Joined: 14 Mar 2011Posts: 982Location: Wherever you go, there you are
On Friday I am going to head down Portland on the train then ride back on Saturday or Sunday. I know this has been brought up a couple of times but does anyone have any advice on good routes for this? I was basically thinking most of the STP route to Tacoma. Then taking the narrows bridge to the Southworth ferry. Anything that is awesome? Any roads to avoid? Any thoughts?
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axel
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:02 pm
Joined: 15 Feb 2013Posts: 1654Location: St Johns PDX
Hwy 30 from Scappoose to the Longview bridge is awful and not recommended.
edit: here's a route I've used twice in the past.
you'll get on I-5 at Woodland and off the freeway at the next exit in Kalama, which skips a ton of climbing (the alternate route over Green Mountain Road between Woodland and Kalama is scenic but goes straight up a very steep ridge).
once you get to Spanaway, you're on your own - I haven't ridden into Tacoma from the south end so I don't claim to have a good route from there to the Narrows bridge. WhiteChicksKevin or anyone that rode from Joeball Mtn to Fat Country might have a good opinion on that part.
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Dan
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 12:39 am
Shut UpJoined: 03 Aug 2014Posts: 566Location: Beacon Hill
axel wrote:
Hwy 30 from Scappoose to the Longview bridge is awful and not recommended.
+1
limpyweta
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 9:17 pm
Joined: 23 Sep 2008Posts: 740Location: North Beach
Riding home from PDX like 18 months ago, from Napavine, I took 603 into Chehalis, out of Chehalis>Harrison>Sargent>Little Rock>then some shitty municipal roads in Tumwater to 101 where things were very nice. If I were to do that again, from Little Rock I probably would join a road that would go around the west side of Black Lake before getting on 101, maybe by Little Rock Elementary.
The Peninsula and Hood Canal are nice. I think I took Brockdale>Web Hill between Shelton and Hood Canal one time (steep downhill w gravel), and I took 3 northbound a few times between Shelton and Belfair w no trouble. maybe 101 to Skokomish? The highway north of 3 between Belfair and Bremerton is one of my favorites when one is going eastbound.
You can take my Thurston Co bike map if you want.
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Alex
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:18 am
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
Dan wrote:
axel wrote:
Hwy 30 from Scappoose to the Longview bridge is awful and not recommended.
+1
Highway 30 is awful, but you can take a right and climb the hills and enjoy some really nice riding.
Dravis Bixel
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 1:59 pm
Joined: 14 Mar 2011Posts: 982Location: Wherever you go, there you are
What is it about 30 that sucks so much? Fast traffic and no shoulder? Or fast traffic and a big shoulder filled with broken glass?
I think Rob's idea about getting out of Portland sounds rad anyway. Just curious.
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rob
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 2:27 pm
Joined: 28 Jul 2007Posts: 1315Location: Columbia City
Decent shoulder usually, some debris. But as my friend Kevin (who flew out from NY to do STP with me) said, "it's like 40 miles of New Jersey strip mall, complete with cars speeding into and out of parking lots with nary a look for cyclists, on the hunt for paint and aluminum siding."
axel
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 2:33 pm
Joined: 15 Feb 2013Posts: 1654Location: St Johns PDX
Dravis Bixel wrote:
What is it about 30 that sucks so much? Fast traffic and no shoulder? Or fast traffic and a big shoulder filled with broken glass?
the highway has a large shoulder and is tolerable until you get to Scappoose.
if you continue northbound after that it's fast traffic, limited shoulder (the southbound shoulder is slightly wider), debris, and shitty horrible drivers.
STP organizers use a rolling motorcycle escort and essentially close the Longview bridge to traffic during their event. for the other 364 days of the year, it's a major freight route for the port of Longview and has no shoulder.
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Joined: 14 Mar 2011
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Shut Up
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