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Sisters, Oregon
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Cyclists roll through Sisters
By Jim Cornelius

Cyclists took a well-earned break in Sisters.

Picture-perfect weather greeted 67 California bicyclists as they rolled into Sisters to camp on the night of Tuesday, June 25.

The Sacramento Wheelmen of Sacramento, California, had just completed the toughest leg of a five-day Oregon tour, climbing over the McKenzie Summit from Blue River.

The riders gained about 5,000 feet of elevation in the climb, before indulging in the nice, long downhill run to the welcoming grass lawn at Sisters Middle School where they camped on a balmy night.

This is the club's sixth straight year riding in Oregon for the club's summer tour.

"There's less traffic, the roads are nice, the scenery's great," said veteran rider Wil King.

This year's tour started and ended in Gilchrist, with the riders making a big loop to Blue River, then Sisters, on to Bend for a one-day layover and back down to Gilchrist.

The club uses its routes for two years, so the riders will return at the same time next year.

Tim Koch, a Sacramento dentist who organizes the rides, said the club seeks the road less traveled.

"Who wants to ride next to noisy traffic?" he said. "We look for the back roads."

The McKenzie Highway qualified. The highway is still closed on the west side of the summit, so riders were able to struggle up the long slope without having to deal with traffic.

Even though the road is now open from Sisters to the Dee Wright Observatory, the riders only saw a handful of cars on their way down.

The club members enjoyed stretching out on the middle school lawn, amid dozens of dome tents. Some explored the town, while others napped or read.

Sisters got high marks from Wil King.

"This is the nicest place we've been on this route," he said.

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