(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Tomorrow I pedal away from Portland and head to Astoria where I’ll begin a six-day journey down the Oregon Coast Bike Route. I’m joining The People’s Coast Classic, an organized ride sponsored by Amgen that raises money for the Arthritis Foundation.
Why the heck am I doing this? Glad you asked:
— The folks behind this ride (hi Tai!) have purchased advertising on BikePortland in years past and I love to support my advertisers. I’ll be sharing my photos of the journey with the PCC crew for future promotional use in exchange for them hosting me on the ride.
— The riding of course! If you’ve noticed via the recaps and photos I’ve been posting here and on Instagram/Twitter, I’ve been riding (like, with spandex on and stuff) a lot more since I got my new Cielo Sportif Classic road bike from Chris King at the end of July. I followed up the Gourmet Century with a journey on the Aufderheide Scenic Byway, a stay at TREO Bike Ranch in eastern Oregon, some local gravel road adventures, and a lot more in between.
— There are a growing number of advocacy/infrastructure issues popping up on the Oregon Coast Bike Route. Every year there seems to be a tragic collision on Highway 101, ODOT is grappling with how to make the road safer for bicycling, and there is some talk among bike activists that the time has come for a strategic effort to improve the Oregon Coast Bike Route. Another advocacy-related issue on the Coast is the growing impact of bicycle tourism on the many towns that could use the economic boost that comes with it. By getting out there with my bike, my notebook, and my camera, I can learn more about all these issues (and the people impacted by them) first-hand.
As per usual when I’m away on a riding/reporting trip, I’ll be sharing photos and dispatches from the road. While I’m away from Portland, I’ll still be working every day. And just in case I can’t check in, the site will be in the very capable hands of our News Editor Michael Andersen.
So, if you have Oregon Coast Bike Route story ideas, now would be a great time to drop me a line. I’d also love to hear from folks who live on the coast about meeting up for a chat, or better yet, pedaling along with me for a few miles.
Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading.
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Perhaps a business angle…seasonal boom and bust of bike shops…important for the strong coastal bike tourist traffic but also serving the background bike traffic that sometimes seems to be invisible…and in these days of the disappearing small village/ town (loss of post offices, hardware stores, bars, filling stations with repair shops, logger equipment repair shops, etc.)
Trask Mountain Cycle moved locations in Tillamook (over to third somewhere).
Another story angle: Oregon’s Hiker Biker camp sites…a great history but how can they be made better and evolve to better facilitate bike touring (filling in the location gaps, add repair stands/ tools, modern bike racks, food lockers, iPhone recharging, etc.) today.
http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/BIKE/Pages/hiker_biker.aspx
Or how the Coastal Bike Touring has changed/ not changed in the last 25 years: from paper maps, 3×5 cards on bulletin boards, payphones, locals’ route wisdom with campfire gossip with other bike campers VS. today’s iphone internet at camp and ipod apps (Bike Map app, Allstays Camp Tent app, Warm Showers, RecGov Camping site reservations app, etc.)
Jonathan,
I was recently driving around the Oregon coast (Manzanita, Cannon Beach, Arch Cape) and saw lots of cyclists out. The scenery is beautiful, hope you have a blast!
I share the concerns about safety. I rode along the coast in Cycle Oregon 2 years ago but I wouldn’t do it again. Too many riders have died on 101. Are there any viable options for alternate routes which go near the coast but not on 101? For example, I really enjoyed the Seven Devil’s rode alternate.
Correction, Gleneden beach.