Welcome to the Heart of Bike Virginia…The Routes! This is why we ride, to show you (by bike) the beauty of the great state of Virginia! Below you will find information specific to our 2013 tour. We recommend that you read our general route information before you view the routes if this is your first time learning about the Bike Virginia Tour.
As we get closer to the event we will publish more info on the routes that will include interactive maps and detailed descriptions for each day. When riding always follow the signs posted that day, as they will be the most up-to-date (sometimes we have to vary the routes slightly to accommodate the unknown such road construction for instance).
More Riding
New for this year will be a route on Friday! For those looking to unwind after a long day of travel we will offer a short 20-30 mile ride on Friday. Once you register you are free to hop on your bike and get in a warm up ride for Saturday or just kick back at camp and relax, it’s up to you.
Where we will be riding
The routes will focus on riding through some of the most beautiful areas Virginia has to offer. The tour will explore such towns as Lexington, Roanoke, Buena Vista, Buchanan, and Fincastle as we roll through the Shenandoah and Roanoke Valleys.
Route Lengths
Our main route (the Pink Route) is between 40-60 miles each day. Everyday we will have different route options, varying from 25 or 30 miles up to 100 miles! Each day is dependent on the sights, terrain, and points of interest. Please note that on move days (2 of the 6 days) we will not have a short option as we need to ride from our first host community, Lexington, to the second, Botetourt. On the last day we will all move back to the start in Lexington.
Difficulty Ratings
Route difficulty is rated on a 1-10 scale and is determined by elevation gain (climbing), distance of route, and experience. Elevation for the 2013 tour has been determined using Ride with GPS software. We will be publishing individual route difficulty for each day as we near the event and they will be printed in your tour guide that you receive at registration.
1 = Easy and 10 = Most Difficult.
The overall rating for the 2013 Tour is between 7 – 9. Depending on which route option you take, short or long will determine the difficulty. We simply route you where mother nature takes us.