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You can't talk about the history of Portland without mentioning Bull Run. Researchers believe that Native Americans visited the area over 10,000 years ago in search of food, while more recently Oregon Trail pioneers used the area to cross into the Willamette Valley. Today, the Bull Run Watershed serves as the primary source for drinking water for the City of Portland and has since 1895. It is that history that has lead to the preservation of the area, which makes it one of the premier riding spots in the region. It is an area both rich in biodiversity and landscapes with views on a sunny day are spectacular. On cloudier days, like this one, you can focus more on the mature trees that are more than 500 years old and nearly 2 feet in diameter.
This ride takes you over a diverse range of roads that offer a great mix of elevation changes, spirited hairpin turns, and scenery that will make you stop for photos. The ride starts on the Springwater Trail in Sellwood and heads east on the Marine Drive bikepath, out towards the Women's Forum and up Larch Mountain Road. We added a few extra links that made it a century (Larch Mountain Road up to the Winter Gate) and some of the lower volume roads that make it more comfortable for chatting with a friend about the history of the area or the upcoming Classics races.
One of the greatest features of the route is the timing of the access back onto the Springwater (near the end of the ride) which gives you a little rest from worrying about traffic because you're on this gem of a Trail. On a sunny day, the Trail can get a little congested with families, but after 80 or so miles, you might not be pushing the pace anymore. This is the perfect route to take a half day at work and then take the long way home, in other words: Work Hard, Ride Home.
There are several places to stop along the route for food (Sandy, Troutdale, Gresham, Cartlandia, and Sellwood), but there are significant stretches where you won't see much of anything, so plan accordingly.
The Bull Run area has inspired everything from local distilleries to documentaries. It is an area that is as special as the people that make Portland's cycling scene what it is. Adding the Larch Mountain Road leg to this (a classic for Cycle Oregon training) makes the Bull Run Watershed one of the best century routes Portland has to offer.
By: | Peter Koonce |
Started in: | Portland, OR, US |
Distance: | 100.5 mi |
Selected: | 100.5 mi |
Elevation: | + 4093 / - 4031 ft |
Moving Time: | 06:53:44 |
Page Views: | 555 |
Departed: | Apr 1, 2017, 5:06 am |
Starts in: | Portland, OR, US |
Distance: | 100.5 mi |
Selected distance: | 100.5 mi |
Elevation: | + 4093 / - 4031 ft |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
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Ascent time | |
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Total Duration: | 07:49:25 |
Selection Duration: | 28165 |
Moving Time: | 06:53:44 |
Selection Moving Time: | 06:53:44 |
Stopped Time: | 00:55:41 |
Max Speed: | 38.6 mph |
Avg Speed: | 14.6 mph |
Pace: | 00:04:40 |
Moving Pace: | 00:04:06 |
Best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices
Best format for turn by turn directions on Edge 500, 510. Will provide true turn by turn navigation on Edge 800, 810, 1000, Touring including custom cue entries. Great for training when we release those features. Not currently optimal for Virtual Partner.
Useful for uploading your activity to another service, keeping records on your own computer etc.
Useful for any GPS unit. Contains no cuesheet entries, only track information (breadcrumb trail). Will provide turn by turn directions (true navigation) on the Edge 705/800/810/1000/Touring, but will not have any custom cues. Works great for Mio Cyclo. Find GPS specific help in our help system.
Estimated Time shows a prediction of how long it would take you to ride a given route. This number is based on your recent riding history, and represents an estimate of moving time. Each time you upload a new ride, your Estimated Time profile will adjust to reflect your most recent riding. Only rides exceeding 10 miles (16 km) will affect these estimates.
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