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Riding my Trek bicycle eastward out of historic Newbern on the ancient Wilderness Road, I tried to take my mind off my cramping right thigh by thinking about history, both near and far.

I was participating in the 17th annual Wilderness Road Bicycle Ride, sponsored by the New River Valley Bicycle Association.

I am the founding director of this ride, so I was thinking not only of the history of the famous Wilderness Road but also of the ride's inception.

In 1991 I returned to the place of my birth and upbringing, the New River Valley, from a 15-year absence. The preceding 10 had been spent in Seattle, home of one of the country's most avid bicycling scenes. Our Cascade Bicycle Club had more than 3,000 members, and I met my wife on one of the signature rides, Seattle to Portland, a two-day, 200-mile marathon that grew through the 1980s to an astounding 10,000 riders. When I returned here, I was disappointed to learn the local club had no signature event.

When I discussed this with Dow Scott, the club president at that time, he said they'd always wanted to have such an event but couldn't find a suitable route or theme. So I began to look myself. The criteria were that it should have a theme with a local flavor and local interest; have appropriate distances and difficulty levels for beginners, intermediates and experts alike; and showcase the beauty of our area.

Seattle had lots of riders at every level, but I didn't think there were many experienced riders here. Seattle also had an active advocacy group that worked to get better accommodations on the road. There was virtually no advocacy here, and the Virginia Department of Transportation paid mere lip service to the needs of bicyclists. If the event could help new riders become intermediate riders, my hope was they would become more active in seeking better recognition for all bicyclists.

The route I envisioned would start in Christiansburg, then go to Rogers, Riner, Snowville, across Claytor Lake at Lowman's Ferry Bridge, then to McAdam, Newbern, Mountain View, Radford and back to Christiansburg, a distance of about 55 miles. We'd have a shorter loop of about 25 miles for the newer riders.

Dow, now a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, was a huge logistical help, as was Heidi Dickens Bernard, who now works for Fairfax County Schools. Christina Baum (now McIntyre) rode the route through the dark the night before to paint markers on the pavement. To the best of my recollection, we had a couple hundred riders that first year.

We promoted the Wilderness Road theme by giving souvenir raccoon tails. It was great fun seeing all the Daniel Boone look-alikes riding down the roads. We also gave away a professionally printed route booklet not only describing the turns but also including information about the historically significant places along the way such as Snowville, Ingalls Ferry and Newbern.

Over the next several years we implemented new ideas and improvements. We added a longer, 78-mile loop extending to the southwest through Allisonia, Hiwassee, Barren Springs and Draper. We also hired local musicians to play traditional music at the finish line.

Heidi recently wrote a recollection. "I have only pleasant memories, but not many and they are as cloudy as some of the skies we biked under. ... I liked the whole 'stop-and-smell-the-roses' culture and climate. I biked many of the miles in thoughtful solitude with nothing but the buzz of the insects, the twittering of the birds and the lowing of the cows with the background hum of my crankshaft. However, there was always the opportunity to attach myself to a family or a cluster of riders and chat. Everyone was always friendly and willing to slow down for some good conversation."

The ride became a source of income for the club and grew to several hundred riders.

Eventually, I stepped aside over some disagreements about how the ride should evolve. One suggestion was to offer a 100-mile option, which I thought was too strenuous for area riders. This suggestion eventually became a separate ride, the Mountains of Misery, which has become successful by drawing serious riders from greater distances. I admit I underestimated the number of people who would pay good money to hurt like hell. I sheepishly admit it's way too tough for me.

Regardless, I am pleased to see what the Wilderness Road Bicycle Ride has become and enjoy riding it each year. As I crossed the new Memorial Bridge in Radford and headed into Bisset Park and the new finish line at Radford University, I decided this ride had perfect weather and hoped the ride might forever introduce increasingly avid bicyclists to our beautiful area.

Michael Abraham grew up in Christiansburg and lives in Blacksburg. He keeps doing the things his mother warned him against.