Fifty Plus (50+) - VA. Creeper trail?

I would like to go ride the VA. Creeper but don't have a MTN bike. My Giant FCR will take a much larger tire than the 23's I have on it. How big a tire would I need to ride there?

Or is this a good reason to buy a MTN bike?:D
Or do I even need a good reason?:D:D
Or do I even need a MTN bike?:D:D:D
Or do I have to need one to buy one?:D:D:D:D

Realy what size tire would I need?

Yes.
Not really.
Yes.
No.
2.1 should be fine.

Well-there is a bike shop in Damacus that would rent you a bike for the day if that helps any.

Well-there is a bike shop in Damacus that would rent you a bike for the day if that helps any.

jppe Have you rode the creeper?

If so what is it like?

Look at a mountain bike as good crosstraining for the road. Only problem is that you can have so much fun on a gnarly trail that you may not want to go back to a road bike. Or you may not be able to with a broken leg and a muscles aching that you never knew you had.

jppe Have you rode the creeper?

If so what is it like?

I have but it was a few years ago. From Whitetop to Damacus it's pretty much downhill but good "trails". It seems like it is much flatter from Damacus to Abington. There are probably even more bike rentals and even shuttles available these days.

it is 17 miles downhill... whitetop to Damascus.. could do on a road bike with big tires ---take it easy

nice road any rental bike wouldbe fine.... it is an EASY ride... very pretty at times along the stream

enjoy

There are many places to rent a MTB in Damascus and all offer a shuttle service to Whitetop so you can ride back to Damascus the 18 miles or so. By renting, you can find out if you like to ride on a MTB! It is fun to ride UP the trail, too, which is about a 3% grade and there are many great picnic spots along the way. The ride from Damascus to Abingdon has some grades up and some down, and it is mostly shaded on the whole ride, though the Damascus to Abingdon half has more open areas. It is a wonderful place to ride, especially for beginners, though everyone will enjoy the change of pace along this scenic ride.

If you are a geocacher, there are numerous caches along the trail and it is fun to join these two activities along the trail. My only recommendation is that you do not go on the weekend as it is really crowded. The weekdays are good in the morning and it is a beautiful ride. It is NOT recommended to use a road bike with tires under 32mm. There are rocks, trestles to cross and ciders to ride on. A MTB works much better.

Good luck and enjoy your ride! :)

I rode a bit of the Creeper Trail when we were on the TransAmerica, but gave up on it and used the road because the trail was crowded with clueless riders on rentals going the other way on the wrong side and not watching. That said it looked like it would be very pleasant to ride with the flow of traffic and the surface was pretty good. I wouldn't hesitate to ride it even on really skinny tires. The 32mm tires on our touring bikes were perfect, but narrower would be fine.

If you want to buy a MTB, buy one, but this trip wouldn't be the reason unless the part of the trail that I saw wasn't typical of all of it.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there were a few rental places, but the one right next to the trail at the 90 degree bend in the road was really nice and stocked lots of bike parts, and other outdoor stuff like camping gear in addition to bike sales and rentals. I think the town was Damascus, but I am not certain without checking.

The town is definitely Damascus, VA and there are numerous bike shops and rental shops. Adventure Damascus, in the East end of the main street (it is about five blocks long) has lots of bike parts, clothing, and accessories, as well as rentals. There is also Mt. Rogers Outfitters, a block down, which has all kinds of camping gear. Since the Appalachian Trail goes right through town, you will see hikers, too. The town caters very well to both groups and is considered the "Friendliest Town on the AT."

I agree that there are tons of people on the trail and that many are absolute newbies so be careful if you ride this trail, and as I said before, the weekends are packed...avoid them like the plague.

This is from this years Bike Virginia website, Day 4 included an option to ride the creeper trail

Mountain Bike Rental

If you choose to ride the Creeper Trail at Bike Vriginia, it is best to use a mountain, hybrid, or cruiser bike while doing so. The Creeper Trail is a 34.3 mile public shared-use trail that connects Abingdon, VA with the Virginia-North Carolina border. The trail is not paved. Mountain bike rentals are available in limited supply by vendors. Click here to see the list of rental vendors. (http://www.bikevirginia.org/2008/activities/CreeperTrailRentals.htm) On Tuesday, the Red Route will take you to the Creeper Trail from Tent City. You can then ride the trail to Damascus (lunch) and back. Another option is to take a shuttle to White Top at the end of the Creeper Trail and ride the trail back to Abingdon.

I just recently bought my first MTB. It's a lot of fun and completely different to ride than my Jamis Coda Elite. I like them both a lot. I'm maybe a little nutty, but I really like the MTB's fear factor when I get off the easier parts, I keep falling, but not getting hurt (yet). About the cross training part, I've only been on the MTB for less than a month, but I can already tell a difference when I get back on the Coda.

Buy your own MTB and I bet you will :love: it too.:thumb:

I did the ride a few years ago on a hybrid with 32mm tires without a problem. It's a great ride. I actually rode it twice, downhill with my kids (who loved it) and both directions the next morning at dawn. If you ride that early the tourists aren't an issue.