Yen

Hubby and I were discussing a possible move from southern CA to Oregon, and looked at some homes in Grants Pass (at Realtor.com). We are wondering about bike paths and the attitude towards cyclists in that area. We are new riders, returning to cycling after many years of no riding. We're not competitive, we just like to go out and ride for an hour or more. Maybe one day we'll do a century after we have enough base miles. High traffic here makes it difficult to ride to bike trails and such.

Does anyone know what the G.P. area is like for recreational cyclists?

Jen

gaston_45

Grants Pass is named that because it's in a valley with mountain passes at both ends. There is good mountain biking in the area, not sure about road riding though. Most of the good biking is further north around Salem and Portland or in central Oregon around Bend and Sisters.

If you are thinking of moving here be ready for a lot of anti Californian animosity. There has been a huge influx of Californians to Oregon in the last few years. They move here to get away from all that is wrong with California... and then try to change Oregon so it's more like where they came from. That doesn't go over well with the locals.

Shifty

I would say that Grants Pass is limited for road cycling, plus there seems to be a high redneck factor, so less bike friendly in general. The most bike friendly towns in Oregon, with fantastic road cycling in the surrounding country would be Eugene or Corvallis. Both of these towns are university towns, so they offer great arts and entertainment for a medium size town (less than 150000 population)

Yen

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like an area with better road cycling would be best for us.

Don't worry, we have no intention of changing Oregon. I've loved it since my cousin lived there, and always wanted to go back to live one day. I've heard about the anti-CA animosity. I'd move there to experience Oregon the way it is.

We'll look at the other areas your suggested.

Jen

everichon

Ashland is a great cycling town, albeit hilly. Very bike-friendly roads in town, many with marked bike lanes. There is also a very handy MUP from one end to the other. Also, just an all-around nice place to live.

Shifty

Here is the city of Eugene's bicycle map, the purple lines are bike trails, blue lines are streets with marked bike lanes. https://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/serv.../EugeneMap.PDF

Eugene has a Silver award for Bike Friendly Town from League of American Cyclist, Corvallis has a Gold award. Both are are livable cities, with low traffic volumes, beautiful setting, 50 miles east to skiing, 50 miles west to beaches. California folks are fine if they are cyclist, otherwise.......

donnamb 

Jen, get in touch with our state bicycle advocacy organization. They may have some insight.

55/Rad

Yeah, the locals hate it when you equity-rich Californians bring all your money north to our state, driving up the housing prices and fueling the economy.

I heard all that BS when I moved to the Northwest in '95. Turned out the only people really complaining were the ones living in their parents' basement.

55/Rad

rideon7

Yeah, the occupation is complete. A good cycling town? How about San Diego? Compton? Mexico City?

Yen

Thanks everyone (except rideon7 ) for the great suggestions.

rideon7: Your feeings are very understandable. The city in which I was born and raised in SoCal is completely infiltrated by a certain group from eastern Europe. Lots of people who have lived there for years and still do are fed up and angry. So, I empathize with you. But we're not the kind to go with a pocket full of cash and bid as high as possible for a house just because we can. That's greed and it sickens me. Our reason for going there would be because we simply love it there, nothing else. I wouldn't want to try and make it like here.

LynnH

Yen-if you want great cycling, with a very small town, look at Central and Eastern Oregon.

rideon7

Glad you were on the wavelength with the tone of my post. Aside from cycling, what else is it you're looking for in a community? Those criteria are as important when selecting a place to relocate to. You mentioned Grant's Pass, which has its own vibe, as do Bend, Ashland, Eugene, etc., not to mention the different weather in each of those towns. I would recommend a road trip (by bike or car) to areas you think you're interested in in order to get a feel for what it would be like to live there. Employment might also be an important consideration--some places have more (and more varied) opportunties than others.

gaston_45

And this is the attitude that usually causes the problems. So you are doing the locals a "favor" by driving up housing prices while at the same time voting to shut down industry that intrudes on your vision of Oregon but provides the decent paying jobs to those that are already here?? What jobs are replacing those jobs? Ah yes, low paying service industry jobs... further worsening the problem of finding affordable housing here.

Thanks, but with that attitude why don't you just do us one last favor and go back where you came from?

Oh yeah, before you bring it up again, I'm lucky enough to work in health care in a small rural area so no, I don't live in anyone's basement.

Here's a fairly balanced look at the real estate side of things along with a quoted article from the Oregonian, that largest paper here.
https://ownaportlandhome.blogspot.com...1_archive.html

Yen

We'd like a community like the one we live in now. We live in a college town (pop. 30,000) near the foothills, where downtown traffic is slow and light and has an old-town feel, even the day before Christmas. We have enough shops close by for convenience (Target, Kohl's, Joann's, grocery, needlework/quilt, Home Depot) but no high-rise downtown buildings. We have a GREAT ice cream shop and monthly cruise nights in town where people park their vintage 50s cars and folks stroll along listening to music and eating their ice cream. We're an hour from the beaches and an hour from the winter snow resorts. As far as climate, we wouldn't mind a little snow and prefer summer temperatures a little cooler than here (low 90s at most) with low humidity. I love the rain! My husband is retired and I will be soon, so employment won't be such a consideration.

However we're surrounded by over-populated cities, overly-congested freeways, and high-crime areas, and to get ANYWHERE we have to fight our way through ridiculous slow-and-go traffic no matter what time of day. It's common for people to think of going somewhere on the weekend, and then deciding to just stay home and BBQ instead of fight the traffic.

Interesting article, thanks. Women wear less make-up, eh? Sounds like my kinda place!!! I do empathize with the natives who have seen so much development and so many changes they don't like.

dtrain

Love the rain, eh? Based on that and the rest of your description, I'll suggest a few medium-sized towns in the Willamette Valley: McMinnville, Newberg, Corvallis, Lebanon, Albany. Eugene and Salem are a little bigger. Medford and Ashland are a little farther south (I think a little less rain and hotter in the summer). If you get too much farther north along I-5 (Wilsonville, Sherwood, etc.), you'll start seeing more traffic. But areas a fair distance out from Portland (like Forest Grove or Hood River) might be nice too. Congrats on retiring and good luck!

MillCreek

If I moved to Oregon, I would move to Eugene/Springfield or Bend, in that order.