compose Guest time Nov 25, 2025 comment 0

David Lamb recently rode the 350-mile Odyssey of the VOG bikepacking route in Oregon, and he created a detailed 30-minute video documenting his solo experience. Watch it and find photos from the journey here…

Words, photos, and video by David Lamb

The Odyssey of the VOG is a 350-mile bikepacking route and race that climbs 33,000 feet through Oregon’s rugged coast range, offering a mix of punishing climbs, steep descents, sweeping ridgelines, and stretches of quiet farmland. The name comes from the Valley of the Giants, a 51-acre old-growth forest where Douglas fir and western hemlock trees stand 200 feet tall.

The route was pieced together and named by its creators Seth DuBois and Ben Handrich back in 2020, who were inspired by the steep grades of the Siuslaw Forest and the monster-like imagery the name evoked. What makes the Odyssey of the VOG so unique is how it showcases the diversity of Oregon, rolling through the rural Willamette Valley, climbing across the coast range, and reaching out to the quiet oceanfront streets of Pacific City. It’s a ride that lives up to its name.

Every May, riders depart from Oak Grove with a goal of finishing the route as fast as possible. Some intrepid athletes complete the VOG in around 30 hours. I’m giving myself six days to finish the route. As always, I’m looking forward to the endless hamburgers, a beer at the end of a long day, campsites near the water, challenging hike a bike, and most of all, the people I’ll meet along the way.

The Route

Further Reading

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