Originally Posted by pwdeegan

The bike map is nice, even for walking or driving. Another route worth recommending for both scenery and a little challenge is heading south through Amazon park, taking Fox Hollow up past Spencer Butte, going down the extra-fast MacBeth Road, and then Lorane Hwy back into town---roughly 15-18 miles depending on your start point; the views are nice, and road is bike friendly with generally good shade. Check out: https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2869828

For other rides, it's worth looking at GEARs' ride list, at: https://eugenegears.org/ridelist

Lastly, based on your photo, if you want to ride with an all-womens group, i think the Poplollies offer different rides for various levels including beginners:
https://www.thepoplollies.com/openrides.php

Have fun!

Originally Posted by TheHen

Okay, reality check here. If you come back into town via Lorane Hwy from McBeth Rd., choose your times very carefully. This portion of Lorane Hwy. has no real shoulder and the motorists are quite aggressive, especially around right curves. Don't expect anyone to give you the required legal space (room to fall towards them), you will need to assert your right to the road by your lane position or risk being buzzed/struck. Always leave yourself an out to the right. This is generally difficult for a beginner to do, especially if you haven't seen anyone do it. That said, if you avoid the morning commute (traffic your way), lunch time (traffic leaving town that will create problems for cars passing you), post lunch (cars going your way) and the "witching hour" (4:00-5:30) then you should have a reasonable go of it. The Lorane Hwy portion is less than 2 1/2 miles so you won't be there long. You can stretch this ride out by skipping McBeth and taking Fox Hollow to Lorane Hwy. You'll have to finish on the same yucky part, but you get more miles of safe (Fox Hollow) and shouldered (half-dozen miles of Lorane Hwy added).

While it is certainly possible to ride in the Eugene area, it is one of the worst places for cycling that I have ever been. Don't believe the P.R. you will hear in this city. Unless you consider being cursed at and attacked to be "bike friendly", Eugene is anything but. However, the more people ride the better it will get. I just hate to see people head out with rose-colored glasses and then quit at the first sing of trouble because they didn't know what they were getting into. A group of EPD officers regularly ride and they always keep a uniform in the front and rear of their group. They do this to keep from being treated like the rest of the cycling community.

As far as where to get a decent road bike, don't forget to check out Bill at Wheelworks. He is a real old-timer who often has some good deals. I like him; he builds relationships as opposed to pushing hard to make a sale. I like Hutch's too, but Bill is my favorite.

Originally Posted by TheHen

As far as where to get a decent road bike, don't forget to check out Bill at Wheelworks. He is a real old-timer who often has some good deals. I like him; he builds relationships as opposed to pushing hard to make a sale. I like Hutch's too, but Bill is my favorite.

Originally Posted by pwdeegan

Eugene isn't perfect for cycling, but if you've ever had to ride your bicycle in SoCal then it'll sure seem a heckuva a lot closer to heaven than hell. If it's one of the worst places for cycling you've been, then you need to get out more---and make it less worse while you're at it.

Originally Posted by TheHen

This reminds me of comments I used to hear in the Sacramento area while its air quality was going from no detectable smog to sixth-worst in the nation. People would say, "it's not so bad. It's better than L.A." Being better than the worst is hardly something to be proud of.

As far as getting out more, there are indeed a handful of states that I haven't ridden in, but only a handful. I have ridden nearly half a million miles, so I know a thing or two about keeping the rubber side down. The op is a newbie, but I am not. There are many roadways that I will send experienced cyclists on that are far less than ideal for new riders. I feel it is better for people to gain a bit of experience before riding on roadways where the probability of a nasty encounter are higher than normal. If a cyclist cannot ride rollers, and very few new riders can, then it does them a disservice to advise them to ride on a roadway where every tenth car will come within 1 1/2 feet of them. And sure, McBeth is a fun descent, but is a new rider ready to be passed by an SUV going 60 mph while doing 35 mph herself? I would rather see new riders get enough mileage in the saddle to get psychologically invested in getting around by bike before they take on higher risk situations. You seem to feel differently. She can make up her own mind.