Trial by TransVirginia

 

If you are the kind of cyclist who believes there’s gold in them thar hills, the 500-plus—mile TransVirginia Bike Route from Washington, D.C., to Damascus, Va., should definitely be on your bucket list

But based on recent experience, some important considerations should be kept in mind.

At least judging from the 182-mile section of the reportedly easier version of the route that my friend Dave and I completed in November (https://www.transvirginia.org), much of the track goes up and down one hill after another, with level spots a rarity.

And many of those hills are likely to challenge any rider’s skills and stamina. One was so steep we had to push our bikes up it.

Hike-a-bike, yikes!

The route, which winds through Virginia Hunt country and hardscrabble mobile home communities alike, is certainly worth adding to the bucket list solely for its scenic beauty.

But from our experience, I would recommend attempting the route earlier in the year than November due to shorter daylight hours and iffier weather in the late fall.

The cold winds we encountered, particularly the headwinds during the long hill climbs, added considerably to the challenge. Once a gust blew me into a surprise U-turn while I was pedaling slowly up a steep hill. On several occasions, similar gusts on screaming downhills threatened to knock me over.

If you plan to take on this route, particularly if traveling solo, I would heartily also recommend that you carry a reliable navigational backup.

Dave’s phone, which he was relying on primarily for navigation, failed on the final day of our journey.

Thankfully, my phone, which was also packed with redundant navigational programs, worked like a champ to the end, as did my Garmin eTrex 20x backup.  

Icy surprise

The hills, chilly winds and the scarcity of daylight hours available to us impeded our ability to maintain the 60-mile-per-day average mileage necessary to meet our goal of completing the whole route to Damascus in nine days.

When I awoke at 5 a.m. on morning four to an iced-over tent, partially frozen water bottles, a sluggish fuel canister—and a forecast for two more nights of even lower temperatures in the 20’s—I voted to move the goal posts in and declare victory for the year.

Later that day, we rented a pickup truck in nearby Harrisonburg VA to drive home.

I was just not prepared for this kind of cold. I can always finish the route some other time. I figure it’s better to enjoy my journeys than to simply survive them.

Campground's heated bathroom

Dave working on a plan

Dave enjoying celebratory snack