Sprocketshift Oregon Coast - Part 2

What happens when two people on the same bike tour decide to have two completely different adventures? On this edition of The Pedalshift Project, day two of the Sprocketshift Oregon Coast adventure with Brock Dittus starts with a split decision in Tillamook. Brock points his bike north for a long, wet ride toward Cannon Beach. I slow things way down for cheese, side quests, a little local riding, and maybe a bit of a rethink about what I actually want out of bicycle travel these days. Two riders. Two very different days. One extremely cheap bus ride. Will the bike and bus gods allow us to reunite for fish, chips, oysters, and beer in Astoria?

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Oregon Coast Bike Tour with Brock Dittus – Part 2

Day two of our northbound Oregon Coast bike tour begins in Tillamook with a major change of plans.

With uncertain weather, challenging terrain, and Oregon Coast bus schedules that aren't lining up particularly well, Brock Dittus and I decide to split up for the day. Brock heads north by bicycle toward Cannon Beach. I stay behind for a much lower-mileage day exploring Tillamook by bike before using public transit to fast-forward north.

The result is something a little different for The Pedalshift Project: two simultaneous tour journals from two riders having completely different bicycle touring adventures.

Two Riders, Two Very Different Oregon Coast Adventures

Brock leaves Tillamook with an ambitious goal: ride north toward Astoria and see how far he can get.

His day includes:

Intermittent rain that becomes considerably less intermittent A thoroughly soaked ride through Rockaway Beach The climbs and terrain of the northern Oregon Coast Neahkahnie Mountain Roughly 40 miles of challenging bicycle touring The strategy of simply not stopping because stopping means getting cold A reminder that wet jeans and long-distance cycling are not necessarily natural allies

Meanwhile, I embrace something closer to a