What makes an out-of-town trail sparkle? Should we seek out new trails, or keep our footprint small and ride local?

I’m out of town, visiting family near where mountain biking was born. In northern California I’m able to ride out the front door and be at the trail head  of a 5,000-acre park within 5-minutes. Once inside the park I can challenge myself on singletrack designed and maintained by cows, or man-made sidehill trails that dizzy the rider with the vertigo-inducing steep hillside dropping away below. Within an hour or two’s drive are some legendary trails, like Mount Tam and Santa Cruz.

Teetering on the totter at Danville, VA's Angler's Ridge trails

Before heading out to Cali, I wanted to get in an out-of-town ride with our weekly ride group. We headed south an hour, to Danville, VA, and hit the Angler’s Ridge Trails for a day of fun and flow. We are already talking about a trip up to the sharp-edged rock gardens of Sherando Lake State Park and a weekender to Pisgah National Forest in the spring.

Many people have to drive an hour to set their fat tires on good singletrack. However, I live within 12-minutes of a 60-mile trail system. So, why do we mountain bikers always seek out different places to ride? I think it’s a form of A.D.D.  We like trying different things – that’s why we ride on trails, with all their varying surfaces and terrain, instead conformed ribbons of pavement. So, getting off of home turf and trying something new feeds off of a basic need in mountain biking. The need for variety.

So, enjoy your local trails and get to know them well. After all, it’s your home turf. However, also take the time to get out and try something different. You won’t believe how it will improve your riding and inspire you to keep on riding.

© Big Mountain Riding

Big Mountain Riding Fan Page

Big Mountain Riding is on Facebook. Join our community as a fan. We post b-roll footage and outtakes along with the best photos from bigmountainriding.com Also, you can tune in for info on upcoming group rides. It’s a community too, so feel free to share your fan photos, etc.

© Big Mountain Riding

Keith tackling the Dam Trail switchbacks on his first ride - way to kick it!

Story & Photos: Randy King

Part III – Highlighting the “best” of the mountain’s trails.

Scott working those Jedi skills on The Playground

Candler’s Mountain and the Liberty Mountain Trail System are located on the outskirts of Lynchburg, VA, next to Liberty University. The mountain is easy to spot from a distance because of two distinct and recent man-made additions. One is the giant LU monogram and the other is the only Snowflex recreation facility in the U.S. Hidden in the trees that cover most of the rest of the mountain’s many ridges and ravines are dozens of trails harboring miles of entertainment and challenge for mountain bikers of all levels. It is a big mountain riding destination; one could ride all day here without duplicating many yards of trails. Please see the Getting There page for a trail map and more details on access, eats and lodging. If you are looking for someone to ride with while you explore the trails, feel free to contact me via the comments feature at the bottom of this post, or at rides@bigmountainriding.com

The best part of the recent improvements is the naming / marking of the main trails and the improved rescue-factor thanks to way-point markers and additional fire roads. Also, the most-used single track has been made more sustainable.

Symbols for trail rating:

NOTE: All ratings are based on if the rider rode the entire trail in its standard course. They are more realistic than the ratings published by Liberty University and are based on extensive riding and observation of other riders on this trail system year-round. (However, the trail names are color-coded to LU’s rating – which is based mostly on distance – Green=Beginner, Blue=Intermediate, Yellow=Advanced)

◊ – intermediate = requires conditioned cardiovascular fitness, strong legs and good balance. Experience in riding off road.
♦ – advanced = requires the above and conditioned bike handling skills on narrow and uneven trails. May feature short steep sections that border on very advanced.
♦♦ – very advanced = requires the above and features sections with dire consequences for the rider who loses control. Some inclines will require walking up/down by all but very advanced riders.
Θ – not public knowledge = These trails are not on the map and these names are not commonly used. However, feel free to seek them out and to use the names.

Best Singletrack:

◊Lower Dam Trail - The flowier of the two Dam trails. Swoops along the lower side of the mountain and takes the rider instantly to a good place.
◊Upper Dam Trail – More of a workout than its lower sibling. Rougher as well. For a fast loop, do a circuit of both Dam trails (15-30 min. DOE)
♦Alternate Flight Pattern - A fun, tough trail that dives into ravines and treks up slopes as it winds around the mountain. Hard to follow where the new road intersects the trail.

Chris charging a log on A Walk in The Woods

Best technical trails:

♦♦Split Decision – The main decision for most riders is to turn away to something easier, but this is a rewarding challenge for very advanced riders. This bad boy features steeps on both ends and nary a flat spot between. Lots of logs, roots and rocks.
♦♦The Playground – Boasts one of the steepest sections on the mountain. Bring your iron lungs and any inner-demons you want to scourge.
♦Psycho-Pathé – Technical fun fest. Narrow lines and rougher options abound. Mind-emptying at speed.
♦Lake Trail – The soul of Eastern mountain biking. Side hill, stream-side to lake side. Mellow, with challenging sections to keep you focused.

Best cardio-climbs:

♦Powerline Loop – This is a torturous climb, especially in the warmer months. Great for building climbing skill and power, though. Finishes with a rough DH.
◊Monogram Rd (from Top Ridge Trail head to the gazebo atop the monogram) – Good section for working on tiered intervals. May make you hate yourself and your bike if you overdo it.
♦Luge Trail to Peak 2 Peak to the gazebo – If you’re in it to pin it, then dive into the woods on Upper Dam and take this route popular with hikers all the way up.

Best Rogue trails:

◊ Rogue’s Gallery (Five Points to Split Decision)
♦Θ Rogue 1 (Snowflex drive Candlers Mt. Trail head) – a fast alternative to descending Candler’s Climb or Candler’s Mt Rd.
♦♦Θ Going Rogue DH (Monogram Rd to gas line / US 460) – don’t even think about it unless very experienced or very brash. Drops faster than the Dow in a recession.
♦Θ Rogue Leader DH (Peak 2 Peak/The Playground intersection to Five Points) – an alternative, shorter descent to Five Points.

Tackling the woodwork - the evolution continues

Best far-out trails:

♦ A Trail Too Far – an instant classic that is different every time one rides it. A peaceful stream side saunter, pushing the pace brings out the bite.
♦Θ Oil Jug (Its namesake is the only marker for the entry to this back country beauty. It is far out and limited release.)
♦Θ Blind Faith (an old-school, sweet singletrack bypass for some of Lake Hydeaway Rd. Watch for fire road to the right when Camp Hydeaway Rd veers left. Blind Faith is a singletrack off to the left at the top of the rise.)
♦♦Θ The Ghost (You’d feel like Hiawatha or Hawkeye on this extremely narrow front face side hill trail if it weren’t for the encroaching development and city sprawled out below.)

© 2009 Big Mountain Riding

Athletic rebels swathed in Lycra, zipping in and out of traffic to beat the delivery deadline, watch their livelihood evaporate.

Peddling a Service Pinch-Flatted by the Economy and Heightened Security

By Steve Hendrix

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Getting a meticulously prepared legal brief to a courthouse or federal agency on time used to require a bit of comic-book valor. Just before deadline, exhausted lawyers handed off the document to a character in the tight Lycra of a superhero, the shoulder bag of a Pony Express rider and the bulging thighs of an athlete. One of Washington’s legions of bicycle messengers would then dart through perilous traffic and any weather to deliver the goods in the nick of time.

Now, as the last of the area’s courts and agencies begin to allow electronic filings instead of demanding piles of paper, deadline dramas in many law offices are being reduced to little more than hitting the “send” button.

The courier business — for decades a quirky by-product of Washington’s No. 1 industry, paper-pushing — finds itself in rapid decline. Tighter security restrictions imposed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have closed off many government office corridors to couriers, and the recession has dampened activity at law firms and lobbying shops, rendering the life of a time-sensitive document in the District a lot more boring.

The number of full-time couriers in Washington has fallen from a high of about 400 in the 1990s to about 150, said Andy Zalan, a longtime bike messenger and head of the D.C. Bicycle Couriers Association.

Read the rest of the Washington Post article.

Handcrafted turns like this one set the Montvale Trails apart

Fun alternatives are built into the Montvale Trails

Ahead, the red dirt trail dipped downhill to the right and dove into a tight switchback. It straightened out for a moment, only to dive into another descending turn. This sweeper featured a robust berm, and my bike railed right around the curve, setting me up to carry through the needed momentum for the upcoming short climb. This was Ridgeline, a 1/2 mile, mostly downhill “Expert” trail at Bedford County’s newest trail system, the Montvale Trails. It bears the trademark flow and handcrafted swooping turns of its designer, Bedford County’s Trails Manager, Kenny Palmer. Trails like this bring sheer joy, and have to be experienced to be appreciated – they add up to much more than what you see on paper.

Kenny’s other work includes Bedford’s Falling Creek Park and Lynchburg’s Peaks View Park. He knows how to maximize the mileage from terrain, and he knows how to make fun trails.

The park features approximately 6.5 miles of easy, intermediate and expert labeled single track with a dirt access road running up the middle (sort of). The access road serves as a self-powered lift line for getting back up to the top, vertically-speaking. This means that you can rail the descents and save some fuel on the climb back. Don’t believe that any of these trails only goes downhill. However, many of the trails work their way down the ridge from the parking lot on Quarterwood Road, with lots of ups and downs along the way.

The hardest part is getting there for this trail system. While it is off a major highway, it is far from a town of any size. And the 10-car parking lot currently is not marked (unlike the trails), so careful navigation is a must. I’ve included the coordinates, for those with a GPSr. About a 35-mile drive from Lynchburg, where I live, the Montvale Trails system is high on my list of “Let’s do something different today” trails.

Personal fav’s:

Beale Treasure Trail (Intermediate) – Just plain fun. Starts just off the access road, which it crisscrosses on its way down the ridge. Just over a mile, the trail features lots of turns, varied terrain like log crossings, off-camber sections, bermed turns, etc. My favorite. High point, approx. 1090 feet; low point: approx. 950 feet.

The woods are dark at the bottom of Moto X

Moto X (Expert) – Although only a little more than a half mile, this trail features the longest straight downhill sections in the park. Starting out at approx. 1125 feet, bermed turns at the top lead into a straight shot of gravity that speeds the rider into the more complex part of the trail. Intersecting with the park’s only other “Expert” trail, Ridgeline, Moto X doglegs to the right and then drops to its lowest point (approx. 735 feet), an au naturel creek crossing that requires poise and balance to successfully maneuver. The remainder of the trail snakes through the dark woods, angling along hillsides and crossing the creek a few more times before dumping out on the access road.

Vital info:

Trail Map

GPS coordinates for the parking lot: 37.36317° N 079.70798° W

From Lynchburg: 460W to Montvale, pass elementary school on left, turn left directly across from the “Roadside Market” onto Quarterwood Rd (VA 691).  Go approximately 1.5 miles and the entrance is on your left.

From Roanoke: 460E to Montvale, you will pass Buchanan’s Auto Auction on your Right  and then you will take your next Right onto Quarterwood Rd (VA 691).  Go approximately 1.5 miles and the entrance is on your left.

© 2009 Big Mountain Riding

Find friendly competition at a local race

Local mountain bike races provide a fun format for increasing your skills, feeding the competitive animal inside and meeting other regional riders. Additionally, these homegrown events are often hosted by local bike shops or bike-friendly organizations. So, supporting them supports the local cycling scene (trail access, community awareness, availability of bikes and parts).

However, many intermediate and veteran riders are intimidated by racing, seeing it as a fiercely competitive format for super humans who live on their bikes. Don’t be. If you’ve been riding for awhile, check out the local racing scene to spice up your normal riding schedule and style.

Visit your local bike shop and ask about races, check out their bulletin board or web site. Keep an eye peeled at trailhead kiosks for race posters. Do a Google search for mountain bike races in your area. Once you find one, check out the course, to make sure it is within your skills and abilities. Then sign-up! Go into the event planning to have fun, stay safe, all the while pushing yourself. The experience will change the way you look at riding.

Here is a sampling of upcoming local events in the mid-Atlantic area:

TWISTED TIRE / FALL CUP -  Ashland, VA Sunday, September 13, 2009

MIDDLE MOUNTAIN MOMMA – Clifton Forge, VA Sunday, September 27, 2009

MONTVALE MAYHEM MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE – Montvale, VA, Saturday, October 10, 2009

ASSAULT ON LIBERTY MOUNTAIN – Lynchburg, VA, Saturday, October 24, 2009

TIDEWATER MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE – Williamsburg, VA, Sat.-Sun., October 25 & 25, 2009

©Big Mountain Riding

Railing the classic bridge on LU's A Trail Too Far

Second Annual Assault On Liberty Mountain

This is a challenging, fun event in the heart of Virginia. Dishing up 19-miles of back-country style riding, the Liberty Mountain race shows off some of the breadth of the trail system (while leaving lots of the extensive trail system to be explored.) Last year’s event was an eye-opener for many regional riders who had not previously pedaled this recently upgraded trail system.

Support local trails! Sign-up as a show of the strength of the local cycling community.

October 24, 2009

Camp Hydeaway

(Google Street Address: Lake Front Dr. Rustburg, VA 24588)

10:00 am START!

Click Here, to download application.

Click Here, to register online.

For more information or questions e-mail Race Director Joshua Yeoman

DOWNLOAD THE COURSE MAPS – GREAT FOR PRE-RIDING COURSE!

Pro/Expert/Sport Course Map

Novice Course Map

Trail Map:

Click here for a photo map of the trails. Sorry, no topo map is available currently.

Trail heads:

Candlers Mountain Trail Head: The most used and most convenient. Located across Candler’s Mountain Rd from the Wingate Inn. Paved, lit parking available. When entering the Wingate Parking lot, park in the overflow lot to the right. Be courteous and responsible so others can enjoy this convenient parking. Watch for cars when crossing the road. A kiosk with a large map is located just into the woods. Nearest street address: 3777 Candlers Mtn. Road Lynchburg, VA 24502

460 Trail Head: +/- 100-yards downhill from the Candler’s Mountain Trail Head.

Hydeaway Trail Head: Easiest access to more easier grade trails. A small gravel parking area (4-cars). A kiosk with a large map is right across the chained entrance. Don’t block the drive completely – in case emergency vehicles need to rescue you or somebody else. Follow Candler’s Mt. Rd to intersection with Camp Hydeaway Rd, right before Candler’s Mt. Rd. ends at a T-intersection. Turn left on Camp Hydeaway Rd. Parking lot is on your left at the bottom of the first hill after leaving civilization. Nearest street address: Lake Front Dr. Rustburg, VA 24588

Top Ridge Trail Head: Have fun finding this one! Allows a different take on some well-used trails. Access Top Ridge Rd / State Route 837  on your right off of Old Rustburg Road – Take Martin Street off of Campbell Ave next to the US 460 interchange.

Lodging

Lynchburg has most of the national chain hotels. For ease of access though, you can’t beat the Wingate Inn, located across from the main trail head.

Eats

American family fare: Sundae Grill – On your right 1/4 mile downhill from Candlers Mountain Trail Head.

American fare with brews: Macado’s – On your right just past the Sundae Grill.

Mediterranean – Kabob Grill - From Candlers Mountain Trail Head, get on 460 W and take the next exit, Wards Rd. Turn left at the entrance to Target / McDonald’s. Kabob Grill is in the strip mall to your right – across from McDonald’s.

Mexican – La Carreta – From Candlers Mountain Trail Head, get on 460 W and take the next exit, Wards Rd. You will need to U-turn and head back toward 460 on Wards Rd (Business 29). Turn right on Wards Ferry Rd.La Carreta, a locally-owned joint, is in the strip mall to your left.

Pizza & Microbrews – Waterstone Pizza Downtown Lynchburg. 1309 Jefferson Street Lynchburg VA 24504

Pizza (cheap) – CiCi’s Pizza in the Candler’s Mt Shopping Center, on your right 1/4 mile downhill from the Candlers Mountain Trail Head

© 2009 Big Mountain Riding

Edging the slope on the Southern Traverse - copyright Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Story: from IMBA

Take a ride into history on the Southern Traverse Epic located in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest.

The rigors of boot camp may be the best preparation. With 3,000 feet of climbing over 32 epic miles, this ride promises to test your courage and endurance. The backbone of the Southern Traverse is the south end of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, a 11-mile singletrack ridge-ride. The ridge is accessed by a doubletrack climb that ascends 1,800 feet through a picturesque hardwood hollow. The snaking trail follows the ridge south and is an amazing melody of smooth and fast downhills and technical rock gardens.

Ride the Southern Traverse from north to south to enjoy the sweetest of singletrack descents, and don’t forget to make arrangements with Shenandoah Mountain Touring to meet you at the end and shuttle you back to town for a draught of Wild Goose at Calhoun’s.

Location: The Southern Traverse is located southwest of Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the George Washington National Forest.

Length: 32 miles

Elevation: 1,600 to 3,800 ft

Climbing: 3,000 ft

Terrain: This ride has it all; twisty, smooth, steep, narrow, rough, mossy

Season: Open year round, occasional snow in winter, unpredictable mountain weather

Highlight: Shenandoah Mountain Trail, a 17-mile singletrack ridge-ride

Directions to Trailhead & Detailed Ride Instructions

Shop: Shenandoah Bicycle Company, Harrisonburg, 540-437-9000

Brew: Calhoun’s Restaurant and Brewing Company

Coffee: The Artful Dodger

Learn more about the International Mountain Bike Association at www.imba.com

It's East Coast Big Mountain Riding - From IMBA

Southern Traverse IMBA Epic – Driving Directions to Trailhead

Written by the guys at Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Starting at:
Shenandoah Mountain Touring
Located in the Shenandoah Bicycle Co. store
135 S. Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA
www.MountainTouring.com

From SMT head out of the parking lot onto main street (left only- heading north)
Take your 1st left on Water Street
Take your 3rd left on Rt. 42 – South High Street
Traveling south on Rt.42 through Dayton, Bridgewater, and Parnassus To Jennings Gap road Rt. 736
Take a right on Rt. 736 and travel for 3.5 miles to route 250
Take a right on Rt. 250 heading West for 7 miles to West Augusta and Rt. 629
Take a left on Rt. 629 heading south into Deerfield Valley
Turn right on FR 173 about 6 miles down the road
Cross the cattle grate and continue along the right-of-way dirt road
After crossing the creek for the 2nd time, stay left at the fork
Proceed through the closed gate onto National Forest land – please close the gate behind you
The parking area is 1/4 mile up on the left

To Jerkemtight – mid ride point

Continue on Rt. 629 through Deerfield (1.5 miles from FR 173)
Proceed about 5 _ miles past Fr 173 to a gravel road that shoots up to the right and looks like it may be a driveway
If you come to a trash dumpster and some forest service road signs you have gone to far Jerkemtight road is not marked and is about 3/4 of a mile behind you
Proceed about 1 mile up Jerkemtight road to an intersection. Jerkemtight continues straight following the creek up the hollow where a new logging road turns off on the right. Do not block the locked forest service gate!

To ScotchTown Draft – trail end

Take a right on Rt. 627 and 3 miles up to the saddle (crest of the road) where the trail awaits on the right.

Southern Traverse IMBA Epic – Detailed Ride Directions

Written by the guys at Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Our recommended days worth of riding on the trail will start out with a 4 mile climb on FR 173 out of Deerfield Valley (1205 ft.). The Fireroad climb is a nice steady grade that climbs 1,300 ft to the saddle (2590 ft.) of the mountain where you pick up the Shenandoah Mountain Trail singletrack heading south. The trail continues to climb up towards the summit of the Bump at 3634 ft. This section of single track has long straights that are tight, twisty and smooth with some super technical rock gardens scattered throughout the 11-mile piece.

The only bailout on the ridge is 11 miles in on Jerkemtight Rd. You will know you are there when you come to a field on top of the ridge with a pond. Jerkemtight Rd. is a forest service road that is steep and rough heading back down to the east for 5 miles and onto Rt. 629. Taking this bailout would take the cherry off the top because the last 5 miles of trail is the sweetest, but it would get you back to your vehicle (civilization) quicker in case of emergency.

The Jerkemtight juncture is a tricky one at 3550 ft. There are 2 different singletrack trails heading off the west side of the ridge and 3 jeep trails heading in different directions. The 2 singletrack trails seem to be dropping off the west side of the mountain. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail is the one that heads more southerly. Marshall Draft trail in the one that drops straight down the western slope towards sugar tree road. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail only drops a bit to meet up with the ridge again and some of the sweetest down hilling toward Scotchtown Draft. The northern jeep road will take you to the summit of North East Peak at 3811 ft. and the southern one takes you to Wallace Peak lookout tower at 3795 ft. The road to the east is Jerkemtight Rd. heading 5 miles down to Rt. 629.

The Trail skirts around North Sister Knob at an elevation of 3292 and then coils you up onto South Sister Knob at 3088 for a screaming fast 1100 ft descent to Scotchtown Draft Rt.627. I suggest a small break here to try and stop smiling to keep your face from cramping. Take a left on Rt. 627 and another left on Rt. 629 and enjoy about 10 miles of beautiful rolling country roads back to the trailhead.

An abbreviated ride is to proceed up the Jerkemtight FR for 5 miles on your bicycle and pick up the Shenandoah Mountain Trail on the ridge. This would eliminate a possible bonk in “no mans land”- the 11 mile section of ridge that will put your tongue on the ground if you are not fresh and fit.

If you are looking for big mountain single track on the east coast the Southern Traverse is it. The Traverse is the southern most section of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail located in the George Washington National Forest’s Dry River and Deerfield Ranger Districts. The trail works its magic along the spine of the massive Shenandoah Mountain. Shenandoah Mountain is a massive 90+ mile long mountain that is the border of Virginia and West Virginia for the northern most 60 miles of its ridge. Shenandoah Mountain Touring www.mountaintouring.com offers tours and shuttle service for the trail and the surrounding hundreds of miles of trails.