I decided right now that I'm going to bike down to Eugene from Salem starting tomorrow morning. I think I'll stay at my brother's in Corvallis for a day and then continue on Monday.

If anybody happens to be going down that way by some small play of fortune, holler.

Made it to Corvallis. More exhausting than I had anticipated, but I suppose that's how these things work.

I only got six hours of sleep and ate just a yogurt before I headed off. Unfortunately I have to start my disembarkation by traversing a series of steep hills. I got off at one point to take a picture and up came all the yogurt!

So four hours total for I'd guess 30 or so miles with a headwind and fruit stand stops and photo shoots (will post after development). I'm shot and the tendon on my left ankle hurts, but hopefully it won't tomorrow so I can head the other 45 to Eugene.

This is the first real ride I've ever done by the way and I really don't ride casually too much either. So here's to that.

I'm doing all this biking so that I can buy a ticket for a show down in Eugene that I will end up driving down to later. Necessary? Probably not, but definitely an experience so far.

I'm doing all this biking so that I can buy a ticket for a show down in Eugene that I will end up driving down to later. Necessary? Probably not, but definitely an experience so far.

Nah...you just wanted to see if you could do it. Hope you make it! It's always cool to be talking to someone and throw in the old "Yeah, when I rode my bike from Salem to Eugene..."

Props for making the ride. My friend and I went from Rose Lodge or something to Eugene in one day with trailers two summers ago and this spring there is a tentative "ride on fixed gears from Eugene to Portland in one day" scheduled, so if you are in the area....

I actually didn't make it all the way down. When I got into Corvallis my left ankle was giving me all sorts of hell, and I had to gimp around for a week. I tried to make it out again after a day off the foot, but the ankle wouldn't have it. It was a bummer because mentally and physically, except the ankle, I felt super ready to just hit the road again.

An LBS told me I might need to have more setback, so I ordered a new seat post and put it on, though I haven't tried anything of a longer distance yet. Hopefully it'll be the fix, but my left leg has been known to cause problems from days when I was a runner.

I still need to develop some pictures I took from the ride...

Eugene to Portland sounds like a match, especially on fixies. I don't currently have one, but I picked up an old Peugeot Course frame the other day, and I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it. Perhaps by spring time it'll be fixed.

on such a tour. Coudl one return on a train? I'd be interested.

I actually didn't make it all the way down. When I got into Corvallis my left ankle was giving me all sorts of hell, and I had to gimp around for a week. I tried to make it out again after a day off the foot, but the ankle wouldn't have it. It was a bummer because mentally and physically, except the ankle, I felt super ready to just hit the road again.

An LBS told me I might need to have more setback, so I ordered a new seat post and put it on, though I haven't tried anything of a longer distance yet. Hopefully it'll be the fix, but my left leg has been known to cause problems from days when I was a runner.

I still need to develop some pictures I took from the ride...

Eugene to Portland sounds like a match, especially on fixies. I don't currently have one, but I picked up an old Peugeot Course frame the other day, and I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it. Perhaps by spring time it'll be fixed.
You'll just have to try again. Still, it's a good story :) .

East Hill

You'll just have to try again. Still, it's a good story :) .

East Hill

Oh yeah, definitely doing it again, and it does make an alright story. Most people I know were pretty impressed with the distance, but that's beside the roadies I saw doing the Salem-Corvallis loop for a "day's ride". I've some shaping up to do.

Salem to Eugene is a great day ride. A few times we've taken the early morning Amtrak Cascades from Eugene to Salem, then made the ride back before dinner. Several nice ways to to this, the first is from Salem to Stayton, then down to Lebanon, Brownsville, Coburg and Eugene. Another is Salem, Independence, Corvallis, Peoria, Harrisburg and Eugene. There are other variations that involve hills, check out a good road map. 80 - 110 miles depending on route, summer almost always has a nice tail wind from north to south.

"ride on fixed gears from Eugene to Portland in one day"


i've done this 3 times. it's pretty easy going on 99 west, but 99 east is a lot prettier and less traffic. the fact that it was fixed didn't make it anymore difficult imo. most of the hills between pdx and eugene on these routes are pretty mellow. good times.

i've done this 3 times. it's pretty easy going on 99 west, but 99 east is a lot prettier and less traffic. the fact that it was fixed didn't make it anymore difficult imo. most of the hills between pdx and eugene on these routes are pretty mellow. good times.Lot's of ways to stay off 99 west, which is NOT fun to ride between Eugene and Corvallis. Agree that 99 east is better, with a decent shoulder between Coburg and Albany. Better option from Eugene to Corvallis is Coburg to Powerline Road to Harrisburg, Peoria Road to Corvallis. Then you can go to Independence, Monmouth then 99 to McMinnville.

I was using the route from this (http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/BIKE/WVSB_entire_route.shtml).

Tired As You Are
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_TiredasYouAre.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/TiredasYouAre.jpg)

What I like to see

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_WhatILiketoSee.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/WhatILiketoSee.jpg)

Salvation

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_689103-R1-013-5_005.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/689103-R1-013-5_005.jpg)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_689102-R1-053-25_016.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/689102-R1-053-25_016.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_689102-R1-041-19_010.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/689102-R1-041-19_010.jpg)

Teleporter Handy
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_689102-R1-035-16_007.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/689102-R1-035-16_007.jpg)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/th_689102-R1-033-15_006.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/leftsneaky/Bike%20Corvallis%20October%202007/689102-R1-033-15_006.jpg)

I developed some pictures from the ride to Corvallis.

leftsneaky- that link is great. I might end up using that route. The idea is to take the train back down or something, and since it is fun to have people in on it, I'll post when we go. How many of you live in the Eugene area? We do group rides about once a month.....

leftsneaky- that link is great. I might end up using that route. The idea is to take the train back down or something, and since it is fun to have people in on it, I'll post when we go. How many of you live in the Eugene area? We do group rides about once a month.....

There were some moments of uncertainty at some vague intersections along that route between Corvallis and Salem, but I managed to make all the right decisions ok. It probably wasn't so bad, just that I knew I was too tired to make up any lost ground if I ended up going the wrong way.

I was using the route from this (http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/BIKE/WVSB_entire_route.shtml).

I need to do that someday soon...