Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Finding path of least resistance?
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lee_rimar
07-30-08, 10:41 PM
I'm thinking of riding from Portland, Oregon to the Pacific Coast on a long weekend before the end of this fall. Probably end up somewhere like Rockaway Beach or Seaside.
What's the best way to find a good route, besides plugging in a query to Google Maps or Bikely? In addition to the obvious "safe for cyclist" concerns I'd like to find a route with the least strenuous climbs and descents - even if that adds lots of miles winding around to avoid them.
Anyone here actually made this ride and have advice?
bobbycorno
07-31-08, 03:12 PM
I've ridden several Oregon Randonneurs brevets that go out to or return from the coast using the Hwy 18 corridor between Grand Ronde and Sheridan. That's the flattest route thru the coast range that I've seen, and there are side roads parallelling 18 most of the way. SR22 and the Little Nestucca River Rd will get you from Grand Ronde to the Pacific City area w/o a lot of vertical. Also, Oregon Parks and Rec (I think) used to put out a state bike map w/ color-coded traffic volumes and significant climbs marked. Try googling "Oregon State Bike Map".
Enjoy your ride.
Scott P
Bend
lee_rimar
08-23-08, 10:58 PM
And going in the completely opposite direction, here's what I rode today:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Lents-to-Rhododendron
No shifting, no coasting, no problem. 75 miles round trip. I though since it was mostly uphill on the way out, I'd have a mostly easy downhill ride home. But the WORST part of it was on the return leg, a few miles east of Sandy. Look at Bikely's elevation profile and you'll see why :)
I've had decent luck using maps.google.com and choosing "Walking" versus "By car". But the routes others have used on Bikely or MapMyRide may be your best bet.
lee_rimar
08-24-08, 09:55 AM
I've had decent luck using maps.google.com and choosing "Walking" versus "By car"I've tried this and find it still has too many rough edges. For example, in Portland Oregon, the walking directions won't use the Hawthorne Bridge :)
I've tried this and find it still has too many rough edges. For example, in Portland Oregon, the walking directions won't use the Hawthorne Bridge :)
You can drag those googlemaps routes around after it autoroutes for you... I don't remember the Hawthorne - isn't it peds / bikes and cars? Google should be able to route on it. It doesn't take into account bike paths / mups... but for a long trip you can get the bulk of the route figured out via gmaps and elaborate as required.
lee_rimar
08-24-08, 07:43 PM
You can drag those googlemaps routes around after it autoroutes for youMost of the time, but the walking directions will positively avoid Hawthorne Bridge even when you try that. Set a start and end point at either end of it and Google's walking directions try to send you up to the Burnside Bridge instead, and you can't drag the line onto the Hawthorne. Wierd.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=SE+MAIN+ST+AND+SE+2ND+AVE,+PORTLAND&daddr=SW+MAIN+ST+AND+SW+2ND+AVE,+PORTLAND&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=45.51385,-122.668941&sspn=0.008992,0.019226&ie=UTF8&z=15