[trip-list] Up the Willamette Valley...

[drewish@katherinehouse.com]

SHEDD, OR 06/03/02 - The birds in the campground woke me up early. I was half tempted to go back to sleep until it warmed up enough that I'd stop seeing my breath. I decided 14:00 me would be pretty pissed at 06:15 me. It's a good thing I didn't because I was 20 miles down the hill before the clouds cleared and it finally warmed up.

I got onto I-5 for a full mile to get into Eugene. Probably the most agitating mile of the trip, plenty of shoulder but listening to  "werrrmppp-rrrmp-werrmmph" gets old fast. Thanks to ODOT's Oregon Bicycling Guide* once I rolled down the exit ramp I was able navigate into Eugene on reasonably bikeable roads. I even managed to get on a bike path by the river avoiding a pretty hairy interchange.

I was feeling like I had arrived, that this was a totally bike friendly place. Then I was sitting in the straight-lane at an intersection after having pressed the button labeled "CYCLISTS PRESS FOR GREEN", when this guy in a pickup pulls up behind me, rolls down his window and asks if I'm going straight. Yes I tell him, "Well you need to be over there in the crosswalk then" he says as the light turns green and he drives past me. I started trying to tell him to pull over and talk to me but he kept on going. I chased after him for 3 or 4 blocks and by that time I was steamed. I wished I'd just tossed my harmonica through his back window when I had the chance instead of trying to get him to talk to me. I spent the next few minutes riding around looking for a fight. Fortunately I didn't find one and slowly cooled down.

I did however find a bike shop. They weren't very friendly but they sold me some tri-flow for my shifter cables and told me about a pizza place. I went around the corner and got a slice but it wasn't very good. Getting to watch all girls from the university across street walking by made up for it though.

Eventually I got packed up and started heading out of town. On the way I found another bike shop. They were much friendlier and they had the Third Eye Helmet Mirror. I was tickled pink, my old one had been left in Oakdale, CA on an old helmet [long story ommited]. Being unable to find a replacement in Reno, I had purchased a handlebar mirror. After using it for the last week the only positive thing I can say about a handlebar mirror is that it's better than no mirror. With a helmet mirror you can sit in any position and see what's coming, it works when you're going around a turn, you can even check what's coming up on your right side. The only downside? You might as well buy some suspenders and birkenstocks because you look like some kind of recumbent jockey.

On the way out to Junction City I was able to give a little back. Jeff had picked up a flat tire on his way home. We got his bike squared away in no time and he pedaled down the road with me a half mile.

In Junction City I rode past a sign mentioning the city pool. Being as tomorrow was Independence Day I figured I should get a shower in honor of it. The kid working the counter even let me have it for free. Three cheers for small towns. In fact the whole evening/afternoon was strangely like the Iowa. Swimming pools, nice people, the shoulder of the road was even replaced with gravel. The only thing different was the crops and the license plates.

andrew

* The Oregon Dept of Transportation will mail you a copy for free. If you're doing any riding in Oregon GET ONE, it'll save you a ton of trouble. http://www.odot.state.or.us/techserv/bikewalk

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