Headwind, 15 miles of cycling in the rain, and no showers for two days.. it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when cycling the PCH. However, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again.. this is the trip of a lifetime and one we want to repeat so badly! On day three of cycling from Seattle to San Francisco, we cross the Washington-Oregon border and make it to a new state! .
South Bend to Seaside, Oregon is the fourth of nearly 30 daily diaries of our cycle trip from Seattle to San Francisco.
Want to read the previous days’ trip? Check it out here. It’s the first day we hit the 101 and get a flat tire too! If you’d like to read from the beginning, check out, getting to Seattle.Each post in this cycle series will contain our daily journal entries that we kept via Track My Tour, photos captured throughout the day, and the exact route, duration, and elevation gains for the given ride.
Read Our Complete Guide to Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway Here
Let’s dive into Biking the Pacific Coast Highway, Day Three, South Bend to Seaside, Oregon.
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Cycling South Bend to Seaside, Oregon
Wow, what a day. After waking up to a headwind and then cycling in a mist/showers for 15 miles, we quickly learned this trip isn’t for the faint at heart.
Luckily for us, the weather turned and the second part of the day made us totally forget the rain pelting us all morning!
We learned to truly enjoy the ride and all the experiences it would bring today. Honestly, a little rain wasn’t so bad… dodging dead birds left and right across a four-mile bridge may make one a bit queasy, but again, all that is easily forgotten when we got off the bridge and realized we had crossed state lines! What a remarkable feeling that was!
We had our first experience with Warm Showers today, and boy was it an experience! Warm Showers is a community of people who open up their homes to cyclists touring in their area. It’s allowed us to meet some incredible people along the Pacific Coast Highway, though, the community can be found really along any major cycle touring routes!
Seaside proved to be an awesome place that we’d love to spend more time in. It’s a cute little coastal town in Oregon that holds a major beach volleyball tournament every year with hundreds and hundreds of people. Definitely a great place to visit!
Biking South Bend to Seaside Day Three Quick Facts
- Miles // 70.3 miles
- Saddle Time // 5 hrs 37 min
- Elevation // 1,574 feet
- Accommodation // Warm Showers in Seaside
- Water // many towns along the way to fill up
- Food // restaurants in Seaside and towns along the way
Pacific Coast Highway Day Three Journal Entry
Thursday 6 Aug 2015 15:18
Day 3: Today we road from South Bend, WA, the town that we charged our phones and gave ourselves a little bath in. The public restrooms at the “campground” that we stayed at didn’t have running water nor fully functioning restrooms.
In the morning, we rode off into a lite headwind and a downpour of mist. This continued for the first 15 miles or so till we started to see more of the pacific coastline. Lunch came upon us quickly.
We have finally started to find our rhythm and have synced into the idiosyncrasies of our bikes; we just keep on pedaling. The time and miles seem to fade away as quickly as the sweat evaporates from our faces. This is what human-powered exploration is all about!
At lunch, we took about 20 minutes to sit in our nice REI chairs and eat some peanut butter and honey sandwiches. As the day kept coming, we saw many beautiful sites: mountains, trees, beaches, trees that were blown down by gale-force winds, and many waterways/bridges. Never have I ever seen so many dead birds on one bridge in my whole life.
Crossing into Oregon
As we left this huge almost 4-mile long bridge going over the Columbia River, we finally made it to our second state: Oregon. We went through Astoria rather quickly and pressed on towards the town of Seaside. Here we are staying with a wonderful old man who does CouchSurfing and warm showers.
Heather, Maarten, and I are 3 of 17 people staying with him tonight. This is because the majority of the people here are in town for the huge Volleyball tournament. Tomorrow is a short day so we will stick around to watch some of the action before heading down to Cannon Beach for a little, then onto Nehalem State Park.
So for today, we rode 70.3 miles with an elevation gain of 1,675 feet and have ridden a total of 205.05 miles. #TheSkinnyWheels
Cycler’s Tips for South Bend to Seaside, Oregon | PCH Day 3
- Take a look at Warm Showers for your Seaside, Oregon stay! We had an amazing time with our host and the 17 other people he was housing that evening!
- You hit another milestone today when crossing the Columbia River — you cross state lines too! Welcome to Oregon!!
- Be wary of the birds on the Columbia River Bridge… there were so many dead ones all along the highway, and cars trying to swerve around them too!
- Seaside is a lovely coastal town to visit. With a short ride tomorrow into Cannon Beach, you can really spend a morning here exploring the town and the massive sandy beach!
Cyclists Gear List, Everything You Need for A Bike Tour
More on Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway
Cycle Rules in Oregon | A Bicyclist’s Manual
Did you know, in Oregon, as a cyclist you’re technically considered a car and must oblige by vehicle road rules? Use that knowledge as the confidence to take over the lane when there’s not a safe shoulder and really own the road!
Cycling the Pacific Coast Bike Route Blog and Information
This post contains our gear list, all our daily journal entries, FAQs on cycling the PCH, and downloads to make your PCH cycle trip easier!
Next Daily Journal Entry on our Pacific Coast Highway Bike Tour
Interested in seeing what the next day of the tour holds? This post is for you! We cycled only 23.88 short miles but climbed over 2,000 feet in elevation! The views were to die for and the hard work was well appreciated on those downhill bits!
Previous Daily Journal Entry on our Pacific Coast Highway Bike Tour
Actually getting on Highway 101 was a dream come true — but we didn’t reach that dream without difficulty. A few problems in the day slowed us down, but didn’t break us… we were still full of happiness as we called it a night at nearly 60 miles.
Camping for Free on your Bike Tour
Interested in learning more about camping for free on your bike tour? We’re sharing ways to find free camping, what you need to know about free camping, and even our favorite places!
Have questions about day three, South Bend to Seaside? Need a bit more information about the trip as a whole? Or just want to share your experiences? We’d love to hear from you.. start a conversation below!