Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 3

Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 3

Author: Tim Mooney September 11, 2025 Duration: 14:03

Mysterious James and I emerge from our three-night Cannon Beach odyssey to accidentally unlock our cycling superpowers, turning a modest Tillamook target into a shocking 52-mile triumph. It's the usual stuff: ice cream as performance enhancer, and the stunning revelation that hydration might actually matter. But with tomorrow's weather turning and our schedule still behind, will this newfound confidence carry us forward or set us up for an epic crash?

Key Highlights

  • Morning departure from Cannon Beach with sunny weather (rain expected tomorrow)
  • Arch Cape Tunnel challenge - one of the less enjoyable parts of the Oregon coast, but navigated successfully with proper lighting and safety gear
  • Strong riding performance despite variable winds - tailwinds providing good speed, headwinds creating challenges around rivers and inlets
  • Confidence boost as both riders felt strong throughout the day, a marked improvement from their struggles the previous day leaving Beaverton
  • Hydration success - Tim credits focused hydration efforts for dramatically improved performance
  • Cape Lookout State Park arrival - described as potentially "the best camp on the coast" with individual pod-like clearings and ocean wave sounds

 

Route Details

  • Departed Cannon Beach early morning
  • Climbed through Arch Cape Tunnel to Manzanita (20-mile checkpoint)
  • Continued south past Garibaldi and Bay City to Tillamook
  • Extended ride from Tillamook to Cape Lookout State Park
  • Riders met at Safeway in Tillamook for resupply (chicken strips and ice cream)

 

Camp Review: Cape Lookout State Park

Pros: - Excellent location directly on the coast - Individual pod-like campsites with perfect flat ground - Beautiful ocean wave sounds - Great overall facilities

Cons: - Long walk to bathhouse/showers - Charging stations only have USB-A ports (no USB-C or standard 110V outlets)

 

Tomorrow's Plan

  • Targeting Beverly Beach as the main goal
  • South Beach as potential stretch goal (though 70 miles seems too ambitious)
  • Weather forecast: overcast and cool - ideal "James and Tim weather"
  • Still working out end-of-week logistics due to being behind schedule
  •  

Technology MVP

Perplexity AI proving invaluable for route planning and logistics, including confirming their direct route choice over the longer ACA (Adventure Cycling Association) scenic route.

 

Statistics

  • Miles Biked: 52
  • Times Tim arrived before James: 2 (hmm… that's not normal. Foreshadowing…)
  • Power of James's insane phone charger: 100 watts
  • Consecutive nights at Cannon Beach: 3 (do I need to declare it as a part time residence this year?)

• • Flats: Zero


There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from traveling by bicycle, where the journey itself becomes the destination. The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures, hosted by Tim Mooney, delves into that experience through a mix of personal stories, practical advice, and wide-ranging conversations. Rather than just a how-to guide, this podcast feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend after a long day on the road. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from fellow bike tourists, each with their own unique tales from the pavement and gravel, alongside Tim’s own reflections and experiments in bicycle touring. The discussions naturally cover the logistical tips and tricks that make trips smoother, but they also explore the cultural and educational aspects of moving through the world at a human pace. It’s about more than gear and routes; it’s about the connections made and the perspectives gained when you embrace a slower, more engaged form of travel. This audio companion to Pedalshift.net aims to demystify bicycle adventure, making it feel accessible and deeply rewarding. By sharing these stories and ideas, the hope is to inspire your own two-wheeled explorations, proving that a bicycle can indeed shrink the world in the most wonderful way. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded take on seeing the world from the saddle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Podcast Episodes
379: eBike Project - Shakedown Ride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:30
On this episode, I take my new ebike on its first shakedown ride to test its capabilities, from battery life to chain tension to, well… does this thing work? It's a 40 mile round trip from my cabin in West Virginia to a…
Best of Pedalshift 137: Fall Touring (Live) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:18
Originally recorded live from Hedgesville, WV, this episode of the Pedalshift Project includes the (semi-doomed) 2018 fall tour reveal and gear tips for your fall bicycle touring. Plus banter with you… because it was liv…
378: E-Bike Project - Shakedown Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:37
On this edition, we preview a short but momentous little overnight adventure on my brand new ebike… we'll discuss goals and strategies, plus recharge options and… hey, we're getting back on the C&O again! eBike Project -…
377: eBike Project - The Build [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:31
In this episode, follow an in-depth, step-by-step journey of transforming a surprisingly decent Ozark Trail mountain bike into the first Pedalshift e-bike (n=3 or 4 if you're counting). This mega-pod takes you from the i…
376: Oregon Coast Remix Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:32
The remix is in the rear view mirror, but as always I like to look back and discuss takeaways from every trip. On this edition, ten takeaways from the Oregon Coast Remix, celebrating ten years of the pod! Oregon Coast Re…
Best of Pedalshift 010: Pacific Coast 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:01
In the summer of 2014, I took 6 weeks to ride the Pacific coast from Victoria, BC to the US-Mexico border. I recorded a 2-5 minute audio entry every day for the Tour Journals podcast to share the more detailed aspects of…
375: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
Sometimes journeys have distinct ends and sometimes those endings are a little more flexible. In the penultimate episode of the Oregon Coast Remix we mash together my departure from Bandon and my return a week later a fe…
374: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:38
A short but challenging ride up and over the Seven Devils would be the last days of cycling for James and I on this adventure, but the remix theme gave us new things to try… a new brewery, time in a great town I usually…
373: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:31
If you can't fuel your cycling, you can't ride very far. At least that's what grandma always told me (editors note: she did not). So, waking up in camp without much appetite doesn't really bode well for making very many…
372: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:35
I always say day 3 is when bike tours click in, but don't sometimes exceptions prove the rule? And don't my bicycle adventures always find some way to go sideways? Everything seems to be going just fine as James and I cy…