Originally Posted by
jppe
MoM is sold out??? Wow.......I was debating signing up but since I'm doing AOMM the Monday before I was thinking I'd probably not do it----just not sure I would recover like I used to!!
Would you let me know what the Va rides are you do? Seems like there are a couple you enjoyed up that way. I forgot to add Blue Ridge Breakaway. I need to plan on doing that again this year as well.
Here are my tentative plans for VA:
The
Big Walker on the 18th of May. Not too difficult and the trek over Walker mountain and down to 42, part of the Blue Grass highway is very nice. Not a large event, but a good one.
I will then scoot over to Lynchburg to ride the
Storming of Thunder Ridge the following day, on the 19th. I wanted to ride this last year but the weather did not cooperate. I'm sure you have ridden the Parkway from the James River crossing to Apple Orchard (Thunder Ridge). A 3200' contiguous climb.
The Wilderness Ride which precedes the MoM event and is hosted from Radford College. I rode the 78 mile route last year and will do so again this year. A very decent trek on some authentic routes Daniel Boone took on his way to Kentucky.
Mountain Mama should be on your must ride list. The 70 mile (or 67 as they call it) route is extremely scenic and includes 4 mountain passes - but none are very difficult. The full century includes 9 passes and is considerably more difficult - though the passes are more or less similar in scope. Typical VA mountains. But that trek down through Blue Grass valley is one of the prettiest areas I've ever seen. You're threading two mountain strains and the landscape is jaw dropping beautiful. Its also the headwaters of the Potomac River. JimF has ridden this event more than once.
The
Heart of VA Bike Festival. I've ridden this the past few years and its very well put together and executed. Just lots of fun and also covering some historic terrain - and mostly flat. It has a large draw.
The
Tour de Valley is another that I plan on - for the fifth year. Its a pretty route full of rural Shenandoah farmlands and on into Goshen Pass.
The
Shenandoah Bike Festival. Just a lot of fun on lots of rolling valley farmlands. Very similar to the Tour de Valley century and Staunton is a nice and historic city to visit.
Benges Revenge is one that I have wanted to ride but its a long drive for me and often occurs on conflicting dates with other events. Still, it remains on my list and I'll get there this year if I can. It includes the wicked High Knob mountain climb which Bicycling Magazine lists as one of the 10 best climbs (nice and steep).
There is also the
Allegheny Bike Festival out of Covington but this event conflicts with the Hot Doggett event...and I will not miss the Hot Doggett.
JimF knows some other rides in VA and if he reads this, perhaps he can fill us in a few more. VA certainly has some good cycling areas.