Bike Tour - Eugene,Oregon - San Deigo
Bike Tour 2010: Eugene,Oregon - San Deigo
My story begins as most do, with an idea. I simply decided one day that i needed to spice up my life with an adventure that I would not only enjoy but that would also challenge me enough to maintain interest. Cycling has always been a part of life, making it the perfect outdoor experience for me to make my own adventure. The timing was perfect, as I was just a couple of months away from graduating college and leaving me with plenty of free time. From here I just had to plan everything out.
For a first time tour cyclist i decided that I would like to a long yet reasonable distance. I was living in Eugene, OR and had friends to visit along the California coast. San Diego seemed like the ultimate goal destination with its sandy beaches and sunny skies but I needed a finish line and concluded not to stop until i hit the US/ Mexico border. Having no idea really how to go about doing this i resulted to a book that i found to be very useful, “Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway.” This was an amazing resource that outlined campsites, distances between towns, bike shops, beach access, showers and just about everything else you could possibly want. The only problem was the maps weren’t extremely detailed which proved to be a challenge in the bigger cities. Other cyclists we met along the way used “Adventure Cycling Maps” which didn’t seem to be as detailed with the amenities but had better maps. Buying the gear really made me get serious about the trip. Pannier bags, a bike rake, tools and extra bike tubes are must but from there you can really go about it any way that makes you comfortable. I used a bivy sack instead of a tent to reduce weight and didnt even carry a cooking stove. These are THINGS I WOULD HAVE CHANGED, the bivy wasn’t terrible but after a few weeks of traveling a little personal space is nice. That being said, as a young smelly male with few clothing options and a high fiber diet, i would NEVER care to share a tent. I survived mostly on canned foods like beans, tuna, energy bars and some pb/j. This worked but next time you can bet that i will have a stove for a nice hot cup of tea inthe morning.
Along my route, there are more than enough State Parks with Hiker/biker sites that are very reasonable (around $5-7 per night). What is also great is that you get paired up with everyone else. We met a lot of awesome people doing the same trip and because they are spread out along the coast you tend to stay with those same people for a while.
The scenery is incredible and totally different when experienced on a bike, you see everything change change very gradually and the smells are both intoxicating and nauseating. I remember the first palm tree we saw and how the coast changed from rugged to sandy.
My friend and I road down the 101 and the 1, through the redwoods, Big Sur and funky cities both small and large. I wouldnt trade this adventure for anything and I hope to have portrayed this kind of tour in a positive light.
There is a very empowering feeling to travel in the open air with only your personal strength fueling you to the destination to come.
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