Lisa and Dave Coughlin enjoy a healthy lunch outside Mad Matildaâs restaurant. The Coughlins are two of four Baker City residents to participate in this yearâs Cycle Oregon, which begins this weekend in Elgin. Theyâve been training all summer for the week-long tour of Northeast Oregon. (Baker City Herald/Mike Ferguson)

A Baker City couple say they enjoy the sport and relish meeting new people each day during the week-long trek

Dave and Lisa Coughlin aren’t likely to see each other much during the

long days of next week’s Cycle Oregon, Dave playing the hare to his

wife’s more leisurely tortoise pace.

But once the last of the 2,000 riders pedal into camp each evening, the

couple plan to make the most out of the entertainment, nightlife and

camaraderie that Cycle Oregon offers its participants.

“You get to meet people from all over the country, people who by and large have a common goal,” Dave said. “Everybody appreciates pushing themselves a little bit and seeing the different places” along the route.

Even better, he says with a grin: “They carry your bags and there’s entertainment every night.”

Riding in their first Cycle Oregon, the Coughlins are two of four Baker City residents signed up for the state’s premier touring event. The others are Jerry Peacock and Lloyd Ames.

Lisa said she’s been putting the miles on her bicycle in preparation for Cycle Oregon – up to 200 miles a week.

She also conquered Dooley Mountain as part of her training – not so much for the ascent as for the speed of the descent, she said.

“I was afraid of the descent. It was a huge hurdle mentally,” she said. “But it was fine.”

She made her first Dooley ascent with the help of Janie Mahaffey, who accompanied her up the mountain and offered both guidance and encouragement.

Dave’s final bit of preparation will be a Saturday hill climb at Bogus Basin. After that he’ll be off to Elgin to join the massive crowd.

Over lunch Saturday at Mad Matilda’s, the two said they have enjoyed the miles, the climbing and then some more miles comprising their recent training. It’s an investment in enjoying the dozens of miles they’ll pedal each day during Cycle Oregon.

“Anything is a lot more fun if you’re fit,” Dave says.

The Coughlins are no strangers to group tours. About six years ago, they hiked the Cinque Terra tour in Italy. That required hiking up steep terrain to five traditionally isolated villages. Again, Dave said, the main perk was that each participant’s gear awaited them upon arrival at their warm, dry bed each evening.

The two say they’re surprised that so many participants can complete the week-long Cycle Oregon event without much or, sometimes, no training.

“You wonder how they can do it, but they manage,” Dave said.

But it’s better to follow a prescribed training regimen. Cycle Oregon has prepared one for the three months leading up to the event that works for most people, Dave said.

“If you follow it, you’ll do fine,” he said.

While the Coughlins plan to enjoy all the entertainment planned for each evening, the two say they draw the line at karaoke – “unless there’s an old Beach Boys song,” Dave said with a grin.

While Cycle Oregon is clearly not a race, “some people will treat it like a race,” Dave said. “But for most people, it’s a chance to enjoy a different part of the state.”

“Even if you have a bad day, they give you 12 hours to get into camp,” Lisa noted. “After that, it’s good entertainment and good food.”