Day 15 – Bend to Eugene – Safe Return Doubtful

60 miles (97 km) – Total so far: 867 miles (1,395 km)

Distance 60 miles (96 km) – miles actually cycled. Probably another 60 by public transport.

Time riding 5 hours 24 mins Max speed 32.4 mph Average speed 11 mph Altitude 121 meters asl Left at 9:30 am Arrived at 4:40 pm

I plotted a change to my projected route last night,me hole in the Deschutes Brewery in downtown Bend. Bend wasn’t what I expected. I had pictured it as an outdoor sports town like Boulder, Austin or Queenstown. But really it is just another American town. 90,000 people, and a few tourists, with a small and leafy downtown area, but little is going on. Some of that maybe because of the heat of course, but it is not as vibrant as Hood River by any means.

Riding from 7 or 8 in the morning in this heat is fine, but then the middle if the day temperatures creep up on you. On the bike it is difficult to notice as the temperature goes from 18 to 24 to 30 to mid-thirties. Even higher last few days. The biggest problem is that it doesn’t cool down until the early hours of the morning, so it is very difficult to sleep before then in the tent. I had planned to go past Crater Lake and through Ashland then to the coast, probably an extra 5 days inland. Hopefully now I will be there tomorrow, and welcome some cooler temperatures.

I avoided some city riding today by using the Oregon bus bike racks. I got out of Bend to Gilchrist and so enjoyed the best of the cycling in the Deschutes Forest, then got on the Eugene bus and bike rack and Lowell, making the day manageable. In fact, after the Willamette pass, there was 800 meters of downhill.

A side effect is there in no camping in Eugene. I’m in the west side of town in a rather seedy motel therefore.

So out of the Cascades after some tremendous days riding, and soon to the coast – and a change of title, as no Sierras, this trip at least.