Roanoke, WV- how's the riding?

[Becky]

I'm going to be in Roanoke, West Virginia for a few days this spring. Is it worth bringing a bike? Road or mountain?

Thanks in advance!

[tulip]

Bring your triple. I've ridden MTB there years (decades) ago, but not road. I will be there in a few weeks, and I'm hoping that the weather will cooperate and I'll bring my bike for commuting between my hotel and the conference I will be attending.

I think there might be a Roanoke cycling club of some sort, but I don't know the specifics.

[Becky]

Heh....no triple in my stable. A compact will have to do.... Maybe it's time to buy that triple crankset, just in case.

I'll look around for an area club for road route ideas. I'm thinking that it may be too wet in the spring for the MTB :(

[Becky]

Bump....

[tulip]

I assumed you meant Virginia, not West Virginia. I hope you have a good time. Lots of hills, obviously.

[Becky]

Thanks!

I didn't even know that there was a Roanoke WV until I got the travel notice. Looks like it's not too far from either Charleston or Clarksburg, if that opens up any ride suggestions....

[OakLeaf]

Oh, I thought you meant Roanoke, VA, too. Looking at the map, you might get more response if you mention Stonewall Jackson State Park. Most of the towns of that size are barely a blip on the map, no one who doesn't live there would've heard of them, and sometimes people who live there have never heard of the town names that are on the maps!

I don't know the area on a bici, but I'll run it by a friend of mine who rides in WV quite a bit. Just be very, very careful of coal and logging trucks, and any time you're in a blind turn, expect that oncoming traffic will be more than half in your lane.

It's beautiful country. Have fun!


ETA: Oh, I didn't notice that mountain bike was an option. I'll ask my friend about that, too. How far would you be able to drive to get to a trail?

[Becky]

Thanks, Oak!

[OakLeaf]

I'm sending my friend's response via PM because there are a couple of names and email addresses in it.

Just to get something out in public here, this is the club that he sometimes rides with in the area: http://crcyclists.org/

[tulip]

I had never heard of Roanoke, West Virginia. You might want to call around to some area bike shops. That's what I did when I went to Texas and it worked great. Some have ride maps, some had organized rides, and one guy just told us where to ride and it was fantastic. I'd start at the bike shops.

[aicabsolut]

I don't know Roanoke, but Clarksburg isn't far from Morgantown. There are some clubs/shops around there.