a.m. Most major tasks have been taken care of: placing road signage on three different routes leading southwest of Corvallis, preparing breakfast for more than 1,500 people and coordinating with the communities the ride will visit for the day. But Schulz is among the first people to be contacted for complications that arise.

cycleoweekendride 25 Gallery: cycleoweekendride

Schulz grew up in Cody, Wyoming, where he first began bike riding not so much for enjoyment but because it was a crucial way for a kid to get from one town to another.

In high school, his family moved to Denver because of a job transfer for his father, who worked in human relations for an oil company.

In 1994, he came to Oregon with his then-wife who had a contract for a seasonsinging with Portland Opera. He figured he'd stay in the state for perhaps a year more.

Instead, he started a fitness company in Northeast Portland - Strada. In 2001, he trained and led some of the company's students on that year's Cycle Oregon ride, which visited the Steens Mountain area.

"And I was hooked," Schulz said. He continued to participate as a rider, but also cultivated contacts with Cycle Oregon officials, making suggestions on how to offer training tips to interested and registered riders - something he thought could be improved. He was hired as a staff member in 2008.

Cycle Oregon began by offering a week-long ride, in part to offer a brief economic boost to smaller Oregon communities that were struggling. That ride, held toward the beginning of September,