Rides from Eugene?
07-16-16, 09:36 PM
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Rides from Eugene?
Hi - I will be in Eugene this week for a few days for my son's UofO orientation. I will bring my bike and would appreciate any advice on where to ride. Road rides only, 20-50 miles, hills not a problem. Any rides I should do, or roads to avoid? Thanks, Eric
07-16-16, 09:41 PM
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Might want to check out the club "Eugene Velo", I hear they are a great group of guys...
07-17-16, 07:51 PM
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1. Head up Fox Hollow from West Amazon (I approach from Potter; pick your poison). It's a nice little climb. At Donald, take the lane to the city limit and then the county gives a nice shoulder until the next steep part, just after Willamette (take the lane again). Just over the top, either stay left to stay on Fox Hollow (least amount of traffic) and do an out and back, or turn right (more like straight) and go down McBeth (yes, they spell it that way here) to Lorane Hwy (yes, they spell Lorane like that too). At the bottom of McBeth, a right turn gives you a return to town of two miles with nonexistant shoulder that can have a few aggressive motorists at prime motorist times, or a left turn allows you to cruise six miles on Lorane Hwy back to the end of Fox Hollow. (Odd left turn to stay on Lorane Hwy at mile post six, about 1.5 miles west of McBeth.) Total distance if you do the McBeth/Lorane loop (either direction) from the foot of Fox Hollow is about 28 miles.
I'm going to assume you are avoiding commuter times with these next suggestions:
Head south on East Amazon, then turn left on Dillard Rd. Go over the hill to the I-5 frontage road (hwy 99), then turn right (west) on Harvey Rd. Harvey Rd turns to the south and connects to W. Oregon Ave in Creswell, turn right on W. Oregon Ave (becomes Camas Swale Rd. and then Hamm Rd as you proceed west). Hamm Rd ends at Territorial Rd. While gorgeous riding is available if you turn left, you're not up for those miles so turn right. Two miles later, turn right on Lorane Hwy. See the first route to find your way home. Fox Hollow is just over three miles from the Lorane Hwy/Territorial intersection, also known as Gillespie Corner.
Territorial is no one's favorite road, but it does connect many things for short rides on the west of town. a couple miles north of Lorane Hwy via Territorial is Briggs Hill Rd, which connects to Spencer Creek Rd, which connects to Lorane Hwy near McBeth. Territorial also connects to Doane Rd a mile or so north of Briggs Hill. Doane Rd ends at Crow Rd (much luscious riding west from there, but again, you're not looking for those kind of miles). Just a mile or so east of Doane Rd on Crow Rd is Erickson Rd, which connects to Pine Grove, which connects to Spencer Creek, which connects to both Briggs Hill and Lorane Hwy.
If you want ridewithgps files for those, I can make you some.
If you are willing to add just a bit more distance and have a car, here's a suggestion: Park at Crow High School (west end of Crow Rd). Go west 1/4 mile, then south 1/8 mile, then head west on Wolf Creek Rd. Two nice two-mile climbs with a saddle between them await you. You pass the last house at seven miles. Go as far as you like and then turn back, otherwise there are two 59-mile circles to choose from about 13 miles from your start point, so you're in for an 85 mile ride if you choose to do that. One loop has no potable water (but plenty of streams and such if you're willing to chance it) and the other has one potable water source, about nine miles away from the start of the circle. Both of these rides have several nice little hills and two larger climbs that involve changing river drainages (similar to the Wolf Creek climbs, but a wee bit longer). Both keep you along the rivers/major creeks and are absolutely gorgeous. If you're interested, let me know and I'll put up ridewithgps files for those as well.
Alternatively, go over Fox Hollow and then left on Lorane Hwy to Territorial. Go left (south) on Territorial to Lorane West (also known as Siuslaw River Rd) where you go west. About 18 miles downriver from lorane (there's mile post markings; Lorane is just over mp 44; your next turn is around mp 26.5), take a right turn on Wolf Creek Rd. Twelve miles later (countdown the mile post signs), take a left on Territorial followed almost immediately by a right on Crow Rd. You can come in on Crow Rd or turn right on Erickson to connect back to that Spencer Creek/Lorane Hwy/McBeth/Fox Hollow thing. If you come back via Erickson/Pine Grove/Spencer Creek/Lorane Hwy/McBeth/Fox Hollow, the total loop is about 70 miles. No services, no water, but the entire ride from Lorane to Wolf Creek is along the river with lots of weeping walls if you get desperate (no one's defecating above the roadways, so there's not a lot of waterborne disease risk).
Want flat? Roll from campus downriver along the south bank bike path. Cross over to the other side at either the Greenway Bridge (mp 0 for all directions) or at the Owosso Bridge (around mp 2 on the west or east bank paths; note the change of direction of the river and paths at the Greenway Bridge). About 2.75 miles from the Greenway Bridge on the east bank side, the bike path ends at Green Acres Rd. Proceed east on Green Acres (becomes Crescent) to Coburg Rd. Turn left on Coburg Rd. A couple miles north, cross over the McKenzie river and turn right on Mckenzie View Rd. At the end of the road, turn left on Hill Rd. Hill Rd changes name to Sunderman Rd at Marcola Rd; just proceed on Sunderman. Sunderman brings you back to Marcola Rd, this time turn left on Marcola Rd. About a half-mile later, turn right on Old Marcola Rd, which ends back at Hill Rd where you turn right followed shortly by a left onto McKenzie View Rd to return home.
When returning via Coburg Rd, there is a uniquely lousy situation just before town where the bike lane simply disappears and a lane comes in from your right (frontage road) that has the right-of-way. I usually find a way to either take the lane prior to the disappearing bike lane or simply make sure no one is coming down that frontage road and cruise over to the other bike lane that is on its right. I've never seen a bike lane situation handled this poorly, but other than Sunday morning (church is on that frontage road), it's rarely horrid.
I'm going to assume you are avoiding commuter times with these next suggestions:
Head south on East Amazon, then turn left on Dillard Rd. Go over the hill to the I-5 frontage road (hwy 99), then turn right (west) on Harvey Rd. Harvey Rd turns to the south and connects to W. Oregon Ave in Creswell, turn right on W. Oregon Ave (becomes Camas Swale Rd. and then Hamm Rd as you proceed west). Hamm Rd ends at Territorial Rd. While gorgeous riding is available if you turn left, you're not up for those miles so turn right. Two miles later, turn right on Lorane Hwy. See the first route to find your way home. Fox Hollow is just over three miles from the Lorane Hwy/Territorial intersection, also known as Gillespie Corner.
Territorial is no one's favorite road, but it does connect many things for short rides on the west of town. a couple miles north of Lorane Hwy via Territorial is Briggs Hill Rd, which connects to Spencer Creek Rd, which connects to Lorane Hwy near McBeth. Territorial also connects to Doane Rd a mile or so north of Briggs Hill. Doane Rd ends at Crow Rd (much luscious riding west from there, but again, you're not looking for those kind of miles). Just a mile or so east of Doane Rd on Crow Rd is Erickson Rd, which connects to Pine Grove, which connects to Spencer Creek, which connects to both Briggs Hill and Lorane Hwy.
If you want ridewithgps files for those, I can make you some.
If you are willing to add just a bit more distance and have a car, here's a suggestion: Park at Crow High School (west end of Crow Rd). Go west 1/4 mile, then south 1/8 mile, then head west on Wolf Creek Rd. Two nice two-mile climbs with a saddle between them await you. You pass the last house at seven miles. Go as far as you like and then turn back, otherwise there are two 59-mile circles to choose from about 13 miles from your start point, so you're in for an 85 mile ride if you choose to do that. One loop has no potable water (but plenty of streams and such if you're willing to chance it) and the other has one potable water source, about nine miles away from the start of the circle. Both of these rides have several nice little hills and two larger climbs that involve changing river drainages (similar to the Wolf Creek climbs, but a wee bit longer). Both keep you along the rivers/major creeks and are absolutely gorgeous. If you're interested, let me know and I'll put up ridewithgps files for those as well.
Alternatively, go over Fox Hollow and then left on Lorane Hwy to Territorial. Go left (south) on Territorial to Lorane West (also known as Siuslaw River Rd) where you go west. About 18 miles downriver from lorane (there's mile post markings; Lorane is just over mp 44; your next turn is around mp 26.5), take a right turn on Wolf Creek Rd. Twelve miles later (countdown the mile post signs), take a left on Territorial followed almost immediately by a right on Crow Rd. You can come in on Crow Rd or turn right on Erickson to connect back to that Spencer Creek/Lorane Hwy/McBeth/Fox Hollow thing. If you come back via Erickson/Pine Grove/Spencer Creek/Lorane Hwy/McBeth/Fox Hollow, the total loop is about 70 miles. No services, no water, but the entire ride from Lorane to Wolf Creek is along the river with lots of weeping walls if you get desperate (no one's defecating above the roadways, so there's not a lot of waterborne disease risk).
Want flat? Roll from campus downriver along the south bank bike path. Cross over to the other side at either the Greenway Bridge (mp 0 for all directions) or at the Owosso Bridge (around mp 2 on the west or east bank paths; note the change of direction of the river and paths at the Greenway Bridge). About 2.75 miles from the Greenway Bridge on the east bank side, the bike path ends at Green Acres Rd. Proceed east on Green Acres (becomes Crescent) to Coburg Rd. Turn left on Coburg Rd. A couple miles north, cross over the McKenzie river and turn right on Mckenzie View Rd. At the end of the road, turn left on Hill Rd. Hill Rd changes name to Sunderman Rd at Marcola Rd; just proceed on Sunderman. Sunderman brings you back to Marcola Rd, this time turn left on Marcola Rd. About a half-mile later, turn right on Old Marcola Rd, which ends back at Hill Rd where you turn right followed shortly by a left onto McKenzie View Rd to return home.
When returning via Coburg Rd, there is a uniquely lousy situation just before town where the bike lane simply disappears and a lane comes in from your right (frontage road) that has the right-of-way. I usually find a way to either take the lane prior to the disappearing bike lane or simply make sure no one is coming down that frontage road and cruise over to the other bike lane that is on its right. I've never seen a bike lane situation handled this poorly, but other than Sunday morning (church is on that frontage road), it's rarely horrid.
07-19-16, 07:56 AM
#4
Sore saddle cyclist
07-21-16, 04:30 PM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks for the detailed response B. Carfree! Headed out to possibly do the Fox Hollow-McBeth loop but messed up (my fault) and ended up at Lane CC... Turned around and figured out where I messed up and salvaged the ride by finding my late grandparents' old place just off the beginning of Fox Hollow. Nice ride and tomorrow I might be able to get the loop in.
Eric
Eric
07-21-16, 10:08 PM
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I forgot to mention that around mile post 2 coming down McBeth there's a 15 mph warning sign. It's not a bad idea to heed that sign for the next three curves or so.
If you go around the loop clockwise (up McBeth) climb as quickly as you are able from mp1.5 to mp2 since it's narrow, twisting and shoulderless. (I rarely have anyone pass me there, but it can happen, especially at lunch time).
If you go around the loop clockwise (up McBeth) climb as quickly as you are able from mp1.5 to mp2 since it's narrow, twisting and shoulderless. (I rarely have anyone pass me there, but it can happen, especially at lunch time).
07-22-16, 04:13 PM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
So today I did a Lorane->McBeth->Fox Hollow loop. Great ride! Very nice pavement, very light traffic, nice scenery and a few other riders out there, too. The McBeth climb was fine, and I think I'm glad I did the loop in that direction so I was going mostly downhill on the slightly busier roads. Now I've got a great baseline ride with possible extensions for next time (Sept)! Thanks!!!
Eric
Eric
