Dirty Freehub, a nonprofit focused on gravel cycling routes, will release its fourth guidebook in May, according to an announcement on Apr. 16. The new booklet highlights gravel rides within the Deschutes River Basin and will be available mainly at bike shops.
The move from digital content to print booklets is notable as it reflects ongoing interest in analog resources for cyclists. Dirty Freehub’s founders, Kevin and Linda English, said the booklets aim to support both local economies and out-of-state bike shops by encouraging cycling tourism.
A book release party is scheduled for May 3 at Silver Moon Brewing. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the guidebook and a beverage provided by Visit Central Oregon, which partnered with Dirty Freehub on the publication. Kevin English will host a trivia contest based on information from the new guide.
The approximately 60-page booklet features curated loops selected from Dirty Freehub’s online collection of about 350 routes covering roughly 14,000 miles across Oregon and beyond. Previous volumes have focused on gravel rides along the Oregon Coast as well as Western and Eastern Oregon.
Each edition includes artwork from different local artists; Powell Butte-based Jennifer Ware-Kemcke illustrated this volume with watercolors depicting route scenery. The Deschutes River Basin Gravel Guide also features historical context for certain routes—such as one called Rajneeshee that covers terrain near Antelope once occupied by Rajneeshpuram in the early 1980s—and emphasizes self-sufficiency due to limited services along remote paths.
Kevin English said, “One of our goals is bringing people together.”
As more cyclists seek both adventure and community through organized rides, initiatives like these may help foster appreciation for natural history while supporting rural businesses.
