Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was the state divided into regions and where are the splits on the region map located?
The regions are groupings of counties delineating logical geographical sections of the state. These regions allow the site visitor to narrow their ride search to more targeted locations, as well as allowing the site developers to offer large enough maps to make it a meaningful experience for site visitors. The east/west region boundaries follow county lines along the crest of the Cascade Mountain Range. The north/south region boundaries follow arbitrary county lines.
NW Region Counties
- Benton
- Clackamas
- Clatsop
- Columbia
- Lincoln
- Linn
- Marion
- Multnomah
- Polk
- Tillamook
- Washington
- Yamhill
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SW Region Counties
- Coos
- Curry
- Douglas
- Jackson
- Josephine
- Lane
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NE Region Counties
- Baker
- Crook
- Deschutes
- Gilliam
- Grant
- Hood River
- Jefferson
- Morrow
- Sherman
- Umatilla
- Union
- Wallowa
- Wasco
- Wheeler
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SE Region Counties
- Harney
- Klamath
- Lake
- Malhuer
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- Is this all there is? Absolutely not! This site will be in a constant state of evolution. As the site authors get out and ride this great state, new ride reports will appear regularly. From any page, click on the "Go" button to sign up for our newsletter and stay abreast of new content.
- What mapping software is used for this site? In the summer of 2007, we began converting our ride report maps to Google maps. Inevitably, we'll ride the roads without GPS tracks again, allowing us to make the Google maps a site wide feature. The purpose of the ride maps is to give the site visitor an overview of where in the state the ride is located and what it generally looks like. We feel Google maps, with their ability to be zoomed and panned give a better and more complete site experience. As an added bonus, wherever we have Google maps, we also have a Google Earth file. Click on it and fly to the ride with the free Google Earth. Where we don't have GPS tracks, we use either Microsoft Streets & Trips or the free Oregon State PDF. A rare map or elevation profile from Delorme Topo USA will be used when necessary. To help illustrate a large map in limited web page space, we've utilized Zoomify technology from Zoomify.com. This software allows us to display a whole region on a web page for an overall view while letting the user zoom in and pan the map for a more detailed view of a route.
- How do I find ride reports? The state is divided up into four regions: NE, NW, SE & SW. Individual regions and a state overview map are linked from the left hand side navigation links. We suggest clicking on the "State Overview" link to get oriented to the mapping paradigm. From there, or from the individual region links, you'll be taken to a specific region where you'll find a zoomable/pannable region map and a drop-down list of rides. Clicking on the map icons or choosing a ride from the drop-down list takes you to a ride report. Click on the blue "?" for map usage tips.
- By what criteria is a road judged as Easy, Difficult, or otherwise? Unfortunately, no hard criterion exists. The ratings are purely subjective based on the reviewers impressions the day it is ridden. We do feel that because the site is developed by only two fairly like-minded riders, over time the comparisons from one road to another will be consistent. Road conditions can change over time, significantly altering a road's degree of difficulty. Because of this, a feedback button can be found at the bottom of every report.
- Can anyone submit road reports? For continuity and editorial control, we will not accept original reports for rides that are not yet documented on the site. However, we strongly encourage you to submit your comments on documented rides by clicking on the "Comment On This Ride" button located at the bottom of every ride report. Every effort will be made to include your comments when appropriate.
- Why doesn't the site work on my computer? Every effort was made to build the site for the compatibility of every browser and platform. We've limited the size of our graphics so a user with a screen resolution as low as 800x600 should see all page components the way the site authors intended.
By necessity, a good ride site should utilize maps and pictures. These components tend to be bandwidth intensive. Admittedly, dial-up users will have some waiting to do for some pages to load completely. We believe it will be worth the wait for our detailed and informative reports.
The site uses modern design standards. Some problems could arise if you are using older browsers. We strongly recommend you take the minimal time needed to update your browsers. Follow these links for the latest browser version:
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Netscape Navigator
Opera
Mozilla Firefox
The region maps utilize Flash for the zoom and pan features. If the maps don't work properly, get the latest version here:
Macromedia Flash Player
Last, but not least, you must have JavaScript enabled on your browser to take full advantage of the web site. JavaScript is just too ubiquitous on the web these days for you to not enable it. To find out how, click here.
- I signed up for your e-mail newsletter. Why am I not receiving it? If you signed up to receive our e-mail newsletter and you're not getting it, there could be a number of reasons. 1) You may have misspelled your e-mail address when signing up. 2) Your ISP is flagging it as spam and it lies in your junk e-mail box somewhere. 3) The account you used to sign up is no longer valid. 4) Any number of other cyber-reasons. Our first newsletter was sent out on January 28, 2006. Newsletters are sent approximately once a month.
You can try to sign up again, or probably the best way to assure you get on our list is to e-mail us directly at mail@oregonmotorcyclist.com.
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