Terrain Notes  

These trails are very typical of Eastern US Singletrack. Rocky and hilly with some roots thrown in for good measure. Short steep climbs seem to be the rule, with the ridge top trails being more of the roller coaster riding (rolling up and down). See the elevation profile of the Iron Mountain Trail.

SO...WHAT'S THE TERRAIN ON THESE TRAILS REALLY LIKE?

This question usually leads to the real question on everyone’s mind...Is there a lot of climbing? The answer to that question is yes and no. Depends which trail you take and if you want to climb or not. For instance... 

The Virginia Creeper Trail really doesn’t have much of a grade except for the portion from Taylor’s Valley to Green Cove. Even this is a nice gradual uphill that the novice rider in decent shape should be able to handle. On the other hand... 

There is the hill on Iron Mountain Trail heading east off FR 90. I’ve never made it all the way up that one. (This is my goal for this year. UPDATE: I finally made it on 8/17/97, thanks Tony & Ed!) Mock Holler is a sustained climb of 2 miles that, on a hot summer day, can seem to go on forever! This climb will test your endurance as well as your mental fortitude and should only be attempted by people who are in good shape and have some prior Mountain Bike experience due to the technical aspect.  But...

The reward for your effort is making it to the top and earning that feeling of accomplishment that one gets after doing something challenging. Of course the other reward is that once you go up, you always get to come down! This can make even the most excruciating climb seem to be a remote memory. 

Some Notes on Climbing: 

Get yourself mentally prepared to climb. In my opinion, climbing is 70% mental and 30% physical. Knowing that you are physically capable, work on the mental part. Resolve to make it up. Concentrate on turning those cranks.

Think of something other than the climb you are doing and how you feel.

Look about ten feet in front of you at the most. I have found this to be a great technique. Focusing on turning the pedals long enough to make it through that ten feet rather than thinking about how much you have left to climb keeps you going.

Don’t look way up the trail at how high or far you need to go. This can be very de-moralizing and self defeating.

Beware of false summits. There is nothing worse than thinking you have climbed all you need to climb, then see another section of mountain staring you in the face.

Move forward on your saddle to put more of your center of gravity toward the front of the bike. It works!

Relax your upper body.

Drink plenty of water before , during and after.

Think about the pay off in the form of that nice downhill you will get to do.

And remember… you can always get off and walk!

 

When the Trails Are Wet

Most of the trails drain well during rainy weather, but remember that these are the times when they are most venerable to erosion and good judgment should be exercised when deciding on weather to ride or not.  

Trails to Avoid During Wet Weather Include  

Lum Trail, Chestnut Ridge Trail, Buzzard Den and Rush Trail. As a general rule, when it is wet I like to stick to the Virginia Creeper Trail and work on endurance rather than technical skills. This is also a good time to ride the Forest Service Roads. FR 90 and FR 615 and Government Road are all good wet-weather alternatives that offer scenic views and good mileage.