Thanks to Nick and the boys for allowing me a day off I had the pleasure of riding the Oregon Randonneurs Kings Valley 400K brevet last Saturday. Near perfect weather, 80′s inland, 60′s along the coast, and low winds, made for a gorgeous day.
We gathered at the La Quinta motel in Wilsonville,OR at the unholy hour of 3:30am to register, receive final instructions, and be ready for a prompt 4am departure.
This is the earliest departure I’ve ever experienced, but it proved to have it’s merits, as later in the day it was almost as if the early morning hours had never happened. It was also pretty rad to be 110 miles into the ride before noon!
The course took us southwest, primarily on Highway 18, till we passed the casino, then cut up at Grand Ronde Rd, and connected with Highway 22 to take us the rest of the way to Neskowin and the beautiful Oregon coastline.
Hebo, OR Hwy 22
From this point on the ride would prove to be a collection of one of the most scenic, lightly trafficked, and quiet rural roads I’ve experienced in Oregon yet. Little Nestucca River Rd, and Siletz Highway, just after Lincoln City, being two of the real stand outs.
First glimpse of the coast at Neskowin, Siletz Hwy, my favorite sign in Monmouth.
A succession of farm roads led us into Salem for a few miles of urban terrain and services, then back out into the farm roads of Willamette Valley and home. Good lights were crucial on this ride, as was carrying ample food and water, as there were quite a few long rural stretches without services. Gorgeous roads, a bit of climbing, endless rollers, and even a gravel section made for an epic and gorgeous day. I’ll be back again next year for sure!
My computer died about 12 miles from the finish, all in all it was a 250 mile day. I signed in at 10:49pm, making it 18hrs and 49 min total elapsed time, probably 16hrs and some actual ride time. I ended up having to make an excessive amount of stops due to some nagging gear issues, but still pretty satisfied with my time overall. In the randonneur’s world it is all about finishing, not the time, afterall. Thanks to Oregon Randonneurs and RUSA for another great ride, and I’ll see you at the next brevet! Any more questions about randonneuring, routes, lights, gear, etc. for longer rides please feel free to stop by the shop, or call in, and also visit the links above for tons more rides and info.
