Cycle Oregon Kick Off Party

Can I ask... we're thinking of going on Cycle Oregon this year but we have never been on the ride before. It is a significant cost, but if they come through on all of their promises I think it is a fair price. Can anyone tell me if you've been on it what you think about it and what do you recommend for my wife and I?

Advice advance thanks!

I volunteered with the community cycling center detailing bikes on the 2007 ride. Each day the ride is carefully planned out. There are cones and volunteers guiding you to the correct route. There are rest stops stocked with about 15 beverage options from Glucose to juice to water and soda, snacks and energy shots are provided, water fill-ups and reminders to drink are all over. There was free SPF chapstick handed out one day, and sunscreen at the medical and info areas. There is a medical team that just follows the camp around and are posted at most rest stops. If you become injured or for some reason do not want to ride the entire days journey you can flag down a car that will pick you up and take you back to camp.
The food area is stocked with beverages most nights, so when it is cold you can have your tea, or coffee. Breakfast, lunch and dinner have vegetarian or meat options and the food is good, get there early because the really good stuff might run out ;)
There is a musical activity, or movie, or bike rodeo...etc every night. There are in addition to the medical tent many other tents that cater to you or your bike. The massage area, yoga, the community cycling center is there to clean your bike and make it feel smoother by doing so, all proceeds go to a christmas bike drive for youth, the bike gallery is there to fit you to your bike and maintain it if there are problems, or even if you just need help putting it back together after the plane trip.
The beer tent is always in full swing, sometimes I wonder how people can combine drinking at night and biking during the day in such a workable way.
Your tent is set up for you, and if you do not pay for that service you can load your things into a semi and it will be brought to the next sight for you to pick up and set up.
All of the little towns that we stayed in had organized teams of volunteers: high schoolers on quads setting things up, bakeries selling pies from booths, local people working in the food tent, planning activities, driving shuttle buses. Last year some people after the ride went water rafting, it was just open to do I was told. There were all kinds of fun and interesting things beside the ride. It is like a little luxury trip. Some of the rides are hard, but after you pedal all day, when you pull in to camp to relax it all feels so worth it and amazing. OREGON IS A BEAUTIFUL STATE!!! I don't know if you are familiar with Oregon, but in my mind there is no place as beautiful as the pacific northwest and Oregon especially. I am planning on volunteering again next year.
It didn't even rain much this past ride. It was a great experience. I would recommend it for anyone interested. Some of the maps are difficult, but I am a novice in touring and I pulled through on the trips I rode. Anyone can do it, and it feels so good to accomplish. And I remember all of the riders being so happy about themselves and the trip. I hope that this helped.