Dan Casey

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Just off to the west off Virginia 419, Sugarloaf Mountain rises off the edge of Roanoke's suburbs.

To the east is Southwest Plaza, site of the friendly Peddler bike shop and Five Boro Bagels, the only real McCoy in the Roanoke Valley.

To the west is the intimidating Twelve O'clock Knob, the Roanoke Valley climb preferred by professional road racers.

I'd had my eye on Sugarloaf for a long time. Perfectly shaped, like a pile of dumped sugar (hence the name), it's hard to miss when you're driving by on 419. The mansion near its crest where Hollywood actress Debbie Reynolds once lived told me there was a road up there -- somewhere. But where was it? Was it public or private? A dead end, or did it keep going?

I'm happy to report that it does keep going. And you can take it for a 20-mile ride on mostly back roads through the Cave Spring section of Southwest Roanoke County.

Two hills

This ride takes you up two moderately sized mountains. First is Sugarloaf, pretty steep and about a mile long. Sugarloaf Mountain Road snakes up a small mountain pass out of the suburbs, cresting with a glimpses of downtown Roanoke.

Then it drops down to the base of Twelve O'clock Knob, into a farming valley that is rapidly being replaced with communities of large brick and vinyl-sided houses. But you can still catch a glimpse of an old log cabin or two along the way.

Farther along the way is Cotton Hill, a twisty, roller coaster-like climb that down into the hollows of Back Creek. Cotton Hill is more rural, but the bulldozers have made a few inroads here, too. You will cross Virginia 419 twice. Other than that and a 1.5 mile stretch down U.S. 221, you're on mostly back roads and the traffic will be light.

Both climbs have steeps sections. Unless you're a real gear grinder, you'll need a triple chain rings for these. The downhills are winding, so check your brakes before you go. The rest of the ride is up and down, but nothing too steep. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the hardest, I've give it a difficulty rating of 7. It'd be a 5 absent the mountains.

The route

Park your car at Southwest Plaza, at the intersection of Grandin Road and 419. Here, you can stock up on bagels from Five Boro, or pick up a spare tube or last-minute accessory at The Peddler.

Cross Virginia 419 on Grandin, and make your first right on Hackney Drive. Follow this a block back to Grandin, and make a left. Go one more block and make a left on Sugarloaf Drive. You'll make your next right on Bridle Lane, and begin climbing. Take a left on Sugarloaf Mountain Road.

This takes you up the mountain and down. At the bottom, hang a left on Roselawn and follow this about two miles out to a traffic light at U.S. 211. There are some pretty tight curves on Roselawn toward the end, so be careful. Go right on U.S. 221.

This is the most dicey part of the ride. The road starts out as four lanes but quickly narrows to two, and there's a lot of traffic on it. Stay on it for about two miles, then go left on Cotton Hill Road.

I can only guess at where Cotton Hill got it's name. If cotton was ever grown there, it's gone now, replaced mostly with small homes, most of them set on large lots. Along the way, you'll also see a few large developments of more expensive housing. Cotton Hill ends in a 'T' intersection with Merriman after about 3 miles.

Go left on Merriman, which ends at Starlight, then left on Starlight. Less than a half-mile up make a right on Starkey. A short distance up Starkey, it makes a left turn. Don't miss this one! If you stay straight it turns into Buck Mountain Road. Stay on Starkey.

A couple miles up you'll cross Virginia 419 near Tanglewood Mall. When Starkey ends at the intersection with Ogden, turn left. Ogden ends at Colonial, and you'll go left again.

Take Colonial to the second right, which is Poplar, and go right. This twisty, up-and-down road will lead you to Brambleton Avenue. Make a right on Brambleton. Just past a stretch of commercial businesses, hang a left on Spring. Follow Spring until it dead ends on Tillett, and make a right. Tillett ends at Guilford, where you go left.

One black down is Grandin Road, where you'll talk a left again. Go about a mile, and you make a right on Grandin Road Extension. Don't miss this, or you wind up at the wrong shopping center. Follow the extension back to the shopping center, a distance of about two miles.

Notes

Besides the beginning and end, there are plenty of places along this route where you can stop for a snack. There are two gas station/convenience stores on Starkey, and others on Brambleton Ave. There's also a 7-Eleven at the intersection of Grandin and Guilford.