FAQ

I’m new to the area, where can I ride? Wherever bikes are allowed. Locally, we have a great network of urban trails at Thurston Hills Natural Area and a growing network in the Eugene Ridgeline System. We’re perhaps best known for our trails at Carpenter Bypass, a trail system which was formally adopted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2013, and our support of mountain bike trails in Oakridge. Oakridge offers a wide variety of single-track trails.

I’m new to the area, where can I ride in the winter? I don’t want to damage trails. Thank you, many trails can be sensitive to wet weather riding. Carpenter Bypass is created for winter riding. Bring some fenders, and maybe a towel to sit on depending on the day. Alsea Falls is often great for winter riding a couple of days after rain. Northshore (by Lowell) is a great cross-country trail well suited for winter riding. The ridgeline trail system offers shared-use gravel trails, and Pipedream remains open for winter riding.

How do I meet more people to ride with? Come to one of our "happy rides", or the Taco Tuesday ride at Thurston Hills in the summer/fall. You can also announce yourself in the Eugene Mountain Bike Facebook group to look for riders of similar ability and trail preference. Check our calendar (add hyperlink) or sign up for the occasional newsletter about other group rides or trail work parties.

Why are you called the Disciples of Dirt? We love dirt and spreading the good gospel of trail stewardship.

Why Should I join the Disciples of Dirt (DoD)? Joining DoD helps to give us resources to build more mountain bike trails and maintain our existing trails. You also get discounts at local bike shops like Lifecycle and Bicycle Way of Life. I look at it pretty simply. Last year I spent hundreds of dollars on gas to go mountain biking, in addition to money on my bike. $30 to help local trails isn’t much at all.

Can I donate more than the membership fee? Of course! We’re a registered 501 nonprofit, so your donation can be deducted on your taxes as well

I’d rather pay more in taxes and get the government to do it. Me too. But I don’t get to set tax rates, though I’m lobbying my own local representatives that the bike taxes we pay on mountain bikes should go to bike trails instead of ODOT.

I Don’t Know Anything About Trailwork. Can I Still Help at Work Events? Yes! Every one of us started not knowing anything and learning from more experienced stewards.

I Want to Build A Mountain Bike Trail in My Neighborhood Park/Open Space. Can You Help? Probably! But you should get in touch with the local land manager about park adoption, and if there are other groups maintaining the park/open space already. Building trails can take longer than you would think/want, but we’ve recently built and adopted some local trails.

Which Local Bike Shop Should I go to? We love our local bike shops. Lifecycle has a great selection of Kona, Juliana, Norco, Pivot, Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz, Transition, and Yeti Bikes. Bicycle Way of Life carries Trek and Scott. Hutch’s carries Giant and Specialized. Stop by and get a discount with your DoD membership on parts and accessories.

When Are We Going to Get More Mountain Bike Trails in Eugene? Suzanne Arlie Park is slated for development in 2025. Eugene Parks and Open Space won a $1.2 million grant, and is matching that with $800,000 in bond funds. The contract window closed recently, and it requires contract completion by May 2026.

I’m a Beginner. How do I get Started Mountain Biking? Have a bike? Have a helmet? Go have fun! My own advice is to develop your basic skills messing around on street curbs like you’re a kid again because bikes = fun. For learning to jump, some wise people will say keep the rubber side down. Start small and slowly progress. More generally, get some good knee or elbow pads because mountain biking will result in crashes. It’s just a matter of when. There are great skills clinics hosted by Ninja Camp and Dennis Silvía-Young as well. I highly recommend pump tracks for developing basic skills like cornering and pumping (nearby pump tracks in Creswell, Oakridge, and Horse Creek Lodge).

Why Aren’t You Guys in IMBA? IMBA does a lot to further mountain biking in many regions. IMBA used to offer a lot of benefits for local bike clubs, like taking care of taxes/nonprofits. Those benefits are dwindling, so it didn’t make a ton of sense for us to pay IMBA fees for little benefit in return for our local trails.

My Kid Wants to Mountain Bike. How do I Get Them Started? Bring them to one of our kids’ rides. Or if they are middle to high school-aged, come to a practice of the Eugene Composite NICA team. The local team has riders from the greater Eugene area, practices twice a week from summer until mid-fall, and participates in 5 races across the state of Oregon.