biketocamp

Hey all,

I'll be in Portland, OR towards the end of May for a weekend and considering to do a light bike tour to the Bay Area in California. I may even take it to Imperial Beach, CA if time permits. I'm sure many have done this route before. If so how what were some of your experiences? According to the the maps its a 1852mi trip. If anyone can provide me with a good and safe connection to get to the coast from Portland, OR that would be great!

hueyhoolihan

i could make recommendations, but why deprive you of having some fun with MapMyRide.com, and other sites just like it? set up an account (free) and spend a few delightful hours.

there's all kinds of stuff on the internet these days, if i were going, i think i would decide by starting my research there. BTW, here's a site that might be of use.

Doug64

Take the Amtrak bus from the station in Portland to Astoria, OR, and start your ride at the northwest corner of the state.

B. Carfree

I wouldn't do that. IMO, the best riding in Oregon is to be found in the coast range on the way to the coast. After that, the coast ride is kind of disappointing.

One point to consider is the choice between the Lost Coast and the Avenue of the Giants/Richardson Grove routes. Unless you choose your day/time well, you may have lots of traffic issues on the latter. However, the Lost Coast does have some pretty steep climbs, limited commercial outlets and a minimum of 24 miles of unpaved road.

Tourist in MSN

I did the bus from Portland Amtrak station to Astoria. Got there at sundown. They drop you off at a curb, there is no station there. There was a pizza place across the street that had a cardboard recycling bin out back, that is where my bike box went. I had a reservation for a motel in Astoria so I did not have to worry about looking for a place to camp after dark.

More of my comments and observations on my trip are at this link:

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/95...l#post16933424

We finished our trip in San Fransisco. Stayed at the HI Hostel on Fishermans Wharf, which I recommend if you are on a budget and you want to sight see in San Fransisco. They fill up, need reservation.

With some side trips for sightseeing, my bike computer said 892 miles at the end (Astoria to San Fransisco).



We had outstanding weather. Astoria, we expected a 60 percent chance of rain every day, Crescent City a 30 percent chance, San Fransisco a 10 percent chance. But I think we only had two or three days of rain. Only one day did I bother to use the rain cover over my handlebar bag. I hope you are equally lucky.

To leave San Fransisco, we got to a shuttle bus stop on Fishermans Wharf at 5am, took the shuttle bus (that had a bike rack on the front) to Amtrak station. Then took the train home.

mev

The City of Portland gives three possible routes: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trans...article/301633
If you haven't been to Portland before, taking the MAX to Hillsboro is a good way to start

I've also taken US 30 in addition to those routes. Parts of it are busier, but still ok to ride. I've also done their route #2 and it has some nice cycling including stop in the State forest. I haven't done #1 or #3 , though the latter seems to be well recommended.

I've also ridden south to Eugene first and then across from there to the coast and that route is also reasonable, though you'll miss some nice parts of the coast further north in Oregon.

fietsbob

& in addition to the Amtrak station, to The coast, Bus , via 26 .. Schedule - NorthWest Point

there is a different one To Tillamook , further down the Coast ..

Or you can back road to Banks and take the Banks Vernonia route and take OR 202 out to Astoria.


BTW, the other route US 30, west of the Paper mill , you will share the road which will have a Lot of turns in it as It approaches Astoria

With a regular traffic of Trucks for hauling wood chips to that Mill ..

turning south at Scapoose is another way to get into the hills between 30 & 26.. via, Vernonia and such.

Doug64

You can also catch the ferry to Oakland and land a couple of blocks from the Amtrak station.

Doug64

I may be a little jaded, as I ride in similar terrain and scenery every day, but I found riding from the Valley to the coast nice, but nothing special. If time was limited, I'd rather spend another day on the coast. I've ridden Highway 138 from Roseburg to Reedsport, Highway 20 from Corvallis to Newport, Highway 22/18 from Salem to Lincoln City, and Highway 30 from Astoria to Portland. They are all OK, if riding is the choice.

B. Carfree

Those aren't exactly the nicest routes through the hills, so little wonder you prefer coastal time. I would not willingly choose to ride 20 or 138/38, especially since there are vastly nicer alternative roads nearby that do the same job (Alsea hwy to 34 or into the partially-paved alternatives near Lobster Valley instead of 20 and Smith River instead of 20 or 38). You must enjoy traffic more than I do.

While I generally prefer to start a ride by riding, the OP might consider taking the Amtrak Cascades to Eugene and heading out to the coast via the Smith River. It makes for an 85-90 mile day (can be broken up) that ends at a nice state campground (warm showers always get my interest). There's no services in between, but there's no traffic either.

Doug64

I tend to agree with your assessment.

staehpj1 

I guess it depends on what you like. I have done some riding across the Coastal Range on a couple tours and it was nice, but the Oregon coast remains one of my favorite rides.

shibbyman23

On my way back from my coastal tour I took the 126 from Florence to Eugene then took the Amtrak to Seattle. Is that the route you were referring to? It was in the middle of Summer and there was barely any traffic. There is a steep graded climb near the start but it's a short one. I camped halfway at a logging road pullout area that was fairly flat - speaking of flat that just so happens to be where I got my first flat

B. Carfree

No. Even though I lived on that route for six years about 45 miles from Eugene, I would only ride 126 in to town at 2:00 AM (my regular commute). 126 is regularly in the news for head-on crashes. The roads just south of there or the several roads north of there are much better rides and have zip for traffic. I've ridden over 150 miles at a stretch on them without seeing a car. Bears, cougars, bobcats, beavers and foxes generally outnumber motor vehicles on many of those roads through the hills.

nickw

I rode the Lost Coast last August, there were no unpaved sections. The road was horrible in places, I will admit.

N

nickw

I've done #1 , via Scapoose / Hwy 30 though from downtown and it is a very nice ride. It's 110 miles with a fair amount of climbing and a good 30 miles section with no services towards the end....right when you need them, not even a little run-down country store for gods sake.

cvskates

+1 - That's what I did - took the train to Eugene and followed the above mentioned route to the Coast (which i found here on bike forums). Aside from a few miles of fresh gravel, it was awesome. Great scenery, and virtually no traffic.

trainsktg

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trans...article/301633

If traveling via 'Route 1' from Banks through Vernonia to 202, 47 itself is bypassed by using the Banks-Vernonia Rail to Trail.

Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department: Banks-Vernonia State Trail

Weird that that route map doesn't show 26 as an alternative to the coast. The scenery is nice, the breakdown lanes are for the most part extremely wide, there are 'share the road' type bicycle signs all along it, and there is a bicycle warning system installed at the Edwards tunnel.

Keith

adventurepdx

It's probably because of the high traffic on US 26 (most direct route from Portland to the coast), three summits vs one to two on the other routes, lack of shoulder for the western-most half, and yep, that tunnel. I've never been on 26 on a bike from Portland metro to the coast, but I've been in a car and on a bus through this area, and I've seen how it looks. It definitely would not be my preferred route.