The Roanoker March/April 2022 - 65

written by Gene Marrano
There are plenty of fun
options for two-wheelers
in the region.
O
ver the past two decades, the Roanoke region's reputation
as a haven for bicyclists has reached new
heights, in large part due to the emergence of the
greenway system and the further development of
off-road trails. Not to mention, slowly but steadily,
the appearance of more bike lanes on busy urban
thoroughfares, encouraging people to leave their
vehicles at home for short jaunts around town.
Whether you are a road or greenway cyclist - preferring
paved surfaces - a diehard mountain biking fan or somewhere
in between, opting for gravel paths or fire roads that can
serve as an off-road primer, the Greater Roanoke Valley and
surrounding venues like the national forests present a wealth
of opportunities. When the Roanoke River Greenway, the
" spine " of the system, finally becomes a continuous link in the
next few years, bicyclists will have an uninterrupted stretch
of ten-plus miles.
Once they cut their teeth on the greenway some may
want to explore off-road opportunities. Visit Virginia's Blue
Ridge, which has branded Roanoke as " America's East Coast
Mountain Biking Capital, " says there are more than 400 miles
of trails currently available for mountain biking. Several years
ago, the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA)
designated Virginia's Blue Ridge as a Silver-Level Ride
Center™ and VBR officials plan to go for gold down the road.
That designation draws riders to the region, to check out
venues like Carvins Cove, Explore Park, the more urban
trails on Mill Mountain and (where permitted) the George
Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Douthat State
Park, Waid Park in Franklin County and Falling Creek Park
in Bedford County also offer mountain biking opportunities.
See visitroanokeva.com for a current list.
Kristine McCormick is now the Outdoors Experiences
Manager, a newly created position for Virginia's Blue Ridge.
The past president of Roanoke's IMBA chapter (which
evolved into Blue Ridge Off-road Cyclists) helped attain that
Silver-Ride designation before going to work for IMBA itself.
Now Bike VBR is focused on the region's " bike culture, " in
a dedicated position she is helping to shape. " There are huge
growth opportunities because we have such wonderful amenities
for all of those disciplines, " says McCormick, including
more access for residents to local trails they don't have to
drive to first.
The many miles of fire access and gravel roads in national
forests is a gateway to mountain biking for beginners and a
good way to get people off heavily trafficked roads. " There's
room for everyone [and] you do see a crossover. " VBR is
developing a comprehensive list of local biking opportunities
and maps at bikevbr.com they plan to have available this
spring. " We want to make that much easier ... to access these
TheRoanoker.com
MARCH/APRIL 2022
65
http://www.visitroanokeva.com http://www.bikevbr.com http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker March/April 2022

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