Ride the Rogue, which celebrated its 20th anniversary since its first event in 2006 last weekend, on Sept. 26, has always been the main fundraiser for the effort to expand and maintain the Rogue River Greenway.
But with rides of three lengths on backroads through the area, with, of course, a detour on the original length of the Greenway from Valley of the Rogue State Park to its terminus under the Depot Street Bridge, it’s more than that.
There is the tourism aspect to the day, with a 60-mile Metric Century ride taking you by Upper Table Rock and the Denman Wildlife area north of Central Point, and nearly each of the three groups passes by the Del Rio vineyards.
But for the second straight Ride event, this year, following 2024’s, the weather was perfect, clear, the promise of early-fall warmth, cool but without the chill that will come later.
All this, above all, made for a chance to get outside.
That’s what Michael Bollweg would tell you. You won’t find a greater supporter for Rogue River, Oregon, than Bollweg, the Public Works Director for the city. He rode the 60-mile route.
“It was good. It was well-organized,” Bollweg said. “It didn’t have the amount of people you usually see there, but I’m hoping they can keep building on that.”
Denise Fields, who serves as treasurer for the Rogue River Greenway Foundation, said the capacity for the day’s rides was not reached, even as the registration booth remained open throughout the day. Anyone registered to ride would have at least had a chance by 10:15 a.m., with the last ride beginning at 10 a.m.
“The majority of our registrations are received ahead of time through online registration, about 75 percent this year,” she said. “The ride went very well, thanks to the hard work of all our volunteers, the great weather, and our wonderful riders!”
“I rode myself,” Bollweg said. “The city worked super hard on Palmerton Park (the start and finishing spot for each of the rides). Valley of the Rogue certainly did their part. I think (VORS Manager) Nathan (Seable) did a great job.
“Just a beautiful day. It was my first time riding, and I rode the 100K (Metric Century)… I was enjoying this part of the world, this beautiful paradise we enjoy every day.”
Bollweg, who said he has lost 85 pounds since January, had been a cyclist for years when he was younger (he won’t publicly say how old he is), “but it was my goal not only to participate as the (Public Works) director, but actually be involved in the event.
“It really was a bucket-list item, and I’ll keep riding until the time I can’t ride.”
“The 2026 Ride the Rogue was great in many ways. The weather was perfect. No smoke,” Lesley Orr, chair of the Rogue River Greenway Foundation, said. “Turnout was disappointing, but we were able to pick up approximately 60-plus riders with late registration on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. There were several sponsors we have been fortunate to have in previous years that were unable to support us this year, and that will have an impact on our results.”
While the Greenway Foundation appreciates the support of the riding and Rogue River communities, including city staff and numerous volunteers, Orr admits it is becoming harder to secure funding for the development and construction of the Greenway.
“Each year we see fewer cyclists,” she said. “Now, with the financial conditions for individuals, businesses, and jurisdictions, we get less financial support compared to the early years of the Greenway.”
The Greenway Foundation board is looking for new members interested in helping to complete the path from Grants Pass to Ashland, the project’s original goal.
“Right now, we are working on projects at both ends of the current Rogue River Greenway,” Orr said. “One project, when completed, will make the connection to the Bear Creek Greenway. We will be making a big push to find grants to support that activity in the near future.
Another project for which the Oregon Department of Transportation awarded the city a $30,000 grant provides plans for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit improvements along Rogue River Highway from Depot Street to the edge of the city. The plan also creates an early framework for the first leg of the Rogue River-to-Grants Pass stretch of the Greenway.
“(That) project is actually a City of Rogue River and ODOT project that we will be able to take advantage of to start the Greenway path to Grants Pass,” Orr said. “It will be a small beginning, just a little section of bike lane, but it will be a start.”
Orr said the foundation’s plans for future events will be discussed during its board meetings, which are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 in the Rogue River Fire Station. The decision on the 2027 Ride the Rogue will be made at the February meeting.
Reach reporter Brian Mortensen at [email protected] or 541-582-1707.