best bicycle builders in the state to each build a one-of-a-kind bicycle, one for each of our 7 Wonders. This bike was built for Smith Rock.
One interesting thing about Smith Rock: For something with such a monolithic name, it’s far from the only thing you want to look at when you’re there. While its sheer walls, unique structure and picture-postcard setting make it one of the top draws in the world for rock climbers, it’s just one part of a Central Oregon outdoor playground that offers myriad possibilities.
This smorgasbord of natural beauty is what inspired Wade Beauchamp’s design of the “Smith Rocket” bike.
“The hard thing about riding at Smith Rock is there’s all this weird stuff to see, so you can’t just focus on the trail,” he says. “There’s always different light and different views: You can see Madras from there sometimes, you can see Culver, you can see Prineville, you can see the Ochocos, you can see the Cascades. And then you ride down to the Crooked River trail and suddenly you’re pedaling right by a ton of great sport climbing.”
A location this spectacular calls for an equally outstanding bike, and Wade is delivering the goods. This custom mountain bike has 29-inch wheels, the proper gearing for climbing steep roads, and disk brakes for control coming down those grades. To take advantage of all the places it can take you in the vicinity, it has an attached leather binocular case for a little bird-watching, as well as a rope bag for climbing.
And of course it has to be visually stunning to live up to its location inspiration. So the one-of-a-kind paint job features multiple colors fading in and out to reflect a Central Oregon sunset – and a blue line on the rims to subtly reflect the Crooked River that winds around the base of Smith Rock.
This bike is size large, suitable for those 5’10″ to 6’0″ tall.
Additional Resources
- While you’re in Sisters, don’t miss the Sisters to Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway.
- Stay at the FivePine Lodge – they are super bike-friendly and even have bike rentals!
- Road riding isn’t your thing? No worries — check out Peterson Ridge Trails.
This bike was found on June 26 by Jerad Harris who rode his old mountain bike through the trails of Smith Rock early in the morning to find his new mountain bike just off Canyon Trail near the horse ford.
