Dan Casey

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Lexington, Va., is about 50 miles north of Roanoke. This quiet, quaint town is the home of two renown institutions of higher learning -- private Washington & Lee University and the state-supported Virginia Military Institute.

Lexington is also the burial place of the South's two greatest military figures: Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee lies in state in Lee Chapel on the W&L campus. The grave of his trusty steed, Traveler, is just outside. Right next door, at VMI, is the grave of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson, bedecked with a monument surrounded by American flags. You can visit both on a winding, sometimes hilly 44-mile loop ride that begins and ends about a half-hour (by car) north of Roanoke.

I call it the Confederate Heroes Ride.

My guide on a clear June day was Dick Kelley, assistant superintendent of the Roanoke Schools system. This ride took about three hours, not counting a lunch break in Lexington.

Getting to the starting point

Take Interstate 81 north from Roanoke for about 30 miles to exit 168. It's marked Arcadia. At the end of the ramp, go left for only a right and then a quick left on Old Lee Highway. You want to head north on this road for about two miles, to the site of an old filling station. There's nothing there now but piles of gravel. Pull in and park your car and unload the bikes.

From the parking lot, turn left on Old Lee Highway and head south for a couple hundred yards. Make your first right and over I-81 on an overpass. Stay on this road until you reach County Road 623 and make a left. Follow this a short distance and make another left onto County Road 622. This will lead you into Virginia 611, as you cross the Botetourt-Rockbridge County line.

Continue north on 611 until it dead ends on Virginia 612. Take a right and stay on this road until you reach Virginia 251. Make another right here and follow it into Lexington.

Follow 251 out of Lexington, make a left on County Road 764, then a right on County Road 610. Stay on 610 all the way back. Near your starting point, it'll lead you on another overpass across I-81 and back to old Lee Highway. Make a right. Your cars will be parked on the left a couple of miles down the road.

The ride

This ride is not for the weak of leg, but you also don't have to be in Ironman Triathlon shape to finish it. I'd rate it a 6 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most difficult. For the rest of the day, twinges in your legs will remind you of it.

In essence, you ride along the west of Short Hill Mountain up to Lexington, then return on the east side. But that's not to say that you won't find yourself climbing. The biggest uphill is a 1.5 mile, 700-footer (that's shorter than Mill Mountain). After that, it's a mostly gentle downhill into Lexington along the banks of South Buffalo Creek. On the way back you'll be following a steeply banked hollow carved by Broad Creek.

The sights on this ride are varied and plentiful. About halfway up to Lexington, if the sky is at all clear, expect to see Big House and Little House mountains framing a broad hayfield. You'll also pass a pre-Civil War one-room log cabin schoolhouse, the historic Rapp Church. You'll spend a few miles of the ride back on the original TransAmerica bicycle route (Virginia 764).

Dan Casey | The Roanoke Times

View of the Confederate Heroes Ride.

Related

Map

• Map of the Confederate Heroes Ride

Notes

Carry water! You'll be riding on true back roads, so don't expect to see any grocery or convenience stores or even gas stations along the way.

There are also more than a few unpenned dogs along the way. We didn't bother to find out whether they're friendly or vicious. Be prepared to pedal like a maniac to get past them.

There are plenty of places to eat in downtown Lexington. If you're in for a short stop, I'd recommend The Emporium on Main Street. It's a combination grocery store and deli with reasonably-priced sandwiches and an outdoor table or two. If you're looking for fancier fare, The Palm restaurant has good sandwiches in a casual atmosphere.

Public bathrooms an be found in the Lexington Visitors Center. It's a bit off the beaten path from downtown, but you can ask anybody how to get there.