Marion Loop

Hit a sweet loop out of Marion, VA this weekend. I must say that Mapmyride is a great resource to find rides, even around where you live. Though I wish I had a GPS with me to make sure I was on the right road. There are so many route changes and offshoot gravel roads around country roads that sometimes you never know.

If you go to Mapmyride and do a search under Marion, VA you'll see some cool stuff.

This had to be one of the best rides I've done in a long time with a huge variety of terrain. Right out of the door 1/2 hour wheezer climb followed by somewhat scare downhill with bad brakes and gravel on the road. The views are to die for in this part of Virgina. Secluded green valleys and streams. The ride turned onto some other backroads that lead into some really rough landscape, the kind that is only good for running some cattle on.

Part of the ride meandered along a beautiful small river and then lead into another long climb. But this climb had that false flat sort of optical illusion. It looked steeper than it was and you could really get on it if you wanted. This was the kind of road that I'd much rather climb up than go down. No guard rails, narrow and gravelly. It passed by these really steep V notche gullies. In one I saw a bunch of turkey vultures riding the air currents. They were doing these long slow loops back and forth without flapping their wings once.

The only bad part of the ride was when I popped out onto route 11 with a headwind and some traffic. It only lasts a short while before you offshoot again back onto some backroads.

fun stuff, nice to ride something different. Good hill training for sure.