Portland, Seattle and, maybe, Vancouver.

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Polite

Über Member
Good evening, I am thinking about / planning a 'back of a fag packet' summer tour.

Portland, I believe, is a cyclist's Mecca and very accommodating toward its two wheeled community, and given I have never been to the USA (unless you count a week long stag do) it's on my ticklist. And for no other reason than I used to love watching Frasier, I was thinking of cycling up to Seattle. If time and money permit, Vancouver could also be on the itinerary.

Has anyone cycled this neck of the woods recently, or visited there, or just have any of the CycleChat knowledge I have now come to value and respect?

Any advice, as always, very grateful.

Thanks in advance.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
You need to talk to @des.o. He rode from SF up to Vancouver last summer and had a really good time.
 
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Location
Loch side.
You simply have to follow Kent Peterson on Twitter then. @kentsbike He tweets profusely and you will get hundreds and hundreds of tips about cycling in that area from him, from safety, to bike theft (rife) to amazing locations. He's made me want to go there too.
 

Danny

Legendary Member
Location
York
Has anyone cycled this neck of the woods recently, or visited there, or just have any of the CycleChat knowledge I have now come to value and respect?
The most direct route from Portland to Seattle is Route 30, which more or less runs parallel to the I5, and for long stretches pretty much alongside it. This is a pretty boring route, and if I were you I would either plan to go along the coast or inland through the Cascade mountains.

The coast is very wild and unspoilt as it is really too cold to swim up there so there aren't huge resort towns, and the roads are reasonably quiet.

The Cascades are serious mountains, but very beautiful - from memory the roads are well graded so should be doable on a bike, but I suggest you do some research if you are thinking of going that way.
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Yep, I've cycled around there, I visit relatives in Cosmopolis WA but tbh I'd rather have relatives living just about anywhere else in the USA. I like the sun and it rains a lot there, a LOT. From Portland to North is staggeringly beautiful, inland or coastal, cheap too and with super friendly people and if you can get to Vancouver, as Trikeman says, it is gorgeous.

If it was my first trip the USA, then I'd cycle elsewhere, somewhere hotter and sunny, but that's me, if you don't mind variable weather, go for it!
 
OP
OP
Polite

Polite

Über Member
Yep, I've cycled around there, I visit relatives in Cosmopolis WA but tbh I'd rather have relatives living just about anywhere else in the USA. I like the sun and it rains a lot there, a LOT. From Portland to North is staggeringly beautiful, inland or coastal, cheap too and with super friendly people and if you can get to Vancouver, as Trikeman says, it is gorgeous.

If it was my first trip the USA, then I'd cycle elsewhere, somewhere hotter and sunny, but that's me, if you don't mind variable weather, go for it!
Thanks for this. I do like the sun, too, but there's a draw to this neck of the woods that I can't quite put my finger on. I'm used to cycling in Europe so the USA is completely new to me. In terms of camping, consideration to cyclists and general cycle friendliness (lanes, routes for example), how would you compare it to, say, France?
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Thanks for this. I do like the sun, too, but there's a draw to this neck of the woods that I can't quite put my finger on. I'm used to cycling in Europe so the USA is completely new to me. In terms of camping, consideration to cyclists and general cycle friendliness (lanes, routes for example), how would you compare it to, say, France?

Well, the drivers are not as considerate, but there are far fewer (per mile covered) so it's about the same. As a cyclist you are an oddball anyway, as a touring cyclist you are either very interesting or a figure of fun, can't afford a car eh? Camping? I only use friends or motels so don't have any experience, but AFAIK, camping is generally RV orientated, like Spain not France.

The area is odd, only Idaho, Wyoming and up into Montana is odder IMO, it's not normal USA and all the better for that. My relatives live near Grays Harbour a great place to cycle, a wild coast and superb seafood. If you are "fixed" on the NW Pacific Coast, go for it!
 
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Simon_m

Guru
Cycled across the country and ended up in flourence before driving up to Portland. Beautiful scenery, loads of cyclists. I would say the roads were not that wide and they were very hilly with steep inclines. Hard work but I would say worth the effort. We saw whales out to sea too. Newport is a nice little place with a lovely fish food restaurant we found. Doesn't help much i know lol
 
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