GREAT OUTDOORS

Road Cycling in Grants Pass

IT MAY SEEM TO SOME that Grants Pass cycling enthusiasts don’t have a lot of options when it comes to taking their bicycles out of the garage. High traffic and narrow roads make for challenging conditions, to say the least. However, with a little patience, a few bits of advice from other riders and asking the right questions at local bike shops one can find some hidden road cycling gems in and around GP.

This author’s favorite cycling app, Ride-with-GPS, lists a few such rides and my favorite route is fellow Ride With GPS cyclist, Crashopper’s Merlin/Sunny Valley/Galice loop north of GP. Coming in at just over 50 miles, one can spend several hours rolling along the asphalt, enjoying the southern Oregon scenery and fresh air. With roughly 3,500 feet of up and down climbing, this is a cycling workout that will challenge you but won’t break you. Pack some energy bars, plenty of water and take your time during the ride.

There are plenty of photograph worthy moments as well — my favorite is the stretch from the Sunny Valley covered bridge to Galice. The road rolls gently along Graves Creek with minimal traffic. There are several sharp blind corners, though, so be careful. I recommend a good headlight and taillight for additional safety — I use the ION 100 Flare R Light set by Bontragger. There are dozens, if not more, quality cycling light sets to choose from and your favorite bike shop can give you plenty of options. Grants Pass is fortunate to have two local shops, Don’s Bike Center on SW G or Bike Kraft on Williams Highway.

Also, I don’t recommend riding this route alone. I have done it, and some of the corners make it challenging with cars coming from behind. Pair up if you can. There is definite safety with numbers in cycling.

As you glide through the scenic countryside, with a plethora of options to view wonderful scenery, I challenge you to ride the route without taking any photos. If you can do this, you are more disciplined than me. One of my favorite things as a cyclist is recording my routes with a collection of still photos along the way. Our cell phones have such fantastic cameras now I can’t imagine not capturing some beautiful memories. They are fun to look back on and see how the seasons change during the rides.

For example, the Grays Ranch Marker, several miles west of Sunny Valley on Lower Grave Creek road is beautiful

and rich with history and the road marker provides a great foreground for a photo. Did you know that Grays Ranch used to be called Lonesome Cove Ranch? Cove, not Dove — thank you Larry McMurtry for that wonderful novel. Sorry my mind wanders sometimes, like my cycling. Well since novels came up, have you ever heard of The Rogue River Incident, books I & II? I can’t recommend them enough. OK, full disclosure, they are two of the four novels I have penned. The protagonist in the novels is a cycling fan, so there — that’s my tie in. Imagine a smiley face emoticon inserted here for your reading pleasure.

You can find plenty of other road cycling routes to ride as well. Lower and Upper River roads. Granite Hill & Winona Road to name a few options. Shoulders are narrow on most and traffic can be a bit hectic at times so again, try and ride with at least one other cyclist to increase visibility. And for goodness’ sake, wear bright clothing and use a headlight and taillight. Even during the day, the lights are a helpful tool to make you more visible to drivers.

I hope to see you out on the asphalt or at the very least at Weekends for an adult beverage after a long ride. gp

As you glide "

through the scenic countryside, with a plethora of options to view wonderful scenery, I challenge you to ride the route without taking

"any photos...