# July 29th 2023 Route Link: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41515436](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41515436) My Ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/129623562 Total Time: 9:22 Ride Time: 8:26 Miles: 128.5 Elevation: 6198 ft ![[Screenshot 2025-01-20 at 10.43.17 AM.jpg]] >80% of success is showing up ~Woody Allen The above quote is accurate, so accurate in fact, that I had to show up twice to start this ride. I left the house under-motivated, wanting to push the ride off "to another day". I parked in the New Seasons parking lot, quickly realizing I forgot my earbuds, sunglasses, _and_ battery bank. Two of the three were non-negotiables, so I headed back home. Take two, park, set up, and head out. One hundred meters in, before my legs are warm, the first hill welcomes me. The downhill into Lake Oswego (LO) is straightforward, the neighborhood streets are quiet. On Saturdays however, there is a farmers market, which closes the neighborhood road. Navigating around the farmers market I'm back on route. There are no bike lanes or shoulders on this road, it's a four-laner, with lower speeds, and mostly courteous drivers. There's a slight climb out of LO toward West Linn. Leaving West Linn and crossing under I-205 there is construction at the freeway entrance. The signage for bikes is poor, and the lanes get tight, being early on a Saturday helps. Bombing into Oregon City on the fast downhill there is a quick left turn onto Main St. Be aware, there has been a traffic pattern change, and left turns are no longer permitted. After a couple of turns I started the climb out of Oregon City. Canby is my next town, skirting through town, I head back into rural farmland. Roughly twenty miles in I make the turn for the short out-and-back. This out-and-back takes me to the Silverton city limits. Passing by a small obscured lake I loop back along the moderately busy roads heading toward Scotts Mills. Scotts Mills has one grocery store, an ideal stop before the significant climbing ahead. The store has the friendliest workers that I have ever encountered. Topping my bottles up and crossing Butte Creek, I hit the hills, big hills. The next 10 miles is mixed climbing and descending, most of which is low traffic and manageable with decent gearing. Descending into the Molalla forest is fast, really fast. The county road is in good shape, with plenty of curves and bends to delight most cyclists. Entering the forest, I rode next to the Molalla River for the next 12 miles. There are campgrounds along the way, with pit toilets, but no water. I rode out to the end of the paved section, picking up a headwind. The road is tree-protected until you get to the three-mile burned-out section, where the headwinds lurked. On the return I took a break to eat. The elevation was more than I anticipated, I needed calories and a rest. The gentle descent out of the forest and onto the main road was appreciated. At the turn to head back to the start, I optioned to go off-route to fill my bottles at the Meadowbrook convenience store. Were I to do this ride again, I would stay on route and ride to Lone Elder. The twelve-mile ride from the Meadowbrook convenience store to Lone Elder was pleasant, the afternoon traffic wasn't too heavy and the rural roads made the miles speed by. On my approach to Canby, I was plagued with a flat tire. Riding down a fast descent, I picked up a two-inch nail in my rear tire. I pulled off in a driveway safely and swapped the tube. Resuming my push to finish I again routed through Canby and Oregon City. From Oregon City it was a fairly smooth ride back to West Linn, and then into Lake Oswego. My legs were tired by the time I was climbing back to the New Seasons Market. Rolling into the parking lot I completed the ride with a total time of 9h22m. Not all rides will go your way, but the experience each ride offers is worth the effort.