We love our little corner of the world. Here's our guide to adventures you can enjoy on two wheels in Oregon, starting with our region, the North Oregon Coast.
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Oregon Coast Bike Route
Did you know the Walnut Studiolo workshop is located right off Highway 101, the Oregon Coast Bike Route?
If you're thinking about riding it, first read The good, the bad, and the ugly on the Oregon Coast Bike Route by BikePortland.
Then read more in the Travel Oregon article, Guide to Road Biking the Oregon Coast.
If you are riding the Oregon Coast route, we welcome coast route riders to visit. Contact us for local area recommendations and more.
(If you need something for your bike while you're here, please let us know and we'll do the best we can to help. There are a lack of bike shops between Cannon Beach and Tillamook, and we do have some bike parts and a basic bike mechanic set-up in the workshop. We're happy to help.)
Biking to the Oregon Coast from Portland
Biking across the Coastal Range from the Willamette Valley can be a challenge while we wait for the development of the Salmonberry Trail.
In the meantime, we've ridden the blue highways from Banks-Vernonia to Astoria with success. (Banks-Vernonia is Oregon's first rail-to-trail, and it is a perfectly lovely day trip by itself, or can be made into an overnight at L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park.)
We do NOT recommend biking Highway 26.
One of the only dedicated Oregon bike routes crossing the Coastal Range we know of is further south: the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail (C2C).
In our experience, the best way to experience road biking from the Willamette Valley to the Coast is with the safety-in-numbers found in the American Lung Association's Reach the Beach ride every May. Memorably, it always ends at the Pelican Brewery right on the sand in Pacific City!
Bike Trails on the North Oregon Coast
North of us in Clatsop County: look to the Northwest Coast Trails Coalition for the best information on hiking and biking trails. They're working hard on creating more mountain bike routes in this area!
South of us in Tillamook County, the Tillamook State Forest hosts three featured mountain biking rides.
Further south in Tillamook County and off Highway 101, the Three Capes Scenic Ride is a popular road cycling route, with the Cape Lookout State Park for overnight camping.
Beach bike rentals are available in Manzanita at Bahama Mama's and you can even ride the train tracks with Tillamook Rail Riders in Wheeler.
Oregon Scenic Bikeways
If you're planning an Oregon bicycle adventure, check out Oregon Scenic Bikeways. Oregon Scenic Bikeways are official state-designated routes selected and curated by experts, with printable maps, GPS and signage. They are the state's best road rides, showcasing incredible, "only-in-Oregon" scenery.
The safety requirements of a state scenic bikeway are much better than the federal requirements for the Oregon Coast Bike Route.
Geoffrey Franklin from Walnut Studiolo was featured in the Madras Mountain Scenic Bikeway video done by Pathlesspedaled ("inspiring bicycle travel through storytelling"):
Oregon Bike Tours and Events
For long-distance riders, the classic Oregon event is Cycle Oregon, a 7-day adventure that changes location each year around the state. Cycle Oregon is now also hosting more events, including a Gravel ride and a Women's ride.
For dirt riders and bikepackers, the ultimate challenge is the Oregon Outback, a self-supported bikepacking race 300+ miles across the entire state from south to north.
Recently, a merry band of youngsters attempted to trailblaze the Oregon Emerald Outback, a 570-mile bikepacking route from Astoria to Brookings - you'll have to contact them to find out how it went!
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