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Eugene, OR, US

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Route Overview

Bicycle Way of Life Cycling Team and Club

Day rides, on road around Eugene OR

130 mi.

4,217 ft.

130 mile loop in the Willamette Valley from Eugene through Walterville, Sweet Home, Lebanon, and Brownsville. Mostly flat with a few short hills.

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Route Details

Fully paved, mostly low-traffic roads, some multi-use path.  Primarily flat and rolling with a few climbs. Usable year-round, except in icy weather.

This loop from takes you along the Willamette, McKenzie, Mohawk, and Calapooia rivers, and across the Santiam. The second half is fairly flat, and climbs in the first half are mostly gradual. The @slice[first climb](d,78636.02,81740.62) is on Marcola Road where it becomes Brush Creek road. The @slice[second, and steepest](d,100314.24,103496.95), is on Fern Ridge road between Crawfordsville and Sweet Home. @slice[The last](d,159858.29,162590.49) is on Gap Road south of Brownsville.

The route was originally designed as a brevet 'permanent' route.  The 'control' marks on the route are for randonneurs and can be ignored by others.  If you aren't riding it for randonneuring credit, you may optionally shorten it a little by cutting off @slice[the spur to Walterville](d,25101.75,51529.7). Turn left instead of right where McKenzie View ends at Hill Road.  Hill Road will take you to the @point[Mohawk Store](d,60713.3) in about 5 miles (I recommend the deviled eggs in their deli case).  A left at the store (Donna Road) will take you another mile or two before you @point[rejoin the main route](d,62930.15) on Marcola Road.

A 100 mile version, without the Walterville spur and not extending quite as far north, is [Eugene Sweet Home Century Loop](http://ridewithgps.com/routes/587).  The side bit on Wendling and Paschelke is optional; just stay on Marcola Road to trim a bit further.

There are markets well-spaced along the route, so two water bottles are sufficient even on a hot day, and you needn't carry a lot of food.  Running water (i.e., flush toilets) are available at 
* @point[Armitage Park](d,11600.84) (mile 7)
* @point[Walterville Market](d,38100.92) (mile 24)
* @poi[Sweet Home Thriftway](714011) (mile 68)
* @poi[Lebanon Safeway](714008) (mile 84)
* @poi[Brownsville Chevron](714010) (mile 97)
* @poi[Coburg](714012),  small park one block left of the Darimart i  (mile 119)

Except for the park, these are all good places to get food, as is the @point[Mohawk Store](d,60717.3).

# Conditions
This route stays pretty close to the valley floor, never rising much above 1000 feet, so it can be useful in winter to avoid potential icy conditions at higher elevations.  The last 30 miles are quite exposed to wind.  Winds are predominantly from the north in summer, from the south in winter.  In summer that means a strong tail-wind on @slice[North Coburg Road](d,183804.1,195905.72), for a fast finish.  In winter it can mean a dispiriting headwind near the end.

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