nconquest

Hey,
In the planning stages of doing a tour from Portland down to LA along the coast, taking the Salmon Highway out from Portland to the coast and then down. Couple of questions, what's the road like on the way, shoulder wise. Bike friendly, Extremely open to suggestions of more bike friendlier options? Secondly, being from Australia, generally assume dangerous animals are everywhere, was wondering if there were any tips on safety (things to pack, places to register in case things go awry, places to avoid). Basically will we get mauled by a bear/cougar/wolf/sasquatch?

Thanks.

McBTC

The passing chip trucks that want you suck you under their wheels from what marginal shoulder you have to ride upon are the worst. No dangerous animals except, some campgrounds will caution you about bears and having food in your tent and whatever you do, don't look the Elk in the eye. If you're camping out I'd be more worried about skunks and having raccoons steal my food than being mauled by a cougar. The Oregon coast is fantastic, followed by the Cali coast all the way to Frisco. There's lots of tourist towns and campgrounds from Frisco to LA that are great, Seaside, Monterey, Carmel, Cambria, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara... I'd choose going through San Luis Obispo instead of Lompoc (so, that's 101 instead of Route 1). I can't tell you what to look for when pedaling through Big Sur (Route 1) except to watch out for the precipitous 1,000 foot drops going south but I see more and more riding that section of the coast route. South of Long Beach all the way to San Diego is great too. You can take 101 from Monterey to San Louis Obispo instead of the coast route but... it's mighty hot! Leggett is the big hill on route whether you take the coast or 101.

velocity

Did you ponder the Reach the Beach ride course that is pretty bicycle friendly to reach 101?
V

trailangel

Log trucks with chips of wood flying off the back = bad.
Some places the road is just the fog line for a bike to ride on.
No dangerous animal, just the skunks you almost step on at night.
I would try to stay off 101 south of San Luis Obispo and go out to Hwy one, and alternate routes.
101 is basically a freeway between Monterey and San Luis Obispo... you absolutely want to take Hwy one instead... stunningly beautiful and cool out at the ocean, plus you will have the wind at your back.
101 Southern Oregon coast.. Stunning beauty!

nconquest

It all sounds amazing, being from Australia, we have animals to look out for but nothing like the big ones, so it's good to know. Thanks,
I'll add all those towns to the list for campsites. We are trying to stay on the coast most of the way, through San Luis Obispo, Big Sur and what-not. Tried mapping it out on Routes in Strava, definitely found Leggett, looks like a whole bag of fun. But the landscape around it looks amazing so at least climbing will have some nice views. Tried every little road to get around it but it ends up adding 300-400km to the trip and more total climbing.
I'll look up the Reach the Beach route. We don't mind how we get out to the coast, just the least amount of massive mountains or hills the better. But from what I found Reach the Beach looks quite nice.
Thanks so much everyone

trailangel

Going south on 101 at Leggett, you want to take Hwy One out to the ocean. Don't come down 101.

mtnbud

I haven't ridden Hwy 26, but I have ridden Hwy 6. Hwy 6 was pretty decent overall. It had some good views of the Wilson river and you might enjoy a stop at the Tillamook Forest Center. An interesting back country route involves the Nestucca River Byway.

Be sure and detour at Tillamook to ride the Three Capes Scenic Loop.

B. Carfree

Watch your timing on that stretch just north of Leggett. When I take that route, which is only when I've got a tight schedule and I'm short on time, I generally go through that Richardson's Grove area well before dawn (but after the drunks land, about 4:30 AM thereabouts). If one goes there when traffic is heavy, say on a weekend afternoon, it's about as close to no fun as one can have on a bike. Personally, I prefer the hills, even without pavement, to the west of there.

As far as animals go, be sure to secure your food against raccoons. Those pests only need you to turn your back for two minutes and they'll have it. One Spring evening, a group that was at Gualala campground with me had all their marijuana-laced brownies snatched by the raccoons. Stoned raccoons kept everyone awake for hours as they fought and fell out of the trees.

trailangel

Stoned Raccoons!

Ya, Going south 101 narrows down at Benbow and it's a winding road..with truck traffic. Ride the fog line. Richardson Grove State Park is a good place to stop. You can swim in the river, and it's usually not cold.
I have not done this part on bicycle, but have on motorcycle and many times by motor vehicle. I have ridden parts of 101 on bicycle, but I don't like it as sometimes it turns into a freeway, other times turns into a 2 lane road and traffic still goes as fast as a freeway.
The furthest north I got was Leggett on a bicycle on Hwy one. You want to go out to the coast. Still just a fog line to ride but the speed limit on the coast is about 35 mph and people usually taking their time.
Oregon has really nice campgrounds, usually with hot showers. Much better than California.

Going south on hwy one from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, there is a 10 mile stretch of Hwy one that turns into a freeway-no bicycles or pedestrians allowed. I tried to ride it on PX10 bicycle, got pulled over by CHP, which is our State Troopers. Just told me to get off and go west out to ocean... good camping out there.
My usual method of operation was to ride really early, take a long break in the middle of the day and then ride from mid afternoon until dark... unless I found a really good camp. Usually riding really late travelers are off the road. I would throw my sleeping bag down under a tree somewhere you couldn't see from the road.

I strongly suggest purchasing these maps:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/cycl...s/?p:current=7

McBTC

--e.g., 1,366 miles:

https://goo.gl/maps/jtNenajUCWt

alove42

Pacific Coast Route | Adventure Cycling Association

Well worth the investment. There are a few spots in OR along 101 that are NOT bike friendly, and the ACA route helps cut a lot of those out. Coming out of Portland, I'd take the Nestucca Rd route mentioned above. It's a hell of a hill when loaded, but a nicer ride than Hwy 47. Hwy 6 is a relatively nice ride, but far more high speed auto traffic than Nestucca. Do NOT take 26; high speed traffic and poor shoulders. Most of 101 on the OR coast is quite nice (ODOT has recently repaved at least a few sections of the previously poor shoulder), but you absolutely MUST take Hwy 1 from Monterey to San Luis Obispo. That section south of Big Sur is amazing. SLO was a great place to spend 7 years in college.

Animals? Meh. Give 'em a blast of your didgeridoo or fling a boomerang at 'em. Don't worry about that.

alove42

Also, until you hit southern CA, don't call it "the" 101. It's a point of dialect contention. Like calling a wallaby a kangaroo. Or something.

McBTC

You mean, El Camino Real?

McBTC

How are you getting to Portland, plane or train?

Shifty

This book ( I know, seems old fashion nowadays) is a great companion for the first time Pacific Coast traveler. Day by day maps, elevation charts, and dialogue of the entire coast from Vancouver BC to the Mexican border. It shows all the best side roads to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Also provides a nice guide to the towns, camping and services along the way. My copy is a treasure with notes, highlights and other memories from a wonderful trip.

Bicycling The Pacific Coast: Vicky Spring, Tom Kirkendall: 9780898869545: Amazon.com: Books

nconquest

Flying in, spending some time in the city having a look and stuff, then riding out after

McBTC

You're probably stuck on the OR side of the Columbia but if had a ride to Kelso (<50 miles) you can follow the river to the coast on the WA side and pedal over the Astoria bridge.

Shifty

The very nicest, most beautiful and least traffic route to the coast from Portland is the ride from Hillsboro, Vernonia, Mist and Jewell to Astoria, Oregon. From Portland take your bike on the light rail train (Max Rail) to the western end of the line in Hillsboro. Ride from there to Banks and get on the bike trail to Vernonia. At Vernonia stock up on water and food, then take highway 47 to Mist, then highway 202 to Astoria. This way you can ride the entire Oregon coast, and have a beautiful ride getting there from Portland.
Welcome to the US, enjoy your stay here.!!

fietsbob

Older edition of the ODOT coast route map .. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/hwy/bikep..._route_map.pdf

They have paper copies of the newest one in Bike shops , like my Local, In Astoria..

The OR Dept of Transportation prints them ... they're Free.

trailangel

That is a nice map!

B. Carfree

The issue of what the roads are like along the coast has been hinted at but not quite answered. ODOT has an official policy of creating a rideable shoulder the length of southbound Hwy 101. Unfortunately, they are leaving a bit of that for later. You will mostly enjoy a decent shoulder on 101 in Oregon except at the following places:

1. Most hills that are long enough to justify a passing lane. ODOT simply makes two southbound travel lanes and essentially no shoulder. This gives you the choice of hugging the fog line and hoping you don't have a trifecta (downhill vehicles with two uphill vehicles, plus you), or taking the lane and hoping the truck/RV that overtakes you on the climb isn't being driven by a zombie. It's your call, but the learning curve has been known to be deadly in the northern portion of Oregon.

2. As you enter towns. ODOT often cedes ownership of the road to incorporated cities, which sometimes don't see any need to maintain space for bikes. Beware of riding in the door zones. Most city speed limits are 30 mph, so that helps.

3. Almost all bridges. Most of the coastal bridges in Oregon are thankfully short, so you can often time your crossing such that you don't deal with being overtaken. Others, like into Coos Bay, are long enough that you will be overtaken. Hugging the fog line is a recipe for disaster, imo. Either take the lane like you own it (you do, fwiw) or walk the tiny sidewalk.

4. Side routes. ODOT kindly makes some recommendations for places where you should leave hwy101 in favor of parallel roads. These are winners, but they mostly are relatively narrow roads. Thankfully, the traffic volumes on these roads is very low, which is why they were chosen. Don't be bashful about taking the lane on these.

5. In California, things get different. There's a lot of that one-foot to two-foot nonshoulder stuff between the border and the Avenue of the Giants. I tend to rely on timing here. The worst places are just south of Crescent City and just south of the Drury pkwy. It gets better south of Patrick's Point. Again, use the side routes recommended by CalTrans (Look for "Pacific Coast Bikeway" signs) and also look to those bike paths that connect Trinidad to Arcata (just look on Google Maps and turn on the bicycling function to see them).

Oh, there's a nice cheap hotel just south of Crescent City on the beach (Crescent Beach Motel). In fact, the rooms open onto the beach. It's old and there's no real amenities (back to town for meals), but it's inexpensive and allows for a nice early start over that narrow-road hill as you head south.

I already mentioned my dislike for the section of hwy101 south of the Avenue of the Giants prior to Leggett. Like all roads, some days on this stretch are joyous and other days are hell. It all depends on who you're sharing it with.

6. Hwy 1 north of the Bay. There's really no shoulder on this road. Much of the early going is so clear of traffic (from Leggett to a few miles north of Ft. Bragg) that it makes no difference. From Ft. Bragg to the turn-off for hwy 128 there is both commuter traffic and, on weekends, tourists returning home traffic. Best not to do this section on a Sunday afternoon or in the morning commute hours (6:30-9:00) weekdays. It has pretty good sight lines most of the way, but be attentive.

It gets better after the hwy 128 turnoff until you reach Jenner Mountain (not really a mountain, but a noticeable double-climb). Hit this climb with fresh legs (the county campground south of Salt Point at Timber Cove used to have showers and likely still does; there's also a cheap hotel($35 or so) in Ft. Ross with a hot tub and restaurant). Don't try to be nice and hug the fog line on Jenner Mountain. If you get bumped, it's a lethal fall. There's places for folks to pass you, let them wait. Alternatively, you can go up into the hills from Gualala and miss all that angst. In return, you'll have lots of steep climbs and no amenities. Look up the Levi Grand Fondo routes for the roads to take thereabouts. My preference is to bring quality lights and do that portion at about 3:00 AM. It's stunning with a full moon; it was just me, my wife and a bobcat the last time we rode that stretch.

I hope that helps. Like everywhere, it's over 99% great, even fantastic, and less than 1% other. Often, the other is just minor annoyances, but be aware that some days just call out for an early start/early finish approach and others call out for spending the day hiking or playing on the beach.

If your travel plans allow for it, the best riding is from early May to mid-June or from the second week of September to the middle of October. While you may get a bit of rain, there are far fewer motorists during those weeks. Don't even think about the last week of June to the second week of July unless you really enjoy lots of motorists along for your rides. Same for the last week of August.

Rvav8r

That works until you get t Skamokawa and then hiway 4 takes a big urn t the north, away from the river and it I not that scenic.

Juanquixote

nconquest....hello.

I don't know the coast

nickw

My experiences from doing Oregon to San Fran multiple times.....a lot of which has been said, but to reinforce:

Route
1. Portland to the coast - Hillsboro to Vernonia to Mist to Astoria is a really nice quite ride. The last section before the coast seriously lacks amenities for a good 30-40 miles, make sure you have snacks + water. Can also take bus which leaves from downtown Portland, very easy and 2.5 hourish.
2. Shoulders are generally good and depending time of year, traffic can be heavy or dead quite.
3. ACA maps are worth investing in and very easy to follow.
4. Skip Clam Beach park, stay at Patricks Point.
4. If your feeling spunky, look into the lost Coast Route, it adds a few miles (30 I think), is way off the beaten path and has 8000'...sorry, 2300 m or so of climbing, but is really spectacular. Great campground @ Arthur Way park halfway through this section.
5. Take Hwy 1 @ Leggett.
6. KOA campground at Manchester Beach is great, laundry service, small store (w/Beer) on premises and pool....
6. I like cutting inland and staying at Sam P Taylor prior to San Fran.

Critters
1. You are a hardman from Aus, compared to home, you have nothing to worry about, trust me.
2. Cougars are extraordinarily rare, bears are rare as well and never a problem if you keep food in 'bear' boxes, which are really raccoon boxes....
3. ...raccoons are your biggest 'concern'...if you wanna call it that, they'll steal your food and eat through your bags....most, if not ALL, the campgrounds have boxes to put your food in. Put it in your tent if not.

Weather
1. Really should always have a rain jacket on hand, regardless of time of year.
2. Usually foggy in the morning which burns off late morning, I recommend blinkers because of the heavy fog at times.
3. I'd recommend a tent that can withstand rain + wind.
4. Coastal route is chilly in morning and typically a high in the high 70's during summer....inland sections can get well into the high 90's pending time of year.

When are you planning on going?

rawly old

Taking hwy 4 west from Kelso has it's + & - side. It's relatively flat until it turns inland past Cathlamet. Not to much
traffic, but some real narrow shoulders in spots. At Cathlamet,I went south across the Columbia. There's a small
ferry,(bikes $2), that will take you across to Westport, Oregon & hwy 30 west to Astoria. portions of 30 have narrow
shoulders. but not too horrible, some up & down. Traffic is seasonal. I do not recommend this ride south at peak
tourist season,(mid-june to mid-august). 101 is a total zoo. Rte 1 has less traffic in N. Cal.,but windy with some
precipitous narrows. It is however a beautiful ride with spectacular vistas. Mid April to mid May can be nice....or cold,
soggy, & miserable. Sept,thru early Oct probably the best time.*(disclaimer: the weather can & will go to hell at
any time)