Meeting People on Tour

[ORbiker]

Hi, Like many people i'm going to ride Down the Pacific Coast, but my question is not what to bring, or any info of that nature.  My question is, whats the chances of meeting other people doing a self supported trip along the west coast of Oregon and Norther California?  I ask this because, I think my traveling partner is not going to be joining me on this trek, and I'm wondering if its common to meet like minded people like myself on a fully loaded self supported solo touring trip down the Oregon coast in late October, early November?

I've read stories about people meeting on the road and  riding together for a few miles to a couple days, but how common is that?

Thanks.

[staehpj1]

I am not sure about that time of year, but I know that there are lots of bike tourists there earlier in the season.  During the busy season meeting folks could be assumed.  I am not sure how late the busy season extends though.  Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the area will pipe up.

[rcrampton]

That's certainly a popular route. I rode it a year ago with my brother and we met numerous other folks every day. We chatted with some of them at campgrounds and were invited to share dinner, etc., pretty easy to meet people.

I second the statement that I'm not sure about that time of year. I'm trying to remember when we did ours... it was early June I believe.

Actually, the Olympic Peninsula was pretty deserted, didn't meet many folks on that route, but hitting Oregon it got real busy (both traffic and cyclist - wise). We didn't ride any of California (yet).

[WesternFlyer]

ORbiker

I have not ridden the coast that late in the season, but I have camped at the Oregon coastal state parks "off season," which go year round with visitors.  I have seen and talked to a few bikers in the H/B sites.  You will meet and talked to lots of nice folks who are not bikers.  Plus there are Portland riders who make out to the coast year round.

I don't know but I think southern Oregon could be sparse on travelers in general.  Talk to the Rangers and the Park Hosts for info on who is riding which way.   Also ask store employees especially bike shop people where riders have said they will be staying in the area.


Western Flyer

It was to such a land I rode.
       L Eiseley

[bern]

Hi!  Like everyone else shared, meeting people is very easy. There are a lot of friendly people on that ride.  Sitting around the campfire, or making dinner is pretty common among anyone staying in the hiker/biker sites. As far as riding together, couples will usually not be too inviting (they like to hang together, naturally. myself included) and from personal experience unless you really hit it off with someone the night before, I haven't noticed any single riders adventuring together the next day.  I guess people just like to take full advantage of the solitude .  Hope that helps a little.  take care, Bernadette

[Westinghouse]

I cycled the pacific coast route. Some people seemed friendly. Others definitely were not friendly. Some seemed hostile. It was a fantastic tour despite some of the people I met along the way.

Crossing the USA east to west did not bring me into contact with any really great social situations either. Sure, the loaded touring cyclist draws attention when he pulls into towns, but he gets exactly the same questions every time, and has to repeat hundreds of times across America. I do not exactly consider that a social life. Here are the questions---How far have you come on that bicycle? Where did you start your trip? How far is that? When did you begin? Where are you going? How long do you think it will take? How many miles do you do in a day?
Have you had many flat tires? You've got a long road ahead of you.

It is the same thing over and over, almost like a broken record with a few variations.

To me, bicycle touring is a personal matter, not a big get to know you across the country. Some of the people I have met along the way were not particularly nice at all.

[AlamedaT14]

I rode from SF Bay Area to Santa Barbara the second week of September. I met many riders between Monterey and Lompoc, but did most of my hanging out with them at the camp sites - Veterans Park on the hill above Monterey and at Plaskett Creek NFS campgound on the southern Big Sur coast. A lot has to be in sync before I can ride all day with someone.  But there were some real interesting riders along that stretch. I rode a bit with a Japanese dude who spoke no english (to me). He rode a MTB pulling a burley trailer with all his stuff tossed in and a surf board out-rigged along side his bike. He was riding and surfing down the coast. That's the kinda crazy cool people you meet but might not want to ride all day with. I would think the CA coast will still be somewhat traveled in late Oct. That can be the best month of the year to ride; a little before the big rains and the fog stays at sea.

[Westinghouse]

If you cycle tour in places where you can expect to meet other cyclists, such as specially mapped, long-distance bicycle routes, you are more likely to meet other cyclists, and then have something to socialize about. I have gone across the US six times by bicycle. Rarely if ever did I see anyone else doing what I was doing. Sometimes I saw nobody else doing what I was going. Even on well established routes like the northern tier and southern tier I met only a few who were supposedly going the full distance.

Traveling cross country by bicycle can be good for some conversation almost anywhere you go.

[WesternFlyer]

I just completed a ride that included finishing with riding highways 101 and 1 from the mouth of the Klamath River, CA to Cayucos, CA ending on October 1st.  There were lots of riders in the H&B campgrounds north of Arcata, a few riders south of Arcata to Point Reyes, and I felt like I was closing the season down from San Francisco south (most nights I camped alone).  The last day I did get past by a hoard of charity riders going from San Francisco to LA.  To say they were fully supported would be a gross understatement.

That said, there were lots of interesting people to talk with including firefighters and sheriff deputies fighting a blaze in the Los Padres NF that closed Lime Kiln SP and had me and other campers at Kirk Creek NFS campground with an official notice of "immanent evacuation" as we watched airplanes and helicopters bomb the flames with water and retardant less than a mile away.

The weather was mild with only a few hours of rain in the red woods.  The rest of the coast was clear with  morning fog some days, and with the smoke from various fires.

Western Flyer

A wise traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving.
           Lao Tzu

[Westinghouse]

I had some unusual chance meetings of the same person on the PCBR. First, I went to camp at the Elk Prairie campground. The HB section held about six people that night. One was a younger fellow who brewed up Cappuccino coffee in a special little, light-weight coffee maker. The following morning I packed and left. I rode south and came to a small town with rows of small  shops and stores. I went into one of the restaurants to get a cup of coffee, and there was that same person who was at the campground. Two or three days later and farther south I came to a town with various stores. I went into one of the stores, and saw that same person again. Days later I saw that same person again somewhere else farther south.

It was no big deal, but I thought I would mention it.

This message was edited by Westinghouse on 10-15-08 @ 8:10 AM