Originally Posted by AZ Randy
My wife and I are considering riding the coast of Oregon this coming summer on our tandem. Need your impressions of the roads (safety,conjestion,etc.) if you have done this portion of the N/W coastline. How about a tour group? We have rode with Cycle America before and were very pleased.
Its been a while but you would be hard pressed to pick a nicer place to debut. Riding SOUTH, the wind will be moderately at your back and the ocean just on your right hand side beyond a narrow shoulder. There are zillions of state parks and camping areas, many with hiker/biker lower cost campsites. Cafes are great places for breakfast.
Weatherwise I think the rain and cloudiness becomes progressively less of a problem as June fades into July.
The road is narrow and their are steep hills in many places. Most tunnels are marked with flashing 'cyclist in tunnel' buttons you can push. Low gears for the steep but brief climbs would be very helpful. Get a helmet mounted rear view mirror and you'll have no problem with the traffic.
I would recommend you tour on your own. There are numerous facilities and bike shops along the way that can take care of any problems you have. Tour groups just isolate you from the warm and courteous locals.
South of Coos Bay the countryside gets more rural and spread out. All along the way the coast ranges beckon and there are many many scenic roads that cross over the range into the Willamette valley fifty miles further east. The road in from Waldport goes by Mary's Peak, the highest knob of the range. You'll find less traffic on this road than Rt20 in from Newport; and its more attractive than the road that leads in from the coast to Eugene. Let me know is the "glide" (or is it "Slide?") campsite is still there: I camped one night and swear it was haunted.
Further south there is now a (paved?) or improved road along the Rogue River that goes up towards Agness and the Kalmiopsis wilderness.
Good luck.
roughstuff