Finding Local Bike Routes

It’s off season now so every Sunday I have been going on a long group bike ride with a different route every weekend that we have organized ourselves. What’s even more fun is we have been ending our ride with beer at a local restaurant that just opened called the Wasena City Tap Room.  It’s in an ideal location right off of our Roanoke Valley Greenway, which is our no traffic route for biking, walking, running, or skating.  And, boy is that some good beer with a great selection after a long ride! The only problem is then biking up hill to get home after such great beer! My favorite beer on tap from there is the Foothills Hoppyum IPA.  A really smooth session Indian Pale Ale and oh so good after many miles on the road!

Wasena City Tap Room

Foothills Session IPA

We have found routes through friends and just by exploring but here are a few of many places you can find some routes:

1. www.mapmyride.com

2. http://www.traillink.com/ - for biking on trails

3. http://bike.meetup.com/ - groups with routes all over the world

4. http://www.active.com/cycling - lists all sorts of group rides and races

5. Your local bike shop might organize group rides. Here is a list of bike rides and sources listed from our local bike shop, East Coasters, website: http://eastcoasters.com/tips/cycling-links-pg20.htm

6. Your local bike group(s) such as The Blue Ridge Bike Club in Roanoke, VA which has a ride calendar and maps and The Roanoke Cycling Organization. 

The Blue Ridge Bike Club has an amazing list of resources and bike routes! Definitely my go-to if I’m searching for a local ride!

7. Your local triathlon club – such as the Roanoke Valley Triathlon Club in Roanoke, VA.

I am lucky in that I have some pretty amazing training grounds close by. I can bike 4 miles on country roads to get to our Greenway or I can bike half a mile and jump on the Parkway. Some of my favorite local rides are below. Many of these are well known, established routes. This is just a sampler of some of my favorites! Some of the routes listed are from one place to the next without the return mileage.

1. Climbing the Mill Mountain back road followed by the Roanoke Mountain Loop – http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155910331 - From Walnut Avenue in Roanoke which you can access from the Greenway, take a right onto Sylvan Road and keep climbing to the top of Mill Mountain. A pretty easy climb up and there is no vehicular traffic except for one residence so this is great! Once you leave Mill Mountain, take a right on the Parkway and a left at the next stop sign where you will see the Roanoke Mountain loop on your right. A fun steep climb with some breaks in steepness in-between. 

My friend Natalie and I at the Roanoke Star Overlook

Me, husband Rob, Uncle David
at the Roanoke Star Overlook after the first climb

Uncle David, Friend Natalie, me, husband Rob at the Roanoke Star 

My friend Natalie and I at the top of the Roanoke Mountain Loop (second climb)

2. Three Peaks - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1652156  - WOW – looking for a challenge? Try going up the Salem side of Twelve O’Clock Knob road on a tri-bike! This is a fun route with lots of climbing and quite a challenging and long climb on the Salem side of Twelve O’Clock knob road!

Me and friends Natalie and Beth

My husband Rob and I

3. Slings Gap – http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155912551 - You can jump on the Parkway anywhere in Roanoke, including from the Greenway and head south on the Parkway and if you keep riding you will end up at Slings Gap. It’s an easy climb to get there and beautiful views!

Slings Gap

4. The James River to the Peaks of Otter – http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155919849 - Park at the James River Visitor Center and head up towards the Peaks of Otter. This is one beautiful and easy climb. The views and peace on the road are totally worth it!

View on the way up to the Peaks of Otter from the James River Visitor Center

5. The Peaks of Otter over the Parkway from around Explore Park-

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155918177 - This has some steeper but shorter climbs and some rolling hills to land you at the Peaks of Otter. Sadly the restaurant just closed but they have a nice Parkway Visitor Center and you could always take a hike around the lake once you arrive if you haven’t had enough on the bike yet!

Views on the way to the Peaks of Otter from Explore Park

Views on the way to the Peaks of Otter

Peaks of Otter

6. The Yellow Mountain, Bandy Road Loop –

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155916219 - this is a scenic low-traffic ride in town which you can access right off of the Greenway. From Jefferson Street which you can jump on from the Greenway, take a left onto Yellow Mountain Road. Follow Yellow Mountain Road all the way to Bandy Road where you will take a left. Bandy will end at Garden City Boulevard where you will take a right. Once you get to the stoplight you can easily jump back on the Greenway from the adjacent IGA Supermarket parking lot.

Post Ride Stop at the Wasena City Tap Room with friends Liz and Beth

7. Following the Greenway – You can follow the newest section of the Greenway next to the sewage treatment plant, come back, jump on at the sewage treatment plant, and follow the Roanoke side of the Greenway as far as it goes. Then you will need to ride on a busy traffic road for about four miles before you can connect with the Salem side of the Greenway. Once the Roanoke side ends, take a left onto Bridge Street, a right onto Mountain View Terrance, right onto Memorial, bear left onto Edgewood, right onto Brandon (high traffic road), and once you cross the River past the 419 intersection you can get onto the Salem Greenway. You would be surprised that this ride turned into a 42 mile bike ride! This we had not expected! It was fun to go out and explore this route!

Stop off at the Wasena City Tap Room after our Greenway Exploration
with husband Rob, friend Bruce, and Uncle David

Husband Rob and I after a long bike ride this last Sunday
 which took us from around Explore Park to a well known local
route on Harborwood and Wildwood in Salem (not listed
above but can be found on the Blue Ridge Bike Club website)

So while it is offseason – or even in-season, get out there and explore some local routes and think about stopping at a fun eatery or tap room like the Wasena City Tap Room where you can enjoy the comfort of a good ride, good friends, and a good beer – or just a cup of soup or hot cocoa if beer isn’t your thing.  Happy Riding!