Bicycling The Pacific Coast
by Tom Kirkendall, Vicky Spring
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Book Summary Information
Author: Tom Kirkendall, Vicky SpringBrand: Mountaineers Books
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-01
ISBN: 0898869544
Number of pages: 274
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Book Reviews of Bicycling The Pacific Coast
Book Review: The best of its kind
Summary: 4 Stars
This route guide is one of the best I've seen out in the market place. It has all the details that a long distance biker on a budget would need including: road map, elevation map, descriptions of interesting sites, road conditions, traffic conditions, mileage, camping sites with levels of amenities (esp important shower), and where to get food and other supplies/services. I also liked the fact that it wasn't trying to be everything to everyone by not including detailed information on hotels, motels, restaurants, etc except for the fact that they exist or don't exist in a particular town or area.
So why did I not give them 5 stars?
1) Internal inconsistancy - there are a significant amount of these. Mostly it is where the mileage of the description doesn't match with the mileage of the elevation map. Here's an example. In the Oregon Border to Elk Prairie Campground the written route description indicates that the first summit of the Crescent City hills is at mile 34.6 but the elevation map shows that summit at 28 miles. Am I cutting hairs? You decide. But depending on your ride pace a 6-7 mile difference can be 1/2 hour, not so much of an issue in the middle of the day but it might be at the end of the day.
2) Updated content - I have a suspicion that the guide hasn't been updated even though the 4th edition came out just recently. For the most part, the guide was written in a timeless manner that prevents it from showing much age. For example, it doesn't recommend particular restaurants. But things do change. For example on the Elk Prarie Campground to Eureka KOA day the recommended route is on Hwy 101. It's very busy and a couple of nice smaller roads are recommended (Patrick's Point and Little River St Beach). But the Hammond Trail, that takes you from Clam Beach County Park, just north of McKinleyville, South for 13 miles mostly on car free paved path, isn't mentioned. I suspect the trail didn't exist when this guide was written. The authors generally go to lengths to help you avoid nasty highway riding so I suspect that this wasn't a conscious oversight.
3) Out of scale road maps with little detail - It would have been nice if they sprang for some real maps. For example in the Nehalem Bay State Park to Cape Lookout day, the written mileage shows that Cape Meares State Park to Netarts is 4.5 miles and that Netars to Cape Lookout is 6 miles. Which seems about right after biking this portion. But on the road map the distance from Netarts to Cape Lookout appears to be 5 to 6 times further.
Overall, if you are biking down the coast, absolutely get this book but suppliment it with other resources such as AAA roadmaps, Adventure Cycling's bike maps, or the Oregon Dept of Transportation "Oregon Coast Bike Route" (found at the Oregon Tourist offices).
I've ridden parts of the coast, Santa Cruz to the border and Aberdeen to Eureka and look forward to filling in the gaps. Some advice: 1) Go "off season", much of the ride is basically on heavily traveled highways. I didn't know so many RVs existed. 2) Go out of your way to meet your fellow bike tourists. I met people from all over Europe, Asia and even Americans. All with cool stories. 3) Get your bike in top notch shape, before your ride. Let's just say I toured most of the bike shops in Oregon over a four day period. Not fun. 4) Don't ride everyday and don't forget to relax.
Summary of Bicycling The Pacific Coast
More than a meticulously detailed route, this is an adventure highlighting what to see and explore along the way.*Bike the coast in one trip or four separate adventures *Road directions, points of interest, and available restrooms and provisions all built into daily mileage logs *Elevation profiles and new Table of Essentials overview for each day's ride *More than 50,000 copies sold in previous editions
From Vancouver, B.C. to the Mexican border, Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring guide you turn by turn along the length of Pacific Coast Bicycle Route-all 1816.5 miles. These forty-two suggested daily itineraries (averaging 53 miles each) begin and end at campsites.
Everything you need to know about each day's ride is included: from tunnel- riding strategies to where to buy a new derailer, from one-of-a-kind museums along the way to side trips to lonely lighthouses and towering sand dunes. New to this edition is a quick-glance Table of Essentials for each daily itinerary, listing availability of bike shops, beach access, hiking trails, youth hostels, and activities.
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