[dhriderII]

im looking for some more good climbs around centeral VA. ive done skyline this weekend, and look for something more now. also looking for some other riders out there that would like to go next time i go. im thinking about maybe doing skyline again this weekend, not sure yet tho.

 

[Matt D]

I'm guessing you're talking road bikes?

 

[Westy]

Not sure what you mean by Skyline, most of the big climbs around here go up to Skyline drive or the Blue Ridge Parkway. By Culpeper Sperryville to SkyWAY is a gook 4000 foot ascent although most of it is at a reasonable grade. For unreasoneable grades look at Reeds Gap from the east. My favorite is Rte 56 through Montebello.

 

[peter6061]

Not sure what you mean by Skyline, most of the big climbs around here go up to Skyline drive or the Blue Ridge Parkway. By Culpeper Sperryville to SkyWAY is a gook 4000 foot ascent although most of it is at a reasonable grade. For unreasoneable grades look at Reeds Gap from the east. My favorite is Rte 56 through Montebello.

I was going to ask the same thing. I know we usually do a nice long ride on Skyline once a year to get the legs pumped... Usually start in Front Royal, ride up to Big Meadows and back. It's about 100 miles and 12,500 feet of climbing overall. None of the climbs are huge or too steep, just long, and by the end of the ride, you're worn out.

You've got Wintergreen right near you where they hold a race to the top each year... May 7th, I believe this year.

Then if you head down towards Blacksburg, you can ride the Mountains of Misery course (or the ride if you want to pay for support)... May 29th.

Or you can go offroad and hit Douthat for an hour sustained 2000 foot climb, Elizabeth Furnace, for a nice quick steep to the lookout towers, or ****rando with it's seven switchbacks, etc,... Each of those pay off with a nice DH as well.

 

[CHOP]

If offroad I agree about the switchbacks or you could climb torrey ridge from the furnace up.

 

[dhriderII]

yeah ive done the one going from sperryville over skyline and down then back i think its called littleray or something like that, i live in culpeper so i head out madison alot to ride ruth out there and its got some killer hills but none i think are longer then a mile maybe. but im looking for some good hills so i can get my miles and good climbs in befor this wintergreen ascent witch is on the 7th, my 1st road race and im hoping to be able to atleast smoke some of the people out there.

 

[Westy]

yeah ive done the one going from sperryville over skyline and down then back i think its called littleray or something like that, i live in culpeper so i head out madison alot to ride ruth out there and its got some killer hills but none i think are longer then a mile maybe. but im looking for some good hills so i can get my miles and good climbs in befor this wintergreen ascent witch is on the 7th, my 1st road race and im hoping to be able to atleast smoke some of the people out there.

I don't know of any climbs that can compare to the Wintergreen climb that aren't right around Wintergreen. If you can't make it down that way for a test run I strongly recommend getting a triple crank or a MTB cassette on your bike, that climb is freaking steep.

 

[dhriderII]

eh i think ill be alright im am gonna test out the climb tho, but im doing pretty good so far into the season i did skyline 3 miles of it on my big ring, of a double with a 30 min climb, so im guess that isnt to bad. i dunno im gonna try to make that climb every weekend till the race, its only like 20 mins from my house so its not that bad of a drive.

 

[BigMike]

Wow, people LOOKING for climbs........ I don't get it.

If you want to go offroad, ride Big Levels

 

[Matt D]

So it sounds like the question has to do with Road bikes, I think that's settled.

The biggest climbs that I know of are around the Parkway (Reeds Gap, Vesuvius (sp?), Afton, etc). I think you should just talk to your local shop about what they recommend. Isn't the Bike Stop in Culpeper? They have a huge road team and should be able to tell youe exactly what you need to know.

You don't need a triple for WG, but have at least a 25 in the back would be what I recommend.

 

[dhriderII]

yeah im on the road team and dh team, but i was basically looking for some stuff that i had never heard of, if anyone could get me directions to the reed gap that would be great, and just like a basic summary kinda (ie. lenth, and climb) anyone close to culpeper meet tonight at the weaverly yowell school in madison at 6pm for one ot the group rides, heres the link with directions http://www.rideva.com/rides/index3.htm

 

[dhriderII]

ok i did skyline again this sunday and i wore shorts and short sleeve jersey thinking that i was gonna get hot while i was climb, eh i couldnt had been more wrong in my life, i swear to god on this it started to ****ing snow on us, and this is VA on a mtn that really isnt that tall but it was just cold enought that i was seeing snow for about 15 mins of the climb... so i have to say thats a 1st for me to have riden while it was snowing, in shorts and much less the 1st time ive ever seen snow in april.