Shifty

Cycle Oregon starts from Sutherlin, OR on September 11, should be a fantastic week of riding!! I'll be on the outlook for Jeff Wills, who else is riding this year? I usually see 2thgrinder, and will look for him too. It's a beautiful route this year, should be a great time!! https://www.cycleoregon.com/week-ride/route/

Let's meet in the beer garden!!

PomPilot

I'll be riding nearby on Saturday the 10th. Doing the Cycle Umpqua Vineyard tour. The Umpqua Valley Wine, Art Music Festival is also going on at the Umpqua Community College campus. It's not that far from Southerlin, if you are looking for something to do on Saturday.

B. Carfree

If you see a tandem going the "wrong" way along the Smith or Siuslaw rivers with a female captain and a male stoker, the stoker would be me. It looks like a nice route and should be fun for all. Enjoy.

Edit: Shifty or Jeff or anyone else who is riding C.O.: If I want to see as many cyclists as possible between Oxbow Summit and lunch on day two, what would be a good time to be on Smith River Rd/N. Sister Rd? I'll be heading eastbound while the parade heads west. I pick up your route at the West Fork Smith River Rd just before your lunch site.

Jeff Wills

That wasn't me you saw.

BigBlueToe

This is hard. I really want to do this ride, but I'm a teacher and it's always after school has resumed. But when I retire......

Have fun everyone!

Shifty

I'd say between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

woodway

After riding in 2009 and 2010, my wife and I are sitting it out this year. Hope that the weather is great and everyone has a good time!
Post up some pics when you get back!

B. Carfree

I have a strange request for those of you riding the C.O. On day 2 you will ride past the Lane County Sheriff's Forest Work Camp, which ceased operations several years ago. Just after m.p. 26 on Siuslaw River Rd there is a "Congestion" warning sign to alert folks to its presence. If someone finds himself/herself in the back of a large pack as you pass this sign, I'd love to have a picture of my favorite form of congestion with that sign in the background.

My commute into Eugene used to be along this road and that sign always gave me a chuckle as well as being my halfway home marker. Unfortunately, since there are rarely any other cyclists (or others) there when I ride by, so I haven't been able to get that picture.

Have fun, everyone. It looks like perfect weather is in the forecast, at least once you leave the smoke-filled valley behind. Actually, it was still pretty smokey along the Smith River yesterday, but hopefully it will clear up soon.

Shifty

That was a FANTASTIC week of riding!! The rides were challenging and beautiful and the host towns went all out to welcome 3000 invaders. I was really impressed by the route chosen this year for the low traffic ( no traffic so much of the time) roads, it was cycling nirvana for most of the week.

Here are some photos from the Cycle Oregon Blog, at the bottom of the page click on the "older posts" button for more photos. https://www.cycleoregon.com/blog/

Jeff Wills

Agreed. Although the 12% climb halfway through the last day was a m%&*&f&^%##. I'll have to look at the photos. I was too busy chasing my wife to stop and take any of my own. Stout girl- she rode every mile.

Did you see the little sign posted in the tree above the road on Day 6? Squirrel! Squirrel!

Shifty

Fish Tacos at Shore Acres near Coos Bay

TheHen

Nice photos on the CO site as well as Shifty's. I look forward to seeing some more. I just love riding in those coastal valleys and hills and I'm so glad several thousand people got to ride there this year.

Judging by the grimaces and complaints I heard while riding up Oxbow Rd. on day two (I couldn't resist showing up to see the crowd), the organizers might have been better served to leave the Siuslaw River at recently re-opened Buck Creek Rd. to Elk Creek Rd to Upper Smith River Rd. This crossing from the Siuslaw River Watershed to the Smith River Watershed is less of a climb than Oxbow Summit and is only a couple of miles further (almost all downhill). Not surprisingly, Google shows Upper Smith River Rd. as not going through, but it is a nicely chipsealled road surface that follows the river all the way to South Sister Rd.

B. Carfree

My wife and I had a great time sharing the road with CycleOregon on day two. Some riders asked why we were heading off up the M-Line instead of going down from Oxbow Summit with them on South Sister Rd. We told them we wanted to see more riders by riding against the grain after we rejoined them along the Smith River. Here we are on Oxbow:



And here's a few of the folks who were happy to hear it was (almost) all downhill to the ocean from Oxbow:



If you look on the CycleOregon blog photos for day two, you will see a woman stretching on a bridge. The large feet behind her are mine. In fact, here she is from the other side:


A few minutes after this photo was taken, a very tired man started riding off on her bike. She chased after him yelling, "Sir, sir, you are on my bike." He was quite embarrassed, as any of us would be.

Wouldn't it be nice if all roads had this kind of congestion?

Shifty

Have you ridden the Powers to Riddle ride? It is something you'd really enjoy.....fabulous and Powers is a very sweet little town....nice vibe!

I've done a loop over Buck Creek road, Smith River and Oxbow pass. I don't think there is too much difference between the two passes, both are pretty, remote and lovely to ride.

https://www.cycleoregon.com/blog/

Shifty

I looked for you guys that day, maybe you were at the top and off the tandem when I went over.
It was an real treat to get to the last water stop on the lower Smith River and find Paul Biondi, Peter Girri and band kicking out some righteous blues, after 80 miles riders had plenty of energy to twist and shout. They were also the band for evening entertainment in camp that night, so the party continued in Reedsport!!

I love that last photo, you should send it to Cycle Oregon.

Shifty

We camped in Cottage Grove and since the parade scene from the film Animal House was filmed there, they had the Deathmobile and togas for a photo op. Thanks to Cottage Grove for a great time and a quiet camp downtown!!

B. Carfree

I'm not surprised we missed each other. We got out the door a little late and by the time we got to Siuslaw River Rd. there were already some riders there. They told us they were among the first, and we decided to ride with them to the top of Oxbow. That turned out to be a good thing; we found out when we crossed over to the junction of Esmond Creek and West Fork Smith River Rd that Esmond Creek Rd. is closed for construction for the next six weeks, so the M-line that we took was the only way to loop around. By the time we got down the west fork to Smith River Rd. there were only another thousand or so cyclists to see. I just love that: only a thousand or so cyclists, and on a road where I rarely see anyone.

I do have one question about the riders. We really didn't see any pacelines. Many riders looked rather fatigued and I was surprised that no one was taking advantage of stronger riders to get a bit of a break, especially with that long flattish stretch along Smith River Rd. I was especially surprised when no one hopped onto our wheel between Wolf Creek and the climb up Oxbow. When I used to ride organized rides on my half-bike I always appreciated a tandem that was willing to do a bit of charity work. (I always try to make our wheel look welcoming when we pass another rider and most will gladly take the assist.) Is there some sort of anti-drafting ethos in CycleOregon? Perhaps there have been nasty wrecks in the past and such riding is now discouraged?

Shifty

Safety is a big concern on Cycle Oregon, as well as good relations with auto and truck road users. CO makes a clear policy that pace line are limited to seven riders, and that lines do not pass slower riders in the traffic lanes into oncoming traffic. CO has a good relationship with Oregon State Police, they have 4 motorcycle patrol riders with us the whole way, they police us and cars traffic for safety of all. This works well for all.
This isn't a big concern on Smith River Road, but it is on busy highways, like 101. On Oxbow and Smith River riders were getting spread out , so not so much need to paceline, just cruise along. We rode from Cottage Grove that day, so we had a big hill between CG and Lorane, then the hills on Siuslaw River Road, then Oxbow. Many riders were pacing themselves for a long day and dancing at night.

Jeff Wills

Powers really put out the red carpet for CO- my wife and I enjoyed all the hospitality.

BTW: I think this is the Powers to Riddle ride you're talking about: https://tourdefronds.com

woodway

I've only ridden two CO's (2009 and 2010) and I never once rode a paceline in either one. There is really no need - you've got all day to get to the next camp and plenty of support on the way. It's tough to enjoy the scenery and engage with your riding companions when you are in a paceline and have to focus on that wheel in front.

Nice pics everyone - thanks for taking the time to post. Looks like CO2011 was a great time!

Shifty

Here is a site with lots of photos. https://www.flickr.com/groups/co2011/pool/33869420@N00/