Love Cycling? 3 Regions You Need to Explore in Virginia
For those who enjoy cycling, finding places with a combination of access and scenery is an important component to creating a quality ride – and, thankfully, Virginia has plenty of both.
“There are hundreds of miles of bike trails right out our door for multiple ability levels,” says Frank Maguire, president of the Roanoke-based Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists (BROC). “We have a vibrant cycling community that is welcoming, and everyone can find their niche when it comes to riding.”
Plus, the state is filled with such beautiful natural attractions, like the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. As Culpeper-area cyclist Joe White says, “You always have a nice vista to look at when you’re out riding.”
Ahead, explore three sections of Virginia that are perfect for cycling.
Roanoke Region
Roanoke, Virginia, has the type of greenways and road-cycling opportunities one would expect from a city of nearly 100,000 people. This includes the Roanoke River Greenway, which provides more than 10 miles (and growing) of flat, paved trails within the city.
But because of its location in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is surrounded by numerous opportunities for mountain biking. In fact, the Blue Ridge is the only region on the East Coast designated as a Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
The nearest option is right at the edge of the city in the 568-acre Mill Mountain Park. Not only do the 10-plus miles of single-track paths offer picturesque views, but they take riders to the base of the iconic 88.5-foot-tall Roanoke Star perched atop the mountain, too.
About 10 miles north of the city, Carvins Cove Natural Reserve has more than 60 miles of trails within its 12,700 acres. Experienced mountain bikers can tackle the 1,500 feet of elevation change, while those looking for a more relaxing ride can travel alongside the 600-acre reservoir.
Back in Roanoke, the nearly 50-year-old Cardinal Bicycle shop holds multiple group rides each week. BROC also organizes rides and sponsors events, as do other groups in this pocket of Virginia, like PedalSafe, Roanoke Star Cycling and the all-female Roanoke Valley Riveters.
“We all come together for a few events each year,” Maguire says. “We may ride in different places, but it’s all one big community.”
Central Virginia
This region takes advantage of being central, because there are tremendous cycling opportunities all around.
“I can drive less than an hour in any direction from Culpeper, Virginia, and be at a great cycling spot,” White says. “There are just so many options for places to ride and so many cycling events, especially in the spring and fall when there is some sort of ride nearly every weekend.”
Regular events include the Tour de Madison (Madison County), Tour de Greene (Greene County), Culpeper Cycling Century (sponsored by Blue Ridge Cyclery) and Jefferson Cup (an official USA Cycling road race that has been held in Charlottesville since 1991). Charlottesville also hosts a citywide Bike Month celebration each May, with events for all ages and abilities.
As for places to ride, there are several mountain biking routes in Albemarle County, road cycling options in Orange County and gravel routes throughout the region.
White is president of the Culpeper Area Mountain Bike Organization, which is a trail system on private land that requires a membership to access, but he says free options are plentiful.
Among White’s recommendations are the 2,000-acre Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax Station (with stacked loop trails that become progressively more difficult the farther out you ride), 570-acre Preddy Creek Park in Charlottesville (with 16 miles of trails) and Shenandoah River State Park in Bentonville, which White says has wide trails and “is a great place for beginners.”
“There is a really good cycling community around here; everyone is supportive of one another,” White says. “A lot of the groups get together once a year and have a cookout. It lets you be active and build friendships.”
I81-I77 Crossroads
While this Virginia region is named after two interstates, it is an excellent area for backroad and off-road cycling.
“We have a lot of rural, very scenic areas with mountains that cyclists like to huff and puff over,” says longtime cyclist Andy Kegley of Wytheville. “The scenery is just wonderful.”
Before recently retiring as the executive director of the HOPE (now Open Door Community) service organization, Kegley helped establish the annual Century Ride that showcases some the best of that scenery, with a route traveling across Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway from Wythe County to Bland County.
Other places to pedal include the Iron Mountain Trail at the 200,000-acre Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Matthews State Forest in Grayson County and Hungry Mother State Park in Smyth County. There are also two popular rail-to-trail routes in the region, the 57-mile New River Trail from Galax to Pulaski and 35-mile Virginia Creeper Trail from Abingdon to the North Carolina border.
In addition, a portion of the cross-country U.S. Bicycle Route 76 – aka Bikecentennial – runs through the region. The Virginia section features more elevation gain than any other state on the trail.
“Hundreds of cyclists do that route every year,” Kegley says.
It is just one of the many reasons that when it comes to a great location for cycling, Virginia is on the right path.
This article is sponsored by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.