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Jay's Essential Bike RidesThe very best road rides in California and Oregon |
Distance: 58 miles one way Elevation gain: 3730 ft This is one of the Oregon rides that is expertly covered in Jim Moore’s 75 Classic Rides Oregon (see the “Oregon” section in Rides by Region). Oakridge is an amazing place to ride. It’s a sweet, utterly unpretentious little town with cheap and charming motels and nice restaurants that […]
Distance: 52 miles out and back Elevation gain: 6490 ft A longer version of this ride is expertly covered in Jim Moore’s 75 Classic Rides Oregon (see the “Oregon” section in Rides by Region). The Dorena Lake/Cottage Grove area is one of the richest troves of cycling roads in Oregon. You could spend a couple of weeks here […]
Distance: 44 miles out and back Elevation gain: 4100 ft (A Best of the Best ride) This is one of the Oregon rides that is expertly covered in Jim Moore’s 75 Classic Rides Oregon (see the “Oregon” section in Rides by Region). This ride is the greatest climb and descent in Oregon. ‘Nuff said. And in addition, you […]
Distance: 29-mile lollipopElevation gain: 3160 ft This ride comes from Oregonian FOB (Friend of Bestrides) Don. This route has a specific sort of appeal. It’s as isolated a ride as you can find on a road bike. You’ll ride for 20 miles without seeing any sign of human presence—no houses, no fences, no “No Trespassing” […]
Where’s Washington? Why doesn’t Bestrides cover Washington state? The answer is, I don’t think the riding is good enough. I’ve done a fair amount of riding there, and it’s often nice, but it can’t match the two states below it. Sorry, Washingtonians. I know of five Washington rides that are worth traveling a distance […]
All the rides in this directory are good. But I know—you want to know which ones are the really great ones. Here are Letterman lists of the best rides overall, the best descents, the steepest climbs, and so on: BEST RIDES OVERALL Bean Creek/Mtn. Charlie/Soquel-San Jose Big Basin (weekdays only) Bristlecone Pine Forest Caliente Loop Chileno […]
Sign of good times on Highway 26 News flash: Bestrides.org has a baby brother, a comprehensive guide to road riding named Bicycle School. Check it out by clicking on the link in the header above. Acknowledgements This ride directory was made by you. For the last several years, all the rides I’ve added to Bestrides were […]