2021 Sound RIDER! Events Update

2021 is certain to be a better year than 2020 for so many reasons. But the main one is the arrival of a C-19 vaccine. After most of a year being locked down, trying to ride now and then, eating food from far too many gas stations, there appears to be better days on the horizon.

Here at moto central, we follow the science, and the science is good. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which lasted 18 months and killed 675,000 just in the United States, has proven itself as a good template up to now and will probably continue to be the model out of this pandemic. Which means our money is on a year of getting back to FUN!

In case you're new to our annual events, we'll provide a brief description of each one.

The 2021 Café to Café Grand Tour - March 1 to September 30

The Café to Café Grand Tour provides riders with a reason to ride - 3 times a day! On March 1^st, pre-registered riders will receive a list of 15 quality eateries to visit around the Pacific Northwest any time up to September 30th. We typically add in a few bonus locations a little further out. Anyone finishing the base 15 locations receives a customized certificate of completion they can strategically hang anywhere they like to claim their bragging rights. The list changes annually and is put together in conjunction with our sister-publication, Seattle DINING!. The grand tour wraps with an awards luncheon centrally located near the majority of winners in October. This changes annually as well.

During 2020, we ran the Café to Café Grand Tour, and although there was a decline in registrations, we had nearly the same number of finishers as in 2019. With better news on the horizon, it's our hope that more riders will register and play, thus supporting restaurants who desperately need help during the rebound.

Registration is open now. Riders can also register after the start date and the package will be sent out within 3 business days following the placement of the order.

• To register visit https://store.soundrider.com/products/cafe-to-cafe-grand-tour.
• For additional details about the event visit https://soundrider.com/cafetocafe/.

2021 Rally in the Gorge - August 25-29

The annual Rally in the Gorge has been a solid bet since 2003. Designed for riders of Adventure, Dual Sport, Sport Bike, and Sport Touring models, it provides 5 days and 4 nights of enjoying one of the best riding locations on the West Coast - the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. With multiple paved and off-pavement options, riders explore the areas around three Cascadian volcanoes, pick up tips during informative presentations, enjoy onsite meals - several of which are included in the price of admission, and relax with multiple evening entertainment options. Sometimes that's movies, games, or just meeting new friends at our exquisite rally site located in Oregon's Hood River. Bring your RV, tent camp at the rally site, or grab a room in town. You have plenty of options.

Right now, the science says the social distancing restrictions that would have severely impaired the fun aspect of the event in 2020 will probably not be in play this year. Sounds good to us. Once there is an affirmative green light, we'll start promoting the rally through newsletters and here in the pages of Sound RIDER!.

Registration is open. If for any reason the rally can't happen, all 2020 and 2021 registrations will automatically be rolled to 2021.

• For additional rally details, visit https://soundrider.com/rally
• For advance registration, visit https://store.soundrider.com/products/sr-rally-in-the-gorge-registration

Road Trip GPS Tour 2021, or 22?

Our annual Road Trip Tour provides riders with a 5-day tour of a scenic region in the Pacific Northwest. In past years that has included in-depth travel through Central Oregon, British Columbia, The North Cascades, Northern California, and the Oregon Coast. We change it each year. Each day includes some awesome riding coupled with local attractions and decent dining options where available. Typically, this event occurs in the late spring.

Due to the expected incomplete vaccine distribution by spring, we will not be running the tour this year.

However, we've been running these tours since 2010, documented every mile with GPS tracks and ride notes, and created self-guided rides you can purchase in our store at https://store.soundrider.com/collections/self-guided-nw-tours

Sasquatch Adventure GPS Dual Sport Tour

Since 2010, Sound RIDER! has crafted a 5-day on/off road route in the Pacific Northwest visiting grand riding areas like the Oregon Coastal Range, Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness, the Canadian Rockies, Washington's entire length of the Cascades Range, and beyond.

Due to the expected incomplete vaccine distribution by spring when pre-riding needs to occur, we will not be running the tour this year.

However, we've been running these tours since 2009, documented every mile with GPS tracks and ride notes, and created self-guided rides you can purchase in our store at https://store.soundrider.com/collections/self-guided-nw-tours

Beyond our own events

We missed being together with so many of our friends and supporters in 2020 and look forward to getting together with you all as soon as it's safe to do so. Until then, the magazine will continue to be published, the podcast will continue production, and we'll continue to honor our shared passion for riding.

Tom Mehren, Connie Adams, and the SR! crew/March 2021