DXchulo

What is the best route your state has to offer?

50+ miles is good.
100+ miles is better.

(Sorry in advance to the non-US residents out there.)

I'll start with Nevada. A lot of you have heard of the Red Rock loop in Las Vegas. It's a great route and I've ridden it quite a few times, but it gets 2nd place on my list. First place goes to a modified LeMond loop in Reno.



https://ridewithgps.com/routes/859406

107 miles, ~11,500 feet of climbing according to RWGPS. (I know that's inflated because the section on 50 is all messed up, but I don't have my own GPS.)

The ride starts with a nice ~7.5 climb with an average of 5% towards Virginia City, an old mining town that is now a tourist trap. You wouldn't want to spend all day here, but a bike takes you through at the perfect speed.



After Virginia City is a nice descent on 342, followed by a flat trip through Dayon on US 50 towards 6 Mile Canyon, a nice 6-mile climb that starts off easy but finishes with sections over 10%.


The Descent on 342.


6 Mile Canyon

6 Mile Canyon is followed by a quick descent back to 50 via 341, which according to this sign, maxes out at 15%.



Now it's time for the boring part of the route, to be honest- a trip through Carson City. You can ride by the capitol building if you want, but I try to avoid as many stop signs as I can.


Carson City, Nevada's state capital

The next step is a climb up 50 towards Lake Tahoe. There's a lot of traffic here, but there is plenty of room in the shoulder and I've never had any problems with motorists. The climb is typical for the area- long and steady at ~5%.


US 50 towards Tahoe

Now it's time to descend 50 and catch your first glimpses of Lake Tahoe. Make a right turn on NV 28 and ride along the northeast side of the lake.


Sand Harbor

Make your way towards Incline Village and turn right on Mt. Rose Highway. The back side of Mt. Rose is an 8-mile climb averaging 5.8%. There's plenty of shoulder and a few places where you can catch a good view of the lake and see how far up you've made it.



Now comes the best part- 16 miles of downhill and you're done!

gundom66

In California, I think it's the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy1). I have no pictures to show, but there are climbs, downhills, twists and turns, and flats from Monterey to San Luis Obispo.

1nterceptor

In my area a lot of folks seem to like the Hudson River Greenway/Path.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhatt...front_Greenway

"The Hudson River Greenway is the most heavily used bikeway in the United States.[3] Most is near Hudson River water level, except the portion north of George Washington Bridge where it climbs steeply, to approximately 160 feet (50 m) and includes Inspiration Point."

DXchulo

California is one of the most interesting states. There are a lot of arguments to be made there. I've done a bit of riding in NorCal, but none in the south, so I don't know who wins.

Velo Vol 

Best route for what?

ravenmore

I live in Texas. Are you effing kidding me? We're bigger than most European countries. Sheesh. Why don't you ask for the friggin' moon while your at it.

sd790

Ohio. I've got nothin'. We travel elsewhere for good things.

Dudelsack 

Show us the maps and it won't be bragging, it'll be fact.

hhnngg1

Not a fair question - California has so many insanely nice routes that you can't even pick one. It's really ridiculous.

I have at least 5 starting up a (brutal) climb less than a mile from my house in Norcal, from 20 miles to 100+ epic mile loops to the coast and back.

hhnngg1

Funny you mention that - a few years ago when I was training a bit more on the bike but not even as fast as a California midpack Cat3 rider, I was on the popular Latigo Canyon climb in Socal on the weekend, and I passed a huffing rider with "Ohio State Champion" jersey, from just the year before. I realized he was trying to hang, but he fatigued and I got up to the top about 5 minutes before him. Turns out he in fact was a road bike champion in Ohio of something - forgot if it was crits or cross, but it was surprising that a no-talent guy like me with pretty mediocre training could even keep up with any state champion, even if it was state champion of tricycling.

Makes me wonder if CA is just a lot more competitive.

JoelS

As the others have said, there's no way to pick a "best" route in CA! The riding here is outstanding.

Machka 

The State of Victoria has a plethora of good routes ... it would be very difficult to pick just one!

Here we can ride in the mountains, on flatlands, along the ocean, around lakes, through forests and fields ... and mostly on quiet country roads.

Have a look at all the routes and scenery we ride through in the State where we live:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7602419256784/

unterhausen

The southern part of the state and out towards Zanesville is pretty nice. Of course, nobody lives there.

DXchulo

The riding in Cincinnati isn't too bad for a Great Lakes state, either.

DXchulo

I grew up in Indiana, so I'll go ahead and add it to the list. Brown County State Park was the best place to ride there. There were plenty of rolling hills and it was a nice place too check out the fall foliage.

Here's the best route I rode in that area: https://www.mapmyride.com/s/routes/vi...falgar/1128605

Here are some pictures I took on that route in 2007:

Quel

I'm in DC, so I'm not even in a stupid state.

But in the near area, one of my favorite is the Blue Ridge Challenge:
https://www.bikewashington.org/routes/bluerdg/index.htm

Some scenic countryside, and then you go up long steep climb. At the top is a secure government facility that was a secret until a plane randomly crashed into it (Mt Weather). It has a bunker that I imagine goes near all the way to the bottom of the hill you just climbed. It's both cool and eerie, since you go through about a mile of road with barbed wire on both sides.

Any ride on Skyline Drive is great too. Perfectly smooth pavement, great views, lots of climbing, and no stop signs.

Velo Vol 

Sorry, you can't participate in this thread.

superdex

CO: Triple Bypass (117mi). Or Iron Horse. yay.

valygrl

I can't pick one best one, as does CA, CO has a lot to offer.

JimF22003

I certainly haven't ridden everywhere in Virginia, but one of my near-local favorites is known as "SkyMass". It starts in Front Royal on Skyline Drive for 30+ miles, then drops down to Luray, and back up over a pass on Massunutten Mountain, and finally cruises back down one of the most beautiful spots in the state -- Fort Valley. Here's somebody's GPS track I picked at random:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/367942

A scene from Fort Valley:

miyata man

So you took this opportunity to tell us what a big man you are because your best effort on familiar ground could be twisted into the moment of glory that never actually surfaces for you in real life. Being a state champ in the midwest may be a joke but no more than being the US national champ is to Europeans. Your whole gloating replay of the event has what to do with the best route in your state?

miyata man

And you, the troll known as Velo Vol, what is the best route in your state.

Dudelsack 

Harsh. That was harsh. The initial post was 'just sayin'.

Your response was harsh. Harsh, I tell you.

Merry Christmas!

Dudelsack 

Anyway, lovely ride in the Bluegrass, with horse farms aplenty.

https://kybikerides.org/ridemaps/6100.htm

halfspeed

I have a feeling the results would have been quite different had you come across the same rider in Ohio.