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Biking around Oregon tests your patience and sensory acuity. It is absolutely a must that you have flexibility and the ingenuity to improvise on the fly in order to stave off misery. This bike ride epitomized that. I was originally going to ride the winery tour in Lane County, but the nasty weather and lack of companionship dissuaded me from doing this ride. As a compromise, I stayed very local and did a bunch of miles on the Riverbank Paths in Eugene. I adapted, compromised and still had fun.
The Riverbank Paths in Eugene parallel the Willamette River through the entire city. These paths are extremely well maintained, off-street and popular. It is not uncommon for one to ride along the paths during a spring day and have to pass and dodge hundreds of recreational walkers, joggers and bikers. It is pretty clear that going on the paths is the THING to do in Eugene on a nice day. I, myself, during college would ride the paths in between classes or just to get out of the apartment.
Stretching approximately seven miles on each side of the river, it is very possible for one to traverse about 14-16 miles in a single day on the path. While this is no where near the 106 miles I did last week, it was nice to just take a leisurely ride that was very doable and adequate.
I first rode up to Eugene from Creswell and met up with the paths next to the I-5 freeway. I followed them along to Valley River Center where I met up with my girlfriend who came along with me. We rode a short loop that went on the southern and northern banks of the river for a total of about 4 miles.
After riding around, I figure, including the ride from Creswell, that I rode about 20 miles as a whole. Considering the dreary and showery conditions, I was very pleased with this ride.
Next week is the big enchilada. A sixty mile ride up the Columbia River Gorge from Portland to Multnomah Falls. I have never been to the Gorge, so this will be a first time experience for me.
ExplOregon by Bike Ride 5: Riverbank Paths Summary
Total Miles for Ride- 20
Total Time on Bike- 2 hours
Weather-Low 60's with Cloudy Skies and Intermittent Rain Showers
Miles Traveled Overall in ExplOregon- 269.8
Time Spent on Bike Overall- 22.5 hours
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