As many road riders turn their skinny tires and compression kits toward riding on gravel and dirt, the options for drop-bar riding are growing significantly. Regardless of the whip you ride (road, cyclocross, flat-bar hybrid or fat tire MTB), routes like those found on Sisemore Road are getting greater attention.
Following the start of the famed Oregon Scenic Bikeway route, Twin Bridges, the Sisemore route links low-travel paved roads with gravel and dirt sections. Below is the moderate version for those of us not consumed by wattage outputs and Strava PR segments. Begin the route at Tumalo Reservoir. After crossing the one-lane bridge, park at the pullout where the pavement and gravel meet. Welcome to Sisemore Road. Pedaling across the defunct dam site is a stark reminder of the failed attempt to build a remedy for irrigating the arid land of what is now Tumalo. The hopes of 100 families were sent awash in 1915, when, upon completion of the dam, sink holes developed, making it impossible to fill the reservoir.
Follow Sisemore to Plainview Road Either turn around here or continue on to Sisters by following these directions:
Left on Plainview Road
Right on Gist Road
Left on Harrington Loop.
Left on Peterson Ridge Road
Right on Brooks Scanlon Trail NFD 4606.
Right on Three Creeks Lake Road to Sisters.
Turn it around and follow the same route back, or have a friend meet you in Sisters for a beer and burger at Three Creeks Brewery and enjoy the shuttle back to Bend.
