Who has ridden the Skyline Drive in a day?
09-24-05, 09:21 PM
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Who has ridden the Skyline Drive in a day?
If so, what direction did you go and what did you think of the ride? Weather/life permitting, I'll be doing this ride on thursday, should be an amusing day.
09-24-05, 09:45 PM
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Originally Posted by watchman
If so, what direction did you go and what did you think of the ride? Weather/life permitting, I'll be doing this ride on thursday, should be an amusing day.
09-24-05, 09:59 PM
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I attempted it last year on my old GT Nomad, starting from Port Royal. Between the rain and being totally unprepared for the amount and distance of the climbs, needless to say it ended up taking two. I loved the downhills, though a deer scared the hell out of me by running alongside for a few hundred feet as I was flying down one at about 40mph.
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09-26-05, 03:48 PM
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Dang I figured someone in the Eastern mountains would have done this ride. I did manage to find the elevation profile, looks like I'll be hurting!! The ride apparently has over 15,000 feet of climbing in 105 miles, so any eastern riders looking for some extra climbing, here you go.
09-26-05, 03:55 PM
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Originally Posted by chipcom
I attempted it last year on my old GT Nomad, starting from Port Royal....
Over 100 miles of mountain riding. Quite a challenge for one day.
09-26-05, 04:24 PM
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Keep on climbing
I rode the upper third of it many times (i.e., Front Royal to Panorama). I think that's the hardest stretch -- there are about 4,000 feet of climbing in the first 20 miles. The middle third always struck me as being a lot easier, although I didn't do that stretch very often.
I rode from Panorama to Waynesboro and back over a weekend. It was something like 17,000 feet of climbing over 160 miles. I found the hardest climbs to be immediately after you crossed over the entrance points (i.e., the climb from Front Royal, the climb after Panorama, etc.). The middle third struck me as being the easiest stretch -- you have to get up to Skyland, but from there it's an easy stretch (for Skyline Drive at least) past Big Meadows, and then a screamer of a descent to the next entrance / exit point. Things might have changed a bit, but the bottom third didn't have the silky smooth pavement I remember from the northern 2/3rds. It's not bad, but it was a change.
One thing to remember is that there are limited opportunities to get supplies (food / water) and / or shelter up there. I've gotten caught in sudden storms up there once or twice, and it's not a fun experience. My friends and I did it in the summer -- stinking hot and humid. We did it on a Saturday / Sunday (southbound Saturday, northbound Sunday) and once we got south of Skyland, traffic died off in a big way. If you're doing it mid-week, there's going to be nobody there.
I have good memories of that trip. I don't know that there's a "preferred direction" -- either way is going to total around 10,000 feet of climbing. The northernmost 20 miles are definitely easier if you head north, but if you head south, you've got a large portion of the climbing out of the way early with your legs fresh. I don't recall there being anything consistently steeper then a consistent 6% or 7% grade, with the exception of northbound on Hogback Mountain (just north of Elkwallow, about mile 25).
I rode from Panorama to Waynesboro and back over a weekend. It was something like 17,000 feet of climbing over 160 miles. I found the hardest climbs to be immediately after you crossed over the entrance points (i.e., the climb from Front Royal, the climb after Panorama, etc.). The middle third struck me as being the easiest stretch -- you have to get up to Skyland, but from there it's an easy stretch (for Skyline Drive at least) past Big Meadows, and then a screamer of a descent to the next entrance / exit point. Things might have changed a bit, but the bottom third didn't have the silky smooth pavement I remember from the northern 2/3rds. It's not bad, but it was a change.
One thing to remember is that there are limited opportunities to get supplies (food / water) and / or shelter up there. I've gotten caught in sudden storms up there once or twice, and it's not a fun experience. My friends and I did it in the summer -- stinking hot and humid. We did it on a Saturday / Sunday (southbound Saturday, northbound Sunday) and once we got south of Skyland, traffic died off in a big way. If you're doing it mid-week, there's going to be nobody there.
I have good memories of that trip. I don't know that there's a "preferred direction" -- either way is going to total around 10,000 feet of climbing. The northernmost 20 miles are definitely easier if you head north, but if you head south, you've got a large portion of the climbing out of the way early with your legs fresh. I don't recall there being anything consistently steeper then a consistent 6% or 7% grade, with the exception of northbound on Hogback Mountain (just north of Elkwallow, about mile 25).
09-26-05, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by cc_rider
I think you mean Front Royal. Port Royal is over by the Chesapeake Bay....
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09-26-05, 07:33 PM
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About 10 yrs ago did unplanned completion solo (sort of see below). Road from Front Royal and planned to ride out eg 40-50 miles and back. Looked like storm approaching from North, so called my family, told them. Cont riding south to end; then on to Charlottesville where I was in school. Total was eg 120 miles. Storm never arose. Did not have keys to get into my apartment (hadn't planned to be there). Family very understanding and drove to CVille to pick me up from North of the Drive.
Don't recall any climbs on the Drive being too steep. It's the climbs onto the Drive from connecting roads that can be killer. The climb actually on the northern end from Front Royal is 5 mile, not steep, but long. Remember it well, b/c used to run up it.
Limited supplies.
Great views.
Have a great Day!!
Don't recall any climbs on the Drive being too steep. It's the climbs onto the Drive from connecting roads that can be killer. The climb actually on the northern end from Front Royal is 5 mile, not steep, but long. Remember it well, b/c used to run up it.
Limited supplies.
Great views.
Have a great Day!!
