Coos Bay - What's the Scoop? Funky? Run-Down? Depressed? (Portland: layoffs, living in)

[trailuser]

All I know is that while bicycle touring from the San Juan's (Northern Washington) to Morro Bay CA, I passed through Coos Bay. For the entire 1,500 miles people waved and supported me often changing lanes when passing me. Except for two Coos Bay locals on the bridge. One yelled at me and brake checked me while the other flipped me the bird. No one else was on the bridge and both cars easily passed me. Small town folk!

[seashelly]

Originally Posted by bcosner

All I know is that while bicycle touring from the San Juan's (Northern Washington) to Morro Bay CA, I passed through Coos Bay. For the entire 1,500 miles people waved and supported me often changing lanes when passing me. Except for two Coos Bay locals on the bridge. One yelled at me and brake checked me while the other flipped me the bird. No one else was on the bridge and both cars easily passed me. Small town folk!

Probably because there's a sign posted on both ends of the bridge stating to get off and walk bikes over on the walkway when crossing the bridge for everyone's safety. It's only a 2 lane bridge with huge log truck traffic and catches major wind gusts.

[trailuser]

The only sign I saw said "walkway closed". Bikes have the same rights to the roads as cars and if such a sign did exist at some point it was probably taken down because it's contrary to the law. I wasn't causing any problems. These people were in the wrong and certainly don't have the right to try to make me fall off my bike because of some sign. Also there are hundreds of bridges on the Pacific Coast Bike Route with similar designs that are friendly to bikes. The sad part is that I was keeping a journal of notes on the cities I passed through for relocation purposes as my wife and I are planning to move to Oregon and open a naturopathic dentistry business somewhere in Oregon. Definitely not bringing our economic activity to Coos Bay. Bike tourists spend $$$ and I made sure not to spend a dime in Coos Bay.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by bcosner

..... The sad part is that I was keeping a journal of notes on the cities I passed through for relocation purposes as my wife and I are planning to move to Oregon and open a naturopathic dentistry business somewhere in Oregon. ...........

If they had known you were such an important person, I am sure the city would have arranged for a police escort across the bridge for you and your bicycle.

[trailuser]

I don't think I'm that important, but a police escort would have at least protected me from the locals trying to run me off the bridge yikes! I posted this because lots of people use this forum to get an idea of the culture in different towns. Pretty clear that Coos Bay is not very bike friendly. Yall had the chance to say that those two drivers don't represent the majority, but from what I've seen so far they do.

[hamellr]

But there IS a sign on that bridge saying to walk your bike. I've made note of it myself many, many times as I always thought it was weird myself until I tried to ride over it myself.

I'm sure you noticed that that bridge design is also vastly different then most other bridges on the Oregon Coast, the exception being the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport - also designed by Conde McCullough. But the Yaquina Bay Bridge has the added safety feature of lights letting motorists know about bikes on the bridge which are trigged by buttons at each end. The McCullough Memorial does not.

The number one cause of accidents on that bridge is fog and low visibility conditions. Number two is high winds, including gusts from passing trucks. A bicyclist is pretty well screwed in either of those conditions, doubly so considering how the bridge humps up and reduces visibility from oncoming traffic even more.

Oregonians ARE going to make a statement or at least give you an evil glare when someone is doing something illegal and/or dangerous. Maybe not as overt as these two gentlemen though. I'm willing to bet you were given evil looks many times before and after, but simply didn't notice them.

[1208]

Originally Posted by hamellr

Oregonians ARE going to make a statement or at least give you an evil glare when someone is doing something illegal and/or dangerous.

you haven't been hanging out with the same Oregonians as I have I take it.

[trailuser]

Originally Posted by hamellr

But there IS a sign on that bridge saying to walk your bike. I've made note of it myself many, many times as I always thought it was weird myself until I tried to ride over it myself.

Oh not true not true! Ok so it's been a year and we've relocated to Eugene, on a recent weekend we headed to Coos Bay to visit family and drove over the bridge. Recently the "bikes on bridge" warning lights have been added. I took note of the signs and the only "walk your bikes sign" sign ACTUALLY reads: "sidewalk users walk your bikes". The locals must be reading that the way they want to. But this DOES NOT ban bikes from riding the bridge. I'll bet they hate the new flashing light warning system.

We love Eugene, but Coos Bay seemed pretty nice this visit. We even were able to go crabbing in the harbor. Yum! I think we will visit Coos Bay often what with access to a vacation home and all. And I'll be sure to ride the bridge at least once a year. Maybe I'll post updates on the experience haha!

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Just to settle the argument:
Cyclists can now ride across McCullough

Read the discussion page. That should tell you about how locals feel about bikes on that bridge.

IMHO, they are being realistic no matter how their words come across to you.
In my personal experience, common sense and the average cyclist are strangers to each other.

[dusky_beauty]

How about Tillamook? the dairy farms and cheese factory seems to be pretty strong there. Maybe Seaside and Astoria?