Dan Casey

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Dan Casey | The Roanoke Times

This sign, at the intersection of Twelve O'Clock Knob Road and Powell Drive, tells bikers to go back. Don't. The big climb starts here. The road twists up the mountain on sharp turns, steeply banked.

Related

Map

• Map of 12 O'Clock Knob

When the Tour DuPont rolled through the Roanoke Valley a few years back, organizers were looking looking for the area's biggest, baddest mountain -- with a paved road, of course -- over which to run a 20-mile time trial.

And boy, did they find it: a narrow, serpentine road that hugs a shady, rocky cliff on a 4-mile-long climb that rises high above the cities of Salem and Roanoke. Not a guard rail anywhere.

Twelve O'Clock Knob is its name. And if you like to get high -- on a bicycle, that is -- there's no better place around Roanoke.

This mountain's interesting name is a holdover from days prior to the Civil War. Slaves on the old Dixie Farm west of Salem could tell it was midday when the sun was directly over its peak. The label stuck, and the similarly-named road came later.

Be forewarned. In terms of road rides, this loop is about as hard as it gets in the Roanoke Valley. It's definitely not for the faint of heart or legs -- or for cyclists who have the least bit of doubt in their brakes. You will climb roughly 1,700 vertical feet. Plenty of eastern ski resorts sport less.

Nor is this a good ride if you're at all traffic shy. Although cars are sparse on Twelve O'Clock Knob Road itself, this 24-mile-long loop from Southwest Roanoke to Salem and back involves riding on some of the busiest roads in the Roanoke Valley.

On the other hand, if you've never seen a mountain that you didn't want to ride up, and if you love long and twisty descents, you'll be glad you tackled this one. Few of your friends have done it -- so this one will give you bragging rights for months.

The route

I've chosen Patrick Henry High School as the start/finish point for this ride, but you could easily make it any point along the loop.

Back Creek Elementary on U.S. 221 is another choice, as is the Food Lion on Lee Highway/Apperson Road. Check the map below and see what suits you.

From Patrick Henry, get on Brandon Avenue and follow it a few miles out to Virginia 419, which you'll cross. Make your first right on Riverside Drive and follow it along the Roanoke River to Apperson. Go straight across Apperson, where the road turns into Front Avenue.

Continue on five blocks and make a left on Eddy Avenue. Go up Eddy for three blocks and make a right on Piedmont Avenue. Twelve O'Clock Knob Road is the third left. It's part of a designated bike route through Salem, and you'll probably see the little green signs that mark it as such.

This is where the climb starts -- gently, at first. The serious uphill begins about a mile up the road. Ignore the sign that indicates the end of the bike route and advises you to turn around. Instead, bear to the left and head up that steep hill. This is a tough one. You'll round God only knows how many steeply banked turns.

You'll reach the peak about three miles later, where there's a small yellow Cape Cod on your right. You'll probably want to ride you brakes on the way down -- some of the turns are as steep as those on the way up.

Twelve O'Clock Knob Road ends at U.S. 221. Take a left and stay on this road for about 8 miles, into the city of Roanoke, where it ends at Brandon Avenue. Take a left on Brandon, another left at the next light (Grandin Road, and you'll be back at the high school.

Notes

The two busy roads you'll be riding on are Brandon Avenue and U.S. 221. Brandon is newly widened and includes sidewalks that you could use as bike lanes.

U.S. 221, which turns into Brambleton after it crosses Virginia Route 419, is mostly narrow, winding, and the cars on it tend to go fast. Make sure you ride far to the right and that you're very visible to motorists.

Take a couple water bottles because you'll get thirsty climbing that hill. There's a convenience store/gas station on Apperson at your turn-off onto Riverside where you can fill them up or grab a couple snacks. There's another convenience store/gas station on U.S. 221 just after you turn onto it from Twelve O'Clock Knob Road.