Shenandoah Valley Touring
09-05-21, 09:02 PM
#1
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Shenandoah Valley Touring
I live in Augusta Co, VA where it seems like very few back roads have any shoulder to speak of. As I try to up my mileage in the area, does anyone have any recommendations for specific areas/roads/routes to check out?
thanks!
thanks!
09-07-21, 02:48 PM
#2
don't try this at home.
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Check out the Strava Heat Map. It's two years of uploaded rides, with the roads color coded by popularity. Gray: no activity. Dim red: little activity. White hot: very popular. Zoom in, and the colors readjust to local popularity, giving more insight into the different roads.
Click "Labels" to see road and town names. The URL saves the current view as a bookmark/favorite.
Here's your Augusta County area:
https://www.strava.com/heatmap#11.70...16886/hot/ride
I see most roads are quite popular. The dim red ones are avoided for one or more reasons: Too much traffic, or it's way out of the way for most riders, or it's gravel.
Just because a road is popular, you might not want to ride it: Some notorious steep climbs are, uh, "popular". Some roads are the only feasible way to connect two regions, but might annoying to ride. Some gravel roads are quite popular with gravel and mountain bike riders.
I can spot mountain bike trails on the map, too, looking like a pile of spaghetti sometimes.
Click "Labels" to see road and town names. The URL saves the current view as a bookmark/favorite.
Here's your Augusta County area:
https://www.strava.com/heatmap#11.70...16886/hot/ride
I see most roads are quite popular. The dim red ones are avoided for one or more reasons: Too much traffic, or it's way out of the way for most riders, or it's gravel.
Just because a road is popular, you might not want to ride it: Some notorious steep climbs are, uh, "popular". Some roads are the only feasible way to connect two regions, but might annoying to ride. Some gravel roads are quite popular with gravel and mountain bike riders.
I can spot mountain bike trails on the map, too, looking like a pile of spaghetti sometimes.
09-07-21, 02:52 PM
#3
don't try this at home.
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I've borrowed lots of routes from ridewithgps.com. It has a "Find" search to help narrow the searches. Some of the found routes are not well thought out, picking busy roads or skipping an interesting alternate route. But many ride on amazing country roads, quiet and scenic.
I've worked on editing routes locally for 15 years now. I still find ways to refine them or ride in less familiar areas. Getting ideas from other rider's routes is a great place to start.
Doing some local group rides is good too, riding away from your familiar areas.
I've worked on editing routes locally for 15 years now. I still find ways to refine them or ride in less familiar areas. Getting ideas from other rider's routes is a great place to start.
Doing some local group rides is good too, riding away from your familiar areas.
09-07-21, 02:55 PM
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Beautiful area that you live in! I had no issues on this route in spite of no shoulders. I rode it back in July:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37432023
I'm a flatlander from Illinois but I have friends who live in Harrisonburg. I adapted this route from a permanent that is now inactive through RUSA (Randonneurs USA). I started at a park so that I could leave my car there all day while I went riding.
Yes, you have hills in your area!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37432023
I'm a flatlander from Illinois but I have friends who live in Harrisonburg. I adapted this route from a permanent that is now inactive through RUSA (Randonneurs USA). I started at a park so that I could leave my car there all day while I went riding.
Yes, you have hills in your area!
