Originally Posted by
tegnamo
Definitely a good point. We are tossing around the idea of a tandem-themed B&B of sorts, so I was figuring a more remote area with more windy, scenic, less-traveled roads would be nice. For general bike-only transportation and living, I do agree that a more metro area would be preferable. We are trying to find a nice balance, I guess!
Twenty-nine miles from downtown Eugene, five miles past the last house, lies the Lane County Sheriff's Forest Work Camp. The County is looking to either lease it out or sell it off since they closed it about a decade ago. It's got many buildings, but will need work. It has full utilities and phone service, but no cell phone coverage (you might want a satellite phone available for your customers to use when they're out riding).
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Al...341bb7e61f29ad
The county says it would prefer to lease it to someone to do drug treatment, but tourism is important to the county as well. You could even partner with someone who does drug treatment and do both with live-in staff. (Community Supported Shelters is looking into the site as well and would probably welcome someone to partner with.) A stand-alone B&B would need a zoning change, which is doable with support from the County Board of Commissioners (almost a sure-thing), but partnering with someone who meets the zoning would be easier.
Work camp put up for rent | Main News | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon
The site is located along the Siuslaw River on the main cycling route between Eugene and the coast. In fact, there are two great routes to the coast from there, either down the Siuslaw River (there's about a dozen miles of gravel road (Richardson Upriver and Stage Coach roads) to Florence or over Oxbow to the Smith River to Reedsport. One can easily connect the two in a loop by riding down the coast from Florence to Reedsport (actually to Gardiner). There's lots of ~100 km loops that can be done from the site, both paved and gravel, flattish and hilly. My wife and I ride our tandem along there regularly; it really is an ideal place for riding a tandem, or anything else (it's also popular with motorcyclists).
A somewhat popular cycling loop from town passes within a mile of the forest work camp, so I could see some local weekend cafe business happening as well.
I could see some synergy between a B&B at the forest work camp and an existing cycling-oriented B&B on the west edge of town.
Velo Bed and Breakfast