I live in the beautiful Bath county area of VA, with some of the most beautiful ridding in VA. Not a stop light in the entire county, lots of back roads and of coarse Mountains!!! I live at 2500 feet half way up on one of the local mtns so no matter which direction I go climbing is a must. I LOVE IT !!! Some of the overlooks on the mtn where I live are BREATH TAKING. There is nothing like that view after a crappy day at work!! I can see all the way to Ohio in one direction and Snowshoe mtn( mtn bike meka of the area) in another.
Just thought I would see if anyone from my area frequents the board. THANKS !!

James Hoover

Kind of. I'm from Christiansburg, a good distance away, but I do ride up in your neck of the woods whenever I can. In fact, I just did a ride today up there. I started in New Castle, rode up 615 to Roaring Run Road and Rich Patch Mtn, then down to Clifton Forge, and up this CRAZY 2200 foot climb directly from Clifton Forge to the top of Warm Springs Mtn, crossed the Bath Co. line, and met the road that goes out to the airport. Rode down the mountain on 220 to Covington and then back down to Rich Patch and took Barbours Creek back to New Castle. The terrain and the leaves were spectacular as always; I just wish that nasty fog had blown away off the mountain tops and let me have a well-earned view.

Another good ride I've done up there starts in Bath Alum on 39, goes north to McDowell then west a bit to Monterey, then south and west into WV, passing through Frost and Minehaha Springs, then east through Warm Springs back to Bath Alum. Good stuff!

Which mountain do you live on, if you don't mind saying?

You went right by my house!! Do you remember seeing a big race car trailer with a horses head on it beside the road on the Bath Co side after topping over from Clifton Forge on Warm Springs Mtn? It was on your left coming down. This mtn is getting a lot of bike traffic lately, because of the great climbing. Yes the FOG has been very strange, & thick. I am after my county suprivisor trying to get the mtn road marked as a bike trail. We have had a little trouble with speeding traffic.
WOW that sounds like a very good ride, I'm guessing 60 to 70 miles?
The other ride you mentioned is a nice one too. I used to work at Bath Alum, NICE people ( VERY RICH!! ).

If you don't mind please email me and maybe we can get together on a ride some time. I have a couple of guys up here that love to ride & are great to ride with ( we might have a little trouble keeping up though).

hooverracing17@hotmail.com James Hoover

It was a great ride. I think the basic mileage would have been about 75, but I got, uh, "temporarily misplaced" in a few spots so I had ridden 94 by the time I finished. I may have noticed the home you described on my way down the hill. But I was rather delirious from the climb out of Clifton Forge (plus a little ticked at how hard it was to find the road down there). I'm a decent climber and I've done some big ones, but I thought that thing would never end!

I know another forum user, PaulCL from Kentucky, has ridden around there before. Maybe he'll chime in if he visits the Mid-Atlantic board.

Anyway, love to ride some time. There's a lot of Bath county I have yet to see. I'll email you in a few days.

Good grief 94 miles in that CRAPPY weather!!!
Yeah, my buddy I ride with most of the time claims" I get suicidal thoughts as I get closer to the top." It is a very brutal climb, the record time is right around 40 minutes from under interstate 64 bridge to the top. I have only done it one time from there and I did it in 54 min.
I am only a min off the record on the bath co side though. It is 14:30 stop sign to stop sign.
Drop me an email and maybe we can show you some very good ridding next time your up this way. Have a good one !!
James

My wife and I are going to be in central VA (c-ville) for two weeks starting the 29th, and riding just about every day. We've been spending several weeks/year riding around that area (Orange, Madison, Green, Albemarle Counties), and VA has some of the most spectacular riding I've ever done. We live in the mountains of CO, and do pass climbs every week that people schedule whole vacations to do, but the ride quality just isn't the same.

We grew up in VA, and am distantly familiar with the area you guys are riding in, and would really like to do some rides over there. Are there any 60-100m routes you would specifically reccomend?

We're also going to be spending a few days in Abingdon; any experience riding down there, or am I just asking for trouble with the natives?

I just love the area, myself. My wife's family is from the area so we get to go often and visit. Sometimes I bring one of my rides and ride up Airport road and sometimes I just bring my fly rod and head to the Jackson for some peace and quiet!

Hoovy -- I'll PM you as I'd like some tips on other areas to ride...

Indyfab, yes that is the road I live on( they way up to airport road rt606). I live almost exactly half way up the bath co side. Drop me an email and I will give you my # and I can point you in the right direction. I am on vacation next week and am planning on doing some car driving to measure side ride distances and write them on my maps. I have had a bunch of people asking me ride distances, so I am going to map them out so I will know and can better plan rides next season.


Moose I asume you mean charlottesville. I just bought my wifes bike there this summer (extreme). Alot of the guys there in cville go up in the deerfeild churchville area to ride, very secluded and low traffic. Go to the shops and ask them it isn't that far of a ride from cville. Thye did a cent. this year with 5 to 6 k or more climbing. Up the back side of afton and way over into the stanton area and back around. As far as 60 to 100 mile routes there are all kinds of them around here and very scenic. The leaves are AWESOME right now. I should have taken the camera with me this evening, breathtaking. I'll work up a list and get them written up. Got ot get on my honey do list !!

James

Hoovy:

Sent you a PM.

Peace.

My inlaws have a second house near Healing Springs. We get out there once or twice per year. Last March I rode from Boonsboro, Maryland, to Harrisonburg, Virginia. Spent the night in a motel where my wife left a backpack with clothes, etc. for me. The next day I rode from Harrisonburg to Healing Springs, climbing over Warm Springs Mountain over the main road to Warm Springs. I have done some short rides from my inlaw's place, too. I doubt that I will get back to the area before next spring. I also have done the Mountains of Misery ride for the past three years. Although the start of the ride is not too close to where you are, it definitely is a worthwhile ride. If you can finish the Mountains of Misery, you can do almost anything (at least that's what I tell myself).

I was joined yeaterday by MR. alluphill. What a nice guy had a BLAST ridding BEHIND him. :D Made a great new friend and learned alot, thanks to RBR .

Went back up the mtn today with my wife and I have to share this pic with you guys it is one of the most beautiful sites around. It is 5 miles from my house (up the mtn). Snowshoe is the second peak from the right on the farthest mtn range.

That's a great shot -- puts you right on the overlook. I gotta add for the viewers at home, no photograph can even come close to doing that scene justice. And that's only one half of the view -- keeps on going like that well off to the left.