Northwest Tandem Rally 2003
Rally in the Valley
Eugene Oregon, July 4-6, 2003
NWTR 2003 Routes
Thursday, July 3
- Self-guided rides and many other activities. See NWTR '03 Events for details.
Friday, July 4
- Mass Start at 9:00 AM- Arrive early, ride start is 4 miles from the Hilton host hotel!
Getting There
Friday's ride starts and ends at Churchill High School in west Eugene. To get there by car, drive west on 18th Avenue. The school is just west of Bailey Hill Rd. The NWTR staging area will be in the east parking lot. If you're riding your bike to the start (a great idea), take the Fern Ridge Path. From the Eugene Hilton this will add 5 miles (round trip) of flat, easy riding. You can pick up the Path by riding south on Pearl St. (which has a bike lane, or Olive (which doesn't). Then head west on 15th Avenue until it crosses Jefferson. At the Fair Grounds you'll see the start of the Path which utilizes a short section of 16th Avenue, and crosses only four streets because of the underpasses. By the way, at the green bridge you'll ride right by Green Gear, home of the Tandem Tuesday and Bike Friday. At Bailey Hill turn left and ride south to 18th where you'll see Churchill High.
Route Descriptions
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The NWTR 03 Friday ride explores the countryside--and, yes, the hills--west and south of Eugene. After a brief warm up we climb 500-foot-high Bailey Hill--a hill just made for tandems. Easy curves with a long, smooth roll out. Now onto the rollers of Lorane Highway, where you'll hardly notice the ups from gawking at the Spencer Creek and Fox Creek valleys. At 12.5 miles we come to Territorial Road and head north. You can almost see covered wagons winding their way along the margins of the valley on the Applegate Trail, a lesser known Oregon Trail which traced a line very close to this road 150 years ago. If you're not in a hurry (and you shouldn't be to fully enjoy this road) you could stop in at couple of little diversions. Turn at Briggs Hill Road to visit Hinman Vinyards and sample some of Oregon's finest vintages. A little further on, turn left onto Battle Creek Road. Just a hundred yards off Territorial brings you to the Coyote Creek Covered Bridge, a peaceful place rest whatever part of your anatomy needs a break. Just a couple of miles further up Territorial we come to the little community of Crow for our first major break and a decision point--the short, the medium or the long routes?
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Short Route (35 miles)--You're not through yet. You may be heading back, but going back on Crow, Pine Grove, and Spencer Creek Roads takes you past some very pretty countryside. Going back over Bailey Hill Road, you get one last climb and a glorious, screaming decent. Get up enough speed, and you may be able to coast all the way back to our starting point.
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Medium Route (50 miles)--a little jaunt down Vaughn Road takes you past llama and sheep ranches, vineyards and pastures. You'll want to keep going on this great, light traffic road, but tonight's lodging is back in Eugene, not at the coast, so you'd better follow the route. Heading back on Bolton Hill Road, you'll climb a couple of pretty good risers before you hit a steep descent which brings you right into the community of Veneta. Oh, yes, there are latte's and ice cream to be had here. If you're going to stop, don't miss Our Daily Bread Cafe for some tasty carbs and coffee, but please take off the cleats before walking on the wood floor of this remodeled historic church. Heading south on Territorial again, we climb a hill to get back to Crow in time for lunch. Then medium route riders follow the short route back to Eugene.
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Long Route (75 miles)--well if you're going to go the distance, you should get the rewards, and this route has rewards aplenty. First head back down Territorial Road for a fast 14-mile spin to the community of Lorane. On the way you'll crest a 1-km riser that suddenly opens up to a view of the Siuslaw River source valley, overlooked by castle-like King Estate Vineyard. Little Lorane may be small but it's the last bit of civilization you'll see for 30 miles. So you may be tempted to stop at the Lorane General Store, which has been converted into a cafe where they make cocoa the way it's meant to be made. From Lorane, we head out one of Oregon's best road cycling gems--the Siuslaw Road. Almost no traffic, this road meanders alongside the Siuslaw River and through quiet forests. Long Route riders get lunch near the Siuslaw Falls, and you'll need those carbs... You've got some climbing to do. Over the next ten miles you'll ascend three progressively more difficult climbs, starting easy with a 1 km/300 footer, the last climb to Timber Ridge summit is 1,100 feet over three miles. Watch out for those descents which will throw a hairpin turn at you at or near the bottom. The ride back to Territorial is 6 miles of easy ascent, followed by a very fast 2-mile drop back into the Coyote Creek valley. One final run up to Crow for refreshments and then follow the Short Route back to Eugene.
Saturday, July 5
- Mass Start at 10:00 AM- Arrive early, ride start is 4 miles from the Hilton host hotel!
- Getting There:
The Saturday NWTR ride starts and ends at the north eastern edge of Eugene. To drive there, head north on Coburg Road. From the traffic light at Crescent, drive another 3/4 mile and turn right onto Game Farm Road. The ride starts from the parking lot of Eugene Christian Fellowship. If you're cycling there from the Hilton, head north one block to 5th Ave and turn right (east). Turn left at Pearl and right on 4th. Look for signs that will lead you to the South Bank Path and the DeFazio Bicycle Bridge. From there follow the signs to Coburg Road heading north.
- All Routes:
Saturday's route begins heading north on Game Farm Rd. and then turning right (north) on Coburg Rd. Less than a mile from the start, we cross the McKenzie River, and at this point, the Long and Short Route Riders will turn right onto McKenzie View Dr. while Medium Route Riders will continue north on Coburg Road.
- Short and Long Route: McKenzie View Dr. winds for six miles between the river and the Coburg Hills. Turning right onto Hill Road, the route enters the Mohawk River valley, following a portion of the old and new Marcola Roads and Sunderman Rd.
- Short Route (27 miles): After a water stop at Mohawk Elementary, Short Route riders cross Marcola Road and head back on Hill Rd. and McKenzie View Drive. If you want to add a few miles, take a little jaunt up to the town of Coburg where you'll find antique shops.
- Long Route (74 miles): After the water stop mentioned above, Long Route riders turn right (north) on Marcola Road and proceed through the town of Marcola and on up a gradual climb to a summit at 1000 feet. Crossing into Linn County the Marcola Rd. becomes Brush Cr. Rd. which descends into the Calapooia River drainage. Turn left (west) onto Highway 228, and with a few pedal spins you're at Crawfordsville, with its covered bridge. Just a little further and we'll turn right (north) onto Northern Dr., a nice country ramble to the back door of historic Brownsville for lunch at the park. Not ready to leave Brownsville, take a look around, there should be a cafe open as well. One block north to Main St., head south and jog over to Gap Road and continue south to Lake Creek Rd where you'll turn right (west). Head out across the wide open Willamette Valley, all the way to picturesque Peoria Rd, turn left (south) and put up a sail. Yes, the normal afternoon valley wind should be blowing your way, turning those miles into s-miles. At Harrisburg we'll take a little break at the park then resume sailing south. You can stop at Coburg to sample its antique shops or keep heading down Coburg Road to our starting point.
- Medium Route (55 miles): from the start keep heading north on Coburg Rd. and ride through town and turn onto North Coburg Rd. (at the fire station). Turn right onto scenic Priceboro Rd which winds beneath the Coburg Hills. Take a jog right at Diamond Hill Rd. then follow Gap Rd. to Highway 228 where you'll make a little jog to Main St. and ride into Brownsville. Turn right onto appropriately named Park St. for lunch at the park. After lunch head back out of town the way you came, going back down Gap Rd. to Lake Cr. Rd. where you'll turn right (west). Head out across the open Willamette Valley to Powerline Rd. where you'll turn left (south). From here you can ride the winds back to Coburg and on back to our starting point.
Sunday, July 6
- Self-guided rides and many other activities. See NWTR '03 Events for details.
Questions? Please send a message to: NWTR Committee
The 2003 NWTR is Presented by:
And these sponsors:
