What is the best Mountain Bike ride in the Appalachian Mountains? Well there are many notable rides a hard-core cyclist can endure, but let me tell you one, which is both pleasurable and scenic. We start out in Blacksburg, VA; Home to Virginia Tech. We will be riding South West; yes that is right downhill, but do not let the down hills fool you, just like in the Tour de France what goes down, must also go up!

We head West on Highway 460 for 4.5 miles and turn down state road # 730, which feeds into highway 100, then we go not more than a mile and turn down Highway 42, Yee Ha! Hello Speed Demon in you! We take the 42 to Plasterco as it turns into state road #100 and make a right on Highway 19 to Alt 58 and ride into Norton.

This is the 100-mile point and your legs feel it too. If you have been smiling during the downhill you will need to wipe the bugs out of your teeth for sure. Yes now we rest and psyche ourselves up for a grueling cross into the back roads of Kentucky, a place where they warn Motorists not to go and those that do to keep on moving.

From Norton, VA we take BR 23 to Highway 160 to the border and the whole world changes, as you see the largest peak in Kentucky; Black Mountain. When we hit Cumberland we turn left and down the 119 we go again. We ride Highway 119 to Williamsburg and until you have done this ride, you really cannot say you have cycling bragging rights to the Appalachian Mountains. Consider this in 2006.