Wild Rides video | Bike shops | Bike clubs | Health food stores | Restaurants | Buying drinks | Accommodations | Getting into Roanoke from the Blue Ridge Parkway | Day rides from Roanoke | New River Trail | Virginia Creeper | Mountain biking around Roanoke | Recumbent rides | Visitor center | FAQ suggestions

The following information is for bicyclists visiting Roanoke. It is not all-encompassing, but it does answer many of the questions I receive from readers who are interested in visiting Roanoke, or cyclists who are moving here.

Q: Can you tell me a good bike shop in Roanoke?

A: There are five bike shops. All of them have various strengths; some of them have Web sites. I've listed them here.

• East Coasters Cycling Fitness
  3544 Electric Road
  Roanoke, Va. 24018
  (540) 774-7933
  www.eastcoasters.com
• Cardinal Bicycle
  2901 Orange Ave. NE
  Roanoke, Va. 24012
  (540) 344-2453
  cardinalbicycle.com
  Cardinal is on the northeast side of town along eastbound Orange Avenue (U.S. 460), just west of the Blue Ridge Parkway exit onto 460 (However, this is NOT a good road on which to ride -- it's a busy, four-lane commercial road with lots of traffic and curb cuts.) This shop has the largest selection of bikes in the Roanoke Valley. Cardinal was also a prime sponsor of Tour DuPont when it rolled through here in the 1990s. Among its brands are Raleigh and Specialized.
• Just the Right Gear
  2265 Catawba Valley Drive
  Salem, Va. 24153
  (540) 384-7800
  www.justtherightgear.com
  Just the Right Gear is on U.S. 311 a mile north of Interstate 81. Although the mailing address is Salem, it's actually in northwest Roanoke County. It's the closest bicycle shop to the interstate, and the closest to the mountain-biking heaven known as Carvins Cove. More than a few mountain bikers have been known to tip a beer on the shop's outside deck after a hard ride. Owner Steve Heatherington is an accomplished road racer and he's a friendly and knowledgeable guy.
• Cooper's Bike Shop
  12 W. 4th St.
  Salem, Va. 24153
  (540) 389-2453
  Cooper's is one of the oldest bike shops in the Valley. It's in Salem, west of Roanoke. It used to be a Schwinn dealer before Schwinn started selling bikes in Wal-Mart. I know little about this shop because I've never been there.

Q: Do any of the bike shops offer rentals?

A: One local bike shop that I'm aware of that rents bikes is Just The Right Gear. You can contact them at the phone number above. Virginia's Explore Park, at milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, rents mountain bikes when the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center is open (540) 427-1800. Fees are $3 per hour or $20 for all day. Helmet rentals are $1. If you know of other bike shops in this region that offer rentals, please let me know.

Q: Is there a bicycle club in Roanoke?

A: You bet. The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club is an active and popular club among bike racers, recreational riders, and even some non-riders who like to hang out with cyclists. The club has more than 350 members and offers scheduled rides most days of each week – and non-members are invited! It also holds weekly social activities between April and October. For more info, check out the club Web site, at www.brbcva.org. The Roanoke Cycling Organization is an events promotion business that can be found online at www.roanokecycling.org.

Q: Is there a cycling group in Pulaski County?

You bet. Weather permitting this cycling group gathers on Tuesday and Thursday evening road rides every week, year round. For more information, visit this site at www.thedrivewaygear.com

Q: Is there a good health-food store in Roanoke?

A: You bet; there's a great one.

• Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, 1319 Grandin Road SW. (540) 343-5652. It's in a former supermarket in a neighborhood business district about 7 miles form the top of Mill Mountain. There is a bike rack out front.
• Fresh Market, in Towers Shopping Center, is a gourmet food supermarket with fresh meats, seafood, a large wine selection and some organic foods. 2207 Colonial Ave. SW (540) 344-5940.

Q: Where should I eat when I'm visiting town?

A: More than 250,000 people live in the Roanoke metropolitan area, and there is a large selection of restaurants to serve them. There are too many to list here. The greatest concentration is on the historic City Market, where the price and quality ranges from inexpensive meals at food stalls in the City Market House to more expensive five-star restaurants. Bicycles are particularly welcome at The Cornerstone Pub on Campbell at Wall Street (next to the City Market House). This is the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club hangout, and you can bring your bike inside.

Q: Where can I buy beer?

A: In Virginia, most supermarkets and convenience stores sell beer and wine.

Q: Are there any decent, cheap motels?

A: Yes.

• There is a Days Inn at Williamson and Orange that friends have stayed in without complaint. (540) 342-4551.
• The Colony House Motor Lodge on Franklin Road should be OK, too. (540) 344-5907.
• The closest cheap motel to the Blue Ridge Parkway is Apple Valley Motel, 5063 Franklin Road. (540) 989-0675.
• Rodeway Inn – 526 Orange Ave NE; (540) 981-9341.

Q: I'm filthy rich, so money is no object. Can you recommend a hotel for me?

A: Yes.

• Hotel Roanoke, located downtown, is a restored, turn-of-the-century hotel. It is the grand dame of hotels in our area, and it includes a large conference center, a gourmet restaurant and beautiful pub. 110 Shenandoah Ave. NW. (540) 985-5900. www.hotelroanoke.com
• Holiday Inn—Tanglewood is in south Roanoke County a few miles outside of town. It's a hotel, not a motel, but you don't have to be rich to afford it. 4468 Starkey Road. (540) 774-4400. www.holiday-inn.com/roa- tanglewood
• Holiday Inn Express—Salem, 15 E. Main Street. This is close to Exit 141 off Interstate 81. (540) 986-1000. www.ichotelsgrou p.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/saeex
• Fairfield Inn & Suites-Marriott, this is off Interstate 81 at exit 146 and is near Hollins University and the northeast entrance to mountain biking heaven Carvins Cove. 7944 Plantation Road. (540) 362-4200.
• Country Inn & Suites – 7860 Plantation Rd.; (540) 366-5678.

Q: Are there any bed and breakfasts in town?

A: Yes, but the pickings are slim. The only one I found in the yellow pages is:

• The Inn at Burwell Place – 601 W. Main St., Salem; (540) 387-0250.

Q: Are there any campgrounds close to Roanoke AND the Blue Ridge Parkway?

A: There is one -- a wonderful National Park Service Campground a little more than a mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway, as you head into Roanoke on Fishburn Parkway. It is very well maintained and quiet, and there is a resident couple who manage it. There are plenty of tent sites with running water and bathrooms, picnic tables, fire rings and grills, but I don't think they have showers. They usually open May through October.

Q: What's the best way to bike into Roanoke from the Blue Ridge Parkway?

• The best way: From the Blue Ridge Parkway, you'll want to take Fishburn Parkway near mile marker 120. It will take you past (and down) Mill Mountain into town. Be careful on the two-mile descent.
• The worst ways: Two roads that aren't good for riding are U.S. 460 and U.S. 220. Unless you love riding on four-lane commercial highways that are sometimes jammed with traffic, avoid these at all costs.
• Another way: There is one more road that intersects the parkway in the Roanoke Valley -- Virginia 24. The traffic on it is not as bad as 460 or 220, but it's still a commercial road. Fishburn Parkway is by far the best choice.

Q: I want to do some day rides around the Roanoke Valley. Where are the good ones?

A: In road rides, you will find plenty of them.

Q: I've heard about the New River Trail. Can you tell me about it?

A: The New River Trail is the closest rails-to-trails project to Roanoke, but it's still about an hour away. It is about 54 miles long, runs between the towns of Pulaski and Galax and is a pack-cinders trail – not paved, but pretty smooth. It's unsuitable for a fully loaded road bike but fine for a mountain bike with knobbies or slicks. It is quite beautiful and there are some campsites along the way. The trail is flat and it's a great place for kids to ride. Read more about a New River ride-along.

Q: I've also heard about The Virginia Creeper. What is that?

A: The Creeper is another rails-to-trails project about 2 1/2 hours south of Roanoke. It runs 31 miles from White Top Mountain through the town of Damascus and ends in Abingdon.

Q: Where's the best mountain biking around Roanoke?

A: Below are five fantastic places to mountain bike.

• Close to town is Carvins Cove, a roughly 11,000-acre watershed for the city's main reservoir. It is open to the public (there's a small daily fee of $3) and is chock full of both relatively flat, low-lying trails and steep climbs and awesome descents, if that's what you like. This place is great for Roanoke mountain bikers of all stripes. If you don't like single-track, there's a seven-mile fire road around it. Some of my articles about Carvins Cove are:
  Carvins Cove's lower trails
  The mystery of ClownHead
  The Gauntlet
  Carvins loop
  The Fun House
  Carvins Cove for the kids
  And here is a good Carvins Cove Trail map.
• About an hour north of Roanoke, near Clifton Forge, is the pristine Douthat State Park. It's gorgeous and mountainous, with beautifully groomed trails, gorgeous views, challenging climbs and wild and wooly descents. There a lake with a great beach and swimming, plenty of camping and even cabins you can rent.
• A little more than an hour southwest of Roanoke is Mountain Lake. It has a beautiful old hotel, perched on the highest lake east of the Mississippi (at almost 4,000 feet above sea level) and 25 miles of trails spanning 5,000 acres that are open to the public for hiking and biking. They'll sell you a great map for a nominal fee.
• Virginia's Explore Park has more than 12 miles of trails that range from easy to very challenging. Mountain biking is free, and they will rent mountain bikes and helmets to folks who don't have them. Milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, (540) 427-1800.
• Pandapas Pond, which is along U.S. 460 West of Blacksburg, is a favorite among mountain bikers in the New River Valley. There is no charge. Check out the story for directions and a map.

Q: Are there any FLAT road rides around Roanoke?

A: The terms "flat" and "Roanoke" are almost wholly incompatible with each other. We're talking oil and water, cats and dogs, etc. Notice I said "almost." There is one road ride that is relatively flat, compared to most of the rides around here. It's a somewhat rolling ride out to Greenhill Park in western Roanoke County -- no mountains. A link to it is below. Note: Follow the cue sheet down toward the bottom. Where it says, "turn left on Diuguids Lane" make that left and then immediately turn right into Greenhill Park. Then, go back the way you came. DO NOT follow the rest of the directions to Harborwood, or you will find yourself on a very challenging climb. Read more about the ride.

Q: Can you give me any information about riding recumbents in the Roanoke area?

A: Recumbent riding Roanoker Hugh Hagan can fill you in. Send him an email at hhagan1@cox.net. He'll be glad to answer your questions.

Q: Is there a Visitor Center in the Roanoke Valley?

A: You bet. The Roanoke Valley Visitor Information Center is a fountain of information. It's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily near downtown Roanoke at 101 Shenandoah Ave., NE or contact the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 635-5535 or www.visitroanokeva.com.

Q: I'd like to suggest something else to include in this FAQ. How can I reach you?

A: E-mail me at dan.casey@roanoke.com.