Favorite century rides ?

[Alan]

Weekday mornings...great advice! Thanks!

[lynnef]

Bridge of the Gods is perfectly fine to ride on. I've done it in dry weather, wet weather, windy weather. Take the lane, stay calm... No problems. Best part is looking down.

Originally Posted by kg/f

I would not recommend crossing the Bridge of the Gods. It would be like riding on the Hawthorne steel deck, only much longer, with the addition of a 200' drop into the Columbia if you make a mistake. Other than that...

[lynnef]

Originally Posted by Alan

I see bikes on BotG fairly often; hikers, too, because it's where the Cascade Crest trail crosses. Speed limit is 15, passing prohibited. Not sure the metal grate part is much longer than Hawthorne, but yeah, you must ride right on the grate, it's quite higher and spectacular, and a bit freaky because it's so easy to see through to the river below. Not easy to fall off accidentally, though, it has a good guard rail.

Thumbprinterr, I have to ask about Hwy 14, though. I've not ridden it and although I occasionally see bikes on it, it's quite narrow in many spots, often minimal shoulders, fast and moderately high traffic volume, and short sight lines. I gather your experience on it was OK? Any suggestions or advice about that part of the ride? Only one comment mentions it in http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/?p=57 and I have to wonder about write-up since it places the Chevron station on the wrong side of Bonneville Dam and doesn't mention the Skamania General Store at all.

SR14 - I've ridden it from I205 (well, the old hwy until it merges w/SR14) as far east as just east of Carson, then stretches from Bingen to the Hwy97 turnoff

Parts do not have much, if any shoulder, true. I've only ridden it on weekends; can't speak to weekday traffic.

The descent from Cape Horn eastbound can be a bit interesting if it is windy and/or rainy. That said, I'm still here.

Places to stop and eat - Burgerville in Camas. Skamania General Store. There might be something in North Bonneville; I've never stopped. Cascade Locks has many choices. Multnomah Falls (try the handmade ice cream sandwiches!), Troutdale, and then you are back in the land of convenience stores.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by lynnef

SR14 - I've ridden it from I205 (well, the old hwy until it merges w/SR14) as far east as just east of Carson, then stretches from Bingen to the Hwy97 turnoff

Parts do not have much, if any shoulder, true. I've only ridden it on weekends; can't speak to weekday traffic.

The descent from Cape Horn eastbound can be a bit interesting if it is windy and/or rainy. That said, I'm still here.

Well, FWIW, I'd like to try it when I get a chance, but I also think it's only fair to point out that riders should be confident in their abilities and aware of those conditions. I'll also mention that Hwy 14, as the only east-west route south of Hwy 12 (White Pass), gets quite a bit of commercial truck traffic, even semis with doubles, from truckers who don't have Oregon permits to use I-84.

Places to stop and eat - Burgerville in Camas. Skamania General Store. There might be something in North Bonneville; I've never stopped. Cascade Locks has many choices. Multnomah Falls (try the handmade ice cream sandwiches!), Troutdale, and then you are back in the land of convenience stores.

N. Bonne has gas station food and there has been a cafe there, but it may have closed or reduced its hours in the past year, I'm not sure.

Stevenson, 3.0 miles up Hwy 14 from BotG, has very good food at Big River Grill or El Rio (right across Hwy 14 from each other, same owner), as well as full grocery and hardware stores. For an additional 0.2 miles, I'd take Rock Creek Drive instead of Hwy 14 for the stretch just west of Stevenson. Or go up to Skamania Lodge for the luxury set; its pub has good food, not as formal as the main dining room.

If you want still more miles, there are some nice destinations along the Wind River Road up past Carson. The Stabler Country Store has the last provisions out that way. Turn left on Hemlock Road, then right on FR 417 to reach a Crest Trail access and surrounding old growth research forest. (Last ~mile is well-maintained gravel.)

[drosen]

Originally Posted by Simple Nature

Would love to see this one mapped out.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/18459333

This is a map of my route to PC via Carlton and the Nestucca Pass.

DR

[Simple Nature]

Originally Posted by drosen

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/18459333

This is a map of my route to PC via Carlton and the Nestucca Pass.

DR

EXCELLENT! That looks like a great ride.

[drosen]

Originally Posted by Simple Nature

EXCELLENT! That looks like a great ride.

I'll remind you, there's about a 1.5-2 mile stretch where it's hard gravel. Why it's there I have no idea. I've never blown a tire there. It's not my favorite part of the ride, to be sure. Have fun!

[bikerinNE]

[QUOTE=Alan;25664]Thumbprinterr, I have to ask about Hwy 14, though. I've not ridden it and although I occasionally see bikes on it, it's quite narrow in many spots, often minimal shoulders, fast and moderately high traffic volume, and short sight lines. I gather your experience on it was OK? Any suggestions or advice about that part of the ride?QUOTE]

To avoid the section you're talking about. And, riding that section is just flat nuts because there is a part where there is no shoulder, cliffs and then the Columbia River below. The route to avoid the dangerous part of highway 14 is Washougal River Road.

[Alan]

Oh right, and come out on SR14 at Salmon Falls Road, that makes sense; avoid Cape Horn. But it also adds a number of miles...trade-offs. How is Washougal River Road for bikes? Seems to me some of it is narrow and little or no shoulder, too.

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Alan

Oh right, and come out on SR14 at Salmon Falls Road, that makes sense; avoid Cape Horn. But it also adds a number of miles...trade-offs. How is Washougal River Road for bikes? Seems to me some of it is narrow and little or no shoulder, too.

I have never road the Washougal River Road on bike however I have spent many summers there swimming at my aunt's. The Washougal River Road is the last place for a bicyclists. I wouldn't recommend it for any novice to driving. A very winding road with no shoulder and fast traffic.

The corners are so sharp and fast that is it quite difficult just to run across two lanes of traffic to the waterhole.

River road is a suicide mission on a bike.