A new guidebook features the best routes for all skill levels.
As a new style in the cycling world, gravel riding has exploded in popularity across the country. Defined by its versatility, gravel biking allows riders to traverse a variety of less trafficked, nontechnical terrains that deliver ample opportunity for solitude, scenery and a variety of distances. Visitors find gravel riding perfect for mountainous states like Oregon due to the abundance of trails and nearly 30,000 national forest service roads in the state, where cyclists can explore for miles.
By using bicycles built to handle rough surfaces yet still fast enough to cruise on the paved roads often used as connectors, gravel riding gives cyclists a myriad of options to keep rides fresh and interesting. As Linda English, co-founder of gravel-focused DirtyFreehub.org, puts it, “It’s really the best of road biking and mountain biking combined.” Read on for a new coastwide guide and three top trips to take. Learn more at the official Oregon Coast Visitors Association’s cycling site.
Hitting the Road With Dirty Freehub
Founded by English and her husband Kevin in 2013, Dirty Freehub started as a small website sharing GPX files of their favorite gravel routes in the Northwest. Over time it’s grown into a comprehensive resource featuring over 300 detailed route descriptions across 10 states, including Oregon. The site details points of interest and stories that connect cyclists to the places they ride with the goal of creating stewards for the local areas. “We want people to know the story behind the place — from history to wildlife,” says English. “Understanding these aspects makes the ride more meaningful and gets cyclists to care about the places they ride.”
With its jaw-dropping ocean vistas, old-growth forests and coastal mountains, the Coast seemed like a natural place for English’s next project — a new guidebook. The book can be slipped into a pack and is geared to all skill levels. “The Oregon Coast Gravel Guide” spans Cannon Beach to Brookings in 10 stunning rides. Dirty Freehub partnered with coastal artist Spencer Reynolds, from Brookings, who illustrated the coastal landscapes, flora and fauna along the routes. The guidebook includes points of interest, safety tips and detailed route descriptions, making it an essential companion. You can find it online at Oregon Coast Visitor Association’s store or Dirty Freehub’s store, and in various bike shops.
3 Coastal Gravel-Trail Highlights
Though picking a favorite route can be akin to picking a favorite child, English has several recommendations. You can find them all in the new guidebook.
- Terrible Tilly, Cannon Beach
Terrible Tilly — named after the iconic Tillamook Rock Lighthouse off the coast near Cannon Beach — offers a challenging, 31-mile ride that combines coastal views, old-growth single-track, steep logging roads, a creek crossing and even a little movie trivia (scenes from the popular film “The Goonies” were filmed along the route). Though the lighthouse itself is a mile offshore, the route presents multiple opportunities to spot this Oregon icon. Note this route does require a free permit to ride, and it has steep inclines and challenging navigation due to a lack of signage and many turns.
- Double Go!, Coos Bay Area
Double Go!, a 19-mile out-and-back, starts just outside of the South Coast city of Coos Bay and ends at two spectacular waterfalls. The route follows a portion of the historic Allegany-Scottsburg Pack Trail, once used to transport people and goods inland from the Coast. Going from pavement to gravel road to finally a hiking trail — all on relatively flat terrain — it’s a short but beautiful ride that takes you along the Millicoma River, past stands of Oregon myrtle trees and finally to Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area. Disembark from your bike to reach the park’s namesake waterfalls.
- Bombsite, Brookings
In Brookings near Oregon’s southern border, the 47-mile Bombsite lollipop-route trail is named after a (mostly unsuccessful) Japanese attempt to drop firebombs during World War II. Along a route that’s considered moderate due to its length and navigation, cyclists will see old-growth Douglas fir and redwoods, a designated Wild and Scenic River, and the lingering impact of the massive Chetco Bar Fire of 2017.
If You Go:
- Cyclists should always be well prepared before riding, knowing their skill level and appropriate gear.
- Bring a Garmin inReach or other similar satellite communication device for emergencies, as cell service can be unreliable in the mountains.
- Wear bright clothing for visibility, be ready for variable weather and ride with a friend.
For maps, bike repair or simply to get insider knowledge from locals, stop by a bike shop along the Coast like A’s Bike Shop in Seaside, Bike Newport or South Coast Bicycles in Bandon.
– By Lucas Alberg