pdxsforider

I have been wanting to ride to SF from PDX for sometime and I have free time this month, yes I have been training. I am concerned about the weather. I can handle the occasional down pour but do not want to be riding for 10 days in rain. Should I wait till next year or go for it? BTW what is realistic mileage per day, how many hours?

Thanks

prathmann

The Oregon and far northern California stretches are likely to be wettest so you might wait to decide based on the latest long-range forecast. And plan some possible bail-out points if the weather turns bad. For camping cyclists the typical mileage seems to be about 60/day, but obviously with a wide variation.

fietsbob

Yup.. Rains.. the summer's north Pacific High is Gone..but the storms come in waves.. not constant..

and .. the storms and prevailing winds start coming up from the south.







....

jamawani 

Rain - - plus, when it rains the prevailing wind direction shifts to southwest.
So rain AND headwinds.

mrveloman

Can’t comment on the weather but I just finished riding from Portland to SF the first two weeks of September. My average mileage was 53 miles per day. I rode a total of 636 miles. There was a fire near Brookings (Chetko Bar Fire) which produced a lot of smoke. My son convinced me to skip about 200 miles south to miss all the smoke so I did not ride from Port Orford, OR to Ferndale, CA. My days were as follows:

Hillsboro to Tillamook – 63 miles / 5.4 hr riding time (not including any stops)
Tillamook to Beverly Beach SP – 77 miles / 7.3 hrs riding
Beverly Beach SP to Jesse Honeyman SP – 63 miles / 5.8 hrs riding
Jesse Honeyman SP to Sunset Bay SP – 57 miles / 5.5 hrs riding
Sunset Bay SP to Humbug Mtn SP – 61 miles / 6.1 hrs riding
(Drove from Humbug Mtn SP to Ferndale)
Ferndale to Burlington CG (Weott) 35 miles / 3.3 hrs riding
Burlington CG to Standish Hickey SP – 48 miles / 5.3 hrs riding
Standish Hickey SP to Fort Bragg – 46 miles / 5.4 hrs riding
Day off in Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg to Gualala County Park – 63 miles / 5.8 hrs riding
Gualala to Bodega Dunes SP – 50 miles / 4.9 hrs riding
Bodega Dunes to Samuel Taylor SP – 44 miles / 4.3 hrs riding
Samuel Taylor SP to south side of Golden Gate Bridge 29 miles / 2.9 hrs riding

Regarding riding times, I am 65 and overweight so only averaged around 10 mph. BTW if you go, Manchester SP in CA is closed but the KOA nearby offers hiker/biker rates.

fietsbob

there is a bus between Portland & Tillamook, to fast forward yourself out to the coast..

I think its cheaper than the NW POINT bus that serves Cannon Beach, Seaside and Astoria, via US 26.

nfmisso

Right now, just north of Bay Area, there are massive fires. Many places are gone; for example the Hilton in Santa Rosa...Santa Rosa Hilton Hotel Engulfed In Flames From Tubbs Fire « CBS San Francisco

CAL FIRE - California Statewide Fire Map

pdxsforider

Fantastic and congrats! I am 55 so I want to take advantage of opportunities when I can. As they say you regret what you did not do, more than what you did. You have inspired me, as long as the weather outlook is no horrible I think I will go for it. I appreciate there is no certainty but anybody have an idea when the weather starts to go south ie bad, and winds shift? Here in Tigard it is usually pretty decent until the later part of October.

Thanks

jamawani 

I am going to make a few assumptions.
800 miles from Portland to San Fran - - about 2 weeks.
So I'm thinking last week of Oct, first week of Nov.
Maybe closer to three weeks because days are getting really short.

Here are the climate normals from the Western Regional Climate Center:
https://wrcc.dri.edu/Climate/west_coop_summaries.php

Newport
Oct - 61/46; 5.4"
Nov - 55/42; 10.1"

Crescent City
Oct - 64/46; 5.2"
Nov - 58/43; 9.8"

Fort Ross
Oct - 66/47; 2.4"
Nov - 62/45; 5.2"

Until you get pretty close to San Fran, it is likely to be wet and chilly.
You might have a pleasant window, but by November it is unlikely.

<<<>>>

Have you considered an interior route?
Fall rains start earlier on the coast than inland.
Temperatures are cooler, but feel much colder on the coast.


Bend -
Oct - 63/32; 0.7"
Nov - 49/27; 1.5" (3.4" snow)

Asturias -
Oct - 67/28; 0.9"
Nov - 52/23; 1.4" (3.0" snow)

Yuba City
Oct - 79/50; 1.2"
Nov - 65/42; 2.4"

pdxsforider

Thanks for the info. I will have to do a little research on an interior route.

jamawani 

PeeDeeX -

Are you planning on camping or moteling it?
I have found that I spend many more nights in motels in early spring or late fall.
Even when I am completely decked out with camping gear.
It's just that the extra stress of cold riding and iffy weather makes me opt for motels.
Not to mention that many campgrounds - public and private - are closed.

The disadvantages of motels (besides cost) are that you have to find a town with a motel,
Plus, it is really hard to get out there early when you are all cozy and warm.
But if you decide to go completely with motels, you can tour much lighter.
And you can cover more miles on the short, late fall days that way.
Motels do, however, limit your route choices.

If you do opt for motels, still carry a minimal kit - pad and emergency blanket.
(The emergency blanket can also double for a rain tarp.)
You can always beg a night at fire stations or churches if there is no motel.

<<<>>>

There are a number of inland routes about 800 miles - like the ACA Pacific Coast.
1 Not sure if you want to start in the Willamette Valley to Eugene - pretty flat.
Then cut southeast on Hwy 58 over Willamette Pass.
2 Or take the Clackamas Highway thru Estacada and Breitenbush and over Santiam.
3 Or the Willamette Valley to Salem and Hwy 22 over Santiam.
2 is most scenic, but longer and more climbing.

On the East Side, US 97 has shoulders, but is a stinker with pretty heavy traffic.
Hwy 31 to Lakeview is beautiful and has almost no traffic - but pretty darn remote.
East of the Cascades you would be at 4000+ ft elevation with cold nights and frosty mornings.

The nice thing about an interior route is that you can drop into the Sacramento Valley.
Then have moderately warm weather for November for the rest of your ride.
(There is the risk of the famous Tule Fog, though usually later in November.)
((But then again, coastal fogs can last for days on end, too.))
There are some great county roads that run along the Sacramento River.
Then you can either cut over to the coast and end with the Golden Gate Bridge -
Or follow the Valley down to Vallejo and take the ferry to San Fran.

<<<>>>

BTW - I've got a few years on you, so if I can do it, you can.
Still, it will be late in the season and planning/caution are advised.

pdxsforider

Thanks I was planning on primarily camping, with one or two nights in a motel. My target is is East Bay as friend lives in Danville.

jamawani 

If camping - and I prefer camping - there are way more options, esp. inland.
Much of the route is via public lands - so you can camp anywhere.
Just have to know what is public.

https://blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com/app...0bfe20eddd7550

Here's a possible route - Oregon City to Lakeview via Breitenbush and Bend.
The ACA Sierra-Cascades route uses the Breitenbush section.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26039734

At roughly 60 mi per day -
Three Lynx, Marion Forks, Tumalo, Fort Rock, Summer Lake, & Lakeview.
Of course, weather etc. may change any one day.
But this section would be 6 riding days plus an extra day for all eventualities.

Hot springs at Breitenbush, Summer Lake, Lakeview.
Breitenbush is pretty "discovered" esp. on weekends, but Lakeview is quiet.
I loved Hunters Hot Springs and Lakeview - others might find them too rustic.

fietsbob

Note the many places northern California and southern Oregon are fighting Fires, right Now.

Hundred thousand + acres in Nor Cal, The Heavy rains in the spring had a lot of growth that dried out, and caught fire.








.....

Doug64

I have ridden and lived on the coast. My wife and I rode the Pacific Coast Route, some of it in late September.

Most of Oregon's coastal State Park campgrounds are open year-round. You will probably experience a lot of rain.

We have also ridden from the Willamette Valley to Fresno on an interior route in October. We went over the Cascades at Willamette Pass, and took Highway 97 South to Weed. From there we went up to Lassen NP, and then dropped down to Sacramento. We experienced freezing temperatures in the mountains. We also experienced several days of rain before reaching Lassen. It does warm up from Sacramento going south. Highway 97 is not a bad road to ride on. It can be busy, but it has wide shouders.

If I was going to get wet. I'd rather be wet and "warm". I would take the coast route.

A good thing to keep in mind when thinking about a route that includes Lakeview, the town is known as the "Tallest Town in Oregon". When I was working near there it snowed one year on June 26th.

pdxsforider

Thanks all for input. Very helpful, given all the factors I am going to postpone this adventure till May/June. I want to enjoy the ride and between the smoke from the fires, rain and wind it sounds like ride now it would be a miserable ride. For now I will instead I will drive down to the SF, next week and ride #1 from there down to Big Sur area and back. Not as far but it will be good since this is my 1st bike tour :-)

fietsbob

Bring warm layers, in this town we have had a June-uary that time of year,, often 'summer' = 5th of July..