Camp Central

Every good party has a hub, where the action happens and people gather. For BRNW, that’s Camp Central. Here you’ll find snacks and drinks, information on in-camp and town activities, some first-aid help if you need it, and a crew of cheerful, helpful people ready to take care of you. Have a question? They’ll know the answer, or find it for you. Activities, menus and information for the day are displayed on whiteboards. This is also where we have our Lost & Found service.

Did we mention the snacks and drinks? This is like a ritzy all-inclusive resort – with no extra charges for the good stuff. When you get to camp after your ride, graze on a variety of chips, dips, nuts, candy, fruits and vegetables.

We’ll have soft drinks, juices, flavored waters and chocolate milk, plus beer, wine and hard cider (unless we’re on school grounds), ready for you up until dinner. Our water and electrolyte refill stations are open at all times to refill your water bottles and keep you hydrated.

Food and Drink

At BRNW, we take food seriously – both quality and quantity. We know a hungry cyclist isn’t a happy cyclist, so we provide tasty meals and snacks throughout the day. Our long-time caterer is Catering Rides Northwest, headed up by chef Kim Conklin and her crew. After many years of experience, it’s safe to say that they know how to feed hungry cyclists. Kim also works to incorporate local flavor; we include guest chefs, baked goods and locally sourced food whenever possible — one of the many perks of the bountiful Northwest.

Our menus vary some from one ride to the next, but you can check out a sample menu here.

Breakfast – Breakfasts are served each morning at 6 a.m. in the main dining area, buffet-style. If you like having a big breakfast, we can fill you up; for the lighter eaters we have fare including fruit and yogurt. All breakfasts have a main course and several sides, with both meat and vegetarian options. We include steel-cut oats, yogurt and fruit with every breakfast. A real highlight is our fresh ground coffee from Strictly Organic Coffee in Bend every morning at 5:30, plus hot chocolate, milk, milk substitute, tea, cider and juice with the meal.

Lunch – If you didn’t get enough at our amazing rest stops, you can grab lunch when you arrive in camp. Our lunches feature fare such as sandwiches, wraps, pizza, taco bar, salads, snacks and other great options, including gluten-free foods. And plenty of cold beverages to quench your thirst!

If we’re in a town on a layover day, we may send you out on your own for lunch so you can try a local brewpub or café in the area.

Dinner – At dinnertime we all gather to share stories, drink a beverage, laugh and… well, eat some more. Dinner is at 6 p.m. every evening, served buffet-style and enjoyed under our dining canopies. Catering Rides Northwest does a superb job of providing the right mix of protein, carbs and healthy goodness, topping it off with delicious desserts.

Here’s a sampling of recent menu items, to whet your appetite: How about entrees like blackberry-chipotle-marinated pork tenderloin, grilled balsamic portobello mushrooms, alder-smoked steelhead or sweet potato quinoa chili? And of course you’re burning plenty of calories to relish some dessert: marionberry cobbler, fresh-baked brownies and brown butter bourbon bars, anyone? Yeah, we know: bring it on! All dinners also include milk, chocolate milk (a cycling favorite), decaf coffee, iced tea and hot tea. 

Dietary Restrictions: Kim and her crew have a strong commitment to meeting everyone’s dietary needs. There are vegan options at every meal for vegans and vegetarians, and she also builds menus with gluten-free diets in mind. And if you have a particular specific need, you can contact her and she’ll make every effort to accommodate you – really.

Announcements, Entertainment and Activities

Every evening after dinner, we’ll recap the highlights of the day and give you all the information you’ll need for the next day, including route tips, interesting things along the way, and what to expect in camp or do in town.

One of the best things about touring is the chance to meet new people and experience what communities along the way have to offer. So we find a variety of speakers and/or local entertainment each afternoon or evening, to give you a taste of the local or regional history and culture.

We also organize a wine social one night on the ride, so you can try some wine and mingle with fellow riders. If you want to participate, bring a bottle or two to event check-in and we’ll carry it for you until the wine social.

Yoga

We have a free yoga session each afternoon in camp, tailored to cyclists. It’s open to everyone, from the yoga-curious beginner to the long-term veteran. Information on the session time and location will be available at Camp Central each day when you arrive in camp.

Showers and Laundry

Hot showers are available from 5:30 to 7:30 each morning and 2:00 to 9:00 each evening. The hours change on layover days and occasionally for special circumstances; check the sign at the Shower Truck for more information. We also have sink stations for washing hands, shaving and brushing teeth.

We provide fresh, clean towels for the showers each day, so you don’t have to deal with a wet towel in your stuff. The towel service is for showers only; if you plan on using a towel for swimming, yoga or in and around camp, please bring your own.

We provide buckets and detergent so you can hand-wash and freshen up your clothing if desired.

Baggage

We’ll haul your bags for you every day – just bring them to our baggage trucks in the morning and you’ll get them back that afternoon in camp. Unless you’ve signed up for our Tent & Porter service, we’ll have wheelbarrows available for hauling your baggage from the trucks to your tent site and back. We also arrange in some host towns to have “Baggage Handlers” – typically a local kids’ group or sports team – to haul bags for tips, as a fundraiser.

Mechanics and Bike Pumps

We’re excited to continue working with our partner Cyclepath, one of Portland’s finest bike shops. Besides a clever name and a great tagline (“Custom Bike Love”), Bill Larson and the Cyclepath folks are true advocates for every kind of riding in Oregon; they provide the lead mechanic for our tours.

Our mechanics are a big part of making sure you and your bicycle enjoy your adventure! Their goal is to perform any repair you may need – from airing up your tires to building a new wheel. There’s no charge for service; you only pay for parts, and tips for great service are welcomed. They also have a small retail shop, stocked with many items such as bike parts, clothing and accessories that are available for purchase. Forgot your gloves? They’ll likely have a pair for you to buy. The mechanics will be open for business in camp every day starting at 4:00 p.m.

Need to pump up a tire? We’ve got you covered with a self-serve tire-pumping station. We’re also adding a self-service lube and bike washing stations this year!

Our mechanics are superstars and can help out with many things, but it’s also important to prepare yourself and your bike for the ride. Learn about preparing your gear for the ride here.