Brian Ohlen

Pacific Coast

Bellingham, WA

Overview
Segment 1 185 mi Vancouver, BC
Segment 2 335 mi Bremerton, WA
Segment 3 522 mi Astoria, OR
Segment 4 710 mi Florence, OR
Segment 5 867 mi Crescent City, CA
Segment 6 1046 mi Garberville, CA
Segment 7 1105 mi Tomales, CA
Segment 8 1223 mi San Francisco, CA
Segment 9 1379 mi Monterey, CA
Segment 10 1490 mi San Luis Obispo, CA
Segment 11 1610 mi Santa Barbara, CA
Segment 12 1743 mi Long Beach, CA
Pre-Ride Prep 0 mi Home
Vancouver, Canada 387 mi Tillamook, OR
Portland, OR 328 mi Crescent City, CA
Crescent City, CA 276 mi Gualala, CA
Gualala, CA 190 mi Santa Cruz, CA
Monterey, CA 322 mi Venice, CA
Venice, CA 147 mi Mexico/US Border
Port Angeles, 148 mi Bellingham, WA
Forks, WA 175 mi Bellingham, WA
Olympic 150 mi Penninsula
Aberdeem, WA 207 mi Newport, OR
Newport, WA 122 mi Bandon, OR
Bandon, OR 178 mi McKinleyville, CA
McKinleyville, CA 152 mi Westport, CA
Westport, CA 261 mi Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz, CA 164 mi Morro Bay, CA
Morro Bay, CA 300 mi Encinitas, CA

Forks, WA to Bellingham, WA The weather is the subject of much thought and speculation every day. On the morning we left Bellingham, it wasn’t raining, but it was clear that the wind was blowing. Breakfast was a somber occasion despite delicious sandwiches and croissants from Mount Bakery. I looked at the weather report: high wind warning 20-30 mph winds with gusts up to 50. I didn’t have the heart to tell Matt and Eric. With bellies full and bikes loaded we set out.

It was a chore getting out of town, with a tailwind one second, and a ferocious head wind the next. We eventually made it to Chuckanut drive and were rewarded with a forest that blocked most of the wind. We enjoyed about 12 miles of beautiful roads through cedar forests, overlooking the bay.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. The road eventually left the forest and dropped onto a coastal plain and we were greeted with the full force of the Southeast wind. As our route was predominantly in the southerly direction, our progress diminished greatly. With heads down, we shifted into our lowest gear. At one point I was struggling to keep the pedals turning in my granny gear on completely flat ground. I was going 4 mph. Sisu.

Eventually we made it to the southernmost point of the day, and we turned west. As we neared Anacortes, we crossed a pedestrian bridge across a small bay. I made a point to quit pedaling, only relying on the tailwind to propel me, and reached 17 mph. A small reward.

Thankfully the milage was short that day, and we made it to Anacortes just before the rain started. Coffee and bagels followed by beer and an amazing Warm Showers host. First hard day in the books complete.

- IMAGES OF THE ROAD -

- Pacific Coast Milestones -

Brian Ohlen

Gear List

- My Ride -

- My Favorite Blackburn Gear -

CENTRAL 700 FRONT $99.99 View Lights
OUTPOST FRONT WORLD TOURING RACK $99.99 Buy Now
OUTPOST C02 CUPPED INFLATOR WITH CARTRIDGE $22.99 Buy Now
OUTPOST CARGO CAGE $24.99 View Cages

- Brian's entire bike specs and gear list coming soon! -

Brian Ohlen

FROM: Cody, Wyoming
DOB: 2016-01-01
Married
OCCUPATION: Bicycle Mechanic

What was the genesis moment or inspiration for your upcoming adventure? Realizing that biking from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific Coast would give me the perfect opportunity to fly fish for steelhead. Why not bike-fish my way down the coast?

Have you traveled by bike in the past? Yep. Mostly off road and gravel tours. The best ones lead to a fishing stream or hunting destination.

What is your goal for the route? I'd love to catch a steelhead in each of the three state's I'll travel through. Three fish doesn't sound like much, but those buggers are hard to catch!

What do you hope to get out of this journey? This trip will provide the type of physical and mental challenge that I crave. One that leads towards the discovery of amazing places, people, and coastal streams.