This report and route come courtesy of our own Mad Mike… Check it out!

Team S&M Forest Road 45 Gravel Grinder

May 20th @ 10am. Meeting point: Barton State Park

This ride is a favorite among us here at the shop & this is for many reasons. It’s close to town so you can ride out and make it a 100+ mile day, the feature climb is relatively chill, and the payoff for your effort is huge. Once above the climb a fast watershed traverse on hardpack gravel with Yugo-swallowing holes leads to two rad descents. The first is kinda sandy and is both narrow & fast. The second is a 10 mile paved descent with massive cracks in the road and many cracked-up rednecks shooting guns and driving their trucks. BOOM!

I will ride my cross tire equipped road bike, but I have comfortably done this on a 25c tire carbon road bike.

You will need at least three bottles between Barton and Estacada!!  There are no opportunities between these two spots.

You will need lots of food. And you might as well bring food, rather than gooey crap, ‘cause this isn’t a race.

You will need directions. Print this out or make your own better. Additional info: http:/www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/92524925

You will need everything else you need, because there is no support, no service, and no one is going to help you. You are responsible for your destiny; fate takes a back seat for this afternoon. SO: tubes, patches, pump (or 20000 CO2 cartridges) chain tool, allens, welding rod, etc… Fail, Flat, or Fart; You are on your own.

The meeting point, Barton Park, is a pay-use park. Give them 2 bucks and park at the bottom. People riding out can stay at the top if you wish, but not at the gas station – come to the park. Reset your computer to aid navigation, or know subtraction.

–       Cross the Clack River on Harding Mill/Bakers Ferry.

–       Left on Eaden. Cross Springwater Rd. at ~ 5miles.

–       Left on Matoon Rd. This is a tight, off-camber corner at the bottom of the hill. Hit the brakes and watch for cars. 5.2

–       Right on Redlands Rd. Mile 9

–       Left on Fellowes Rd. Climb 9.1

–       Left on Lower Highland, then Left on Upper Highland Rd. 13.4 , 13.5

–       Wait at OR-224, get a group to paceline, ‘cause the highway sucks. You’ll go Left. 17.5

–       Right on Hillockburn Rd. Climb begins in earnest – ~7 miles. Gravel at the top – becomes FR45. 19.5

–       Shred!!!!

–       Keep hanging left, staying on the obvious main road.

–       At ~mile 38 there are two right hand turns that look pretty identical. You’ll want the second at ~ 38.5/39 miles. Goes uphill to the right on a small, unused-looking road. Climb for one mile. If you ride 2 miles and come to a dead-end with a fire pit and a bunch of charred busch lite tallboys, you took the first right hand turn.

–       Stay on this road until 43.5. There is a fast, small descent with a touch more pedaling.

–       Left on FR-4550. T intersection and is the paved descent. Put on warm gear if needed and eat and

–       drink. You need wits for this. Watch out for washouts, howitzers, & tiger pits; they may be in the middle of the road. 43.5

–       Left on OR-224. 55

–       Left on Faraday Rd. This may be closed, was last year. The alternate route is climbing on OR-224. 58.5.

–       Left on OR-224. 63

–       Estacada, Burritos, tall boys. Continue on OR-224 until Barton Park. ~7

!!!!! !!!!! !!!! !!!!! Watch out for motorcycles and slack-jawed Cletus. !!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!!

Disclaimer: There are no guarantees of the correctness of this information. Mapmyride nor Sellwood Cycle Repair have up-to-date data on these roads. This is not a race, nor an event in any respect. I am going for a bike ride, and this is what I intend to do; failure or not.  You are welcome to fail with me. Coordinate with me at Michael@sellwoodcycle.com , especially if you’re interested in riding out from pdx – I’ll know to wait for you at Barton and coordinate other long-mile freaks like you. There will be absolutely no support, so own your s***.