sophieclements

I'm planning a tour from Portland Oregon to San Francisco, this August. It is my first tour, so i want to take it slowly and see stuff along the way.
I'm doing it alone, and a bit nervous about time. Does anyone know if it is possible to put a bike on a bus, to make up a few miles if needed? And are there bus routes that run along the coastline? I guess unboxed, unless there are lots of places along the way that would box a bike (guess not?). Or do people have other suggestions? I was thinking that i might be able to hitch a little bit but i've been told that's not a good idea, especially as i'm alone and a woman. Any suggestions/advice most welcome, thanks!

fietsbob

the Busses tend to be local *, though many may have front of the bike racks for 2 bikes,

there may not be a 'hand off' place in common between 2 counties .

the Clatsop ~ Tillamook county interconnection is an example.. sometimes it works, sometimes they cut the funding.

* Many of the bus connection are To the Inland cities, not between the coastal ones ..


There are hundreds of people on their bikes touring the coast this time of Year , you will have company..



Local bike shop in Astoria gets tourists bikes shipped in , the riders fly to PDX then take the bus out here .

the bus stops 2 blocks from the Shop.

staehpj1

I have not used the buses too many places along the coast, but in some places there are regional buses with bike racks. The following link might be a good place to start:
Transportation - Oregon Coast Visitors Association

adventurepdx

The short answer: Yes, you can take a bike on the bus to the coast.

From Portland, you have two main options:

1. NW Point goes to Astoria, Seaside, and Cannon Beach. Runs twice daily. Unboxed bikes go in the cargo hold. Schedule - NorthWest Point
2. Tillamook Wave goes to Tillamook twice daily (except Sunday, only one trip), and has a two bike capacity rack on the front. Welcome to the Tillamook County Transportation District. Ride the Wave!

Both services leave from Union Station downtown.

As for going down the coast, you can get between Astoria and Newport via local bus, but it will take loads of transfers. No Greyhound service down the coast.

The best place for info: Welcome to nworegontransit.org



Have a fun trip!

Tourist in MSN

I do not know if you need to have your bike boxed or not, but I took a bus from the Amtrak station in Portland to Astoria. But our bikes were boxed. We got our bus tickets through Amtrak but it was another company that operated the busses.



There was no bus station in Astoria, only a bus stop. We found a cardboard recycling bin behind a pizza place a block away. I have no clue if it is still there, but that is what we did with our bike boxes. It was after dark by the time we were done getting set up to start biking.

That bus stopped at one or two other places on the coast on the way to Astoria, so there were a few other options.

Knevo

My GF and I put our bikes in the local bus with us and rode it from gold beach back to coos bay so we could get a rental car, so yes you can

adventurepdx

You don't need to box the bikes on the NW Point bus (the bus you took) from PDX to Astoria. On the other buses, there is a rack in front, though if the rack is full and the handicap spot is open, the bus driver may allow bikes inside.

McBTC

Took the Green Tortoise Line to Kelso which is just across the river from Portland. From either city it's an overnighter to the coast but starting from Kelso you get to cross over the Astoria bridge. Once on the Coast Route there aren't many bailout points except perhaps Florence to Eugene which is about 70 miles and since Eugene is a college town there surely must be busses with bike access. From Eugene you can take the train.

adventurepdx

When did you take that Green Tortoise bus? They haven't done the SF-Portland-Seattle route since 2001. Now they just run tour buses to specific destinations. And Kelso is 60 miles from Portland, not "just across the river". But Amtrak does stop there.

There are a few bus bailout options on the Northern Oregon Coast, see that map I posted above.

spinnaker

OP You worry to much. You won't have any issue on the Oregon coast. It is a very easy ride till maybe you hit Crescent City. The road up to Klamath out of Crescent City is steep and narrow so you might want to consider taking the bus there. There is a rack on the front of the bus for two bikes. The drivers are pretty cool and let you place the bike inside in the handicap area if the rack is full and there are no handicap passengers.



Past Klamath is when it starts getting a big challenging. Google maps shows a back way to the 101 just on the other side of the bridge from Klamath but last I was there the road was closed, unless I took a wrong turn. I had to turn around and head back down the hill and take the 101. I was not amused.

spinnaker

If your plan is to start in Lincoln City then don't cheat yourself by taking a bus. The ride is well worth it.

Tourist in MSN

That would have solved my box disposal problem if I left the box at the Amtrak station for someone else to use.

fietsbob

Well yea Kelso, Where the Amtrak rail station is, is down stream on the Cowlitz river, other side of that river is Longview,

which also has a docklands on the Columbia river.. that is down river from Portland ,
which has the Willamette river joining the Columbia.. Other than the PDX airport, is more on either side of the north flowing
Willamette.. than facing the Columbia..

Columbia River channel bends to the north, between Portland and Longview. then bends again to flow westwards.

US 30 follows the river, the POINT Bus takes US 26 , coming out to join US101 between Cannon Beach and Seaside,
the end of the run is Astoria.

McBTC

Took the Green Tortoise from Redding to Kelso in 1994. Our tour started in the parking lot of a grocery store. We were pretty anonymous on the bus until it stopped and our bikes were unloaded off the roof. Then, all of the students came alive and were curious to know what was happening. Our tour that year was from Kelso to the coast and south from there over the Astoria bridge to Eureka, CA -- pretty much the best of the Pacific Cost as it takes in all of Oregon.

spinnaker

Twenty one years ago??? Do you think a few things might have changed since then?

mtnbud

I've noticed bike racks on the local buses along the coast. You'll probably have to take all your packs off. You're not likely to have bus service in the areas with the toughest climbs, but the more populated areas tend to have bus service.

As you're cycling the coast, be sure and notice all the side routes off 101. I've ran into many people who have ridden by them unaware. The detours are often more scenic and they also will bypass some of the busier parts of the larger towns.

(If you can figure out a way to avoid the bridge over Coos Bay, I'd do it.)

McBTC

Even by then things had changed -- during the years earlier spanning more than 10 years, the hiker/biker camps were just 50¢ /night. Now probably all you can say is they're still under $10.

fietsbob

Used to take the GT between Eugene and San Francisco, BITD. Sauna and a dip in a Creek with dinner or breakfast ,

depending on South or Northbound ..

B. Carfree

There are buses all along the CA coast that take bikes. You can use these county-based buses from Crescent City all the way to Novato, albeit with a tiny bit of riding to connect the dots (and a few transfers). Here's the bus service links:

Redwood Coast Transit - Public Transit for Del Norte County
Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) | Public transportation for Mendocino County, California : How to Ride
Routes | Sonoma County Transit

Ride as far as you can with the knowledge that you have a bailout option. You'll likely find yourself getting stronger as the ride goes on and won't need.

You can also get on the Greyhound in Arcata and roll into SF. You'll need to get a box at a bike shop, but Arcata has a few of those. This bus also can be used from Brookings, OR, but you might want to call the bike shop in Brookings ahead of time to see if they have a box you can have.

Have a fun trip and keep your food secure from the raccoons.

sophieclements

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm off next week - and feel, (perhaps being a bit fool-hardy) that it'll be fine, somehow
Never done anything like this before but well up for the challenge. Any further advice/tips welcome, just nice to hear from people that have done it, although i guess i'll meet plenty along the way

staehpj1

You'll be fine and have a great time. After the trip, let us know how it went.