If you are new to Bike Virginia, please read this important general route information.
Typical Route Signage
Route Marking
At Bike Virginia we take our route marking very seriously. The routes will be marked with color coded signs each day of the ride. We pride ourselves on our signage and according to our participant survey we had a 98% satisfaction with the signs. Our signage crew starts early (4am) each day to get the signs out before you begin your ride and pick up all the signs each day at 5pm.
Distance/ Route Lengths
Route options are generally available each day of riding, but not all. Our main routes are between 40-60 miles per day. Every day we try to offer shorter and longer routes that branch from the main route. However, each day is different and we may not offer longer or shorter routes. The options are decided by area attractions, safety and feasibility.
Tour Book
Each registered rider will receive a printed tour book that contains maps, an event schedule, and other important facts about the tour. The tour book is sized to fit in your back pocket.
Hours
Routes are open from 7-4:30 each day of the tour on most route options. Riders must start their ride between 7am and 9am. Do not start before 7am because route signage will not be complete and rest stops will not be open. Lunch and rest stop hours will be posted in your tour book.
Cue Sheets
We want you to enjoy your ride and focus on the road. For this reason we do not provide cue sheets of the routes. Please follow signs for your selected route option the day of the ride.
Please note that once routes are available if you download and use the cues from the Ride with GPS website, we are not responsible for any inaccuracies. Simply follow the signs during the ride. You will be more relaxed and able to focus on the beauty of the area.
Route Markings and Options
Pink (very visible color) is the color of the sign you will follow each day and its our primary route each day. The Pink Route will always include a minimum of 2 rest stops and a lunch stop.
Other optional colored routes such as, Red (shorter) or Orange (longer) will be either extensions of the pink route or shorter options of the pink route. Each day you will always start and end on the Pink routes. If you want to ride an optional route you will follow the Pink route until you come to the option you want (please refer to your tour guide and plan your route ahead) and then follow that option until it leads you back to the Main Route (Pink). In addition to the Tour Guide, signs will be located along the routes marking the beginning and end of an option. Please note the shorter routes may not get to all the rest stops. Rest stops are generally every 15-20 miles. However, sometimes they can be a little longer or a little shorter due to their location (It can be difficult to locate rest stops in very rural areas.)
Difficulty
Route difficulty is rated on a 1-10 scale and is determined by elevation gain (climbing), distance of route, and experience. We will be publishing individual route difficulty for each day as we near the event and they will be published in your tour guide.
1 = Easy
10 = Most Difficult.
The 2013 rating WAS 7-9 depending on the route options you chose for each day. A rating has not yet been established for 2014.
Stops
Rest stop and lunch stop distances and times will be listed in your tour book. On average you will ride 15-20 miles between stops.
GPS
Please note: We will be using Ride With GPS for our elevation information. Please note that while we have found the Ride With GPS website to be an accurate GPS source of information we are not responsible for any inaccuracies between Ride With GPS and your personal GPS device.