Dan Casey

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. -- Temperatures were above 80 and hundreds of bicyclists were strung out over the 75-mile-long course of the Wilderness Road Ride. South of Radford, one long, low-grade climb was taking its toll. That was evident on Katrina Cometa's face as she pushed her pedals along some freshly-laid blacktop.

I hopped off my bike, laid it on the ground, fished a camera from my hydration pack and aimed it at Cometa. Perspiration glistened on her forehead. Her cheeks were crimson and she gulped air. Sweat glued the paper number 547 to her back -- by then, she didn't need safety pins to hold it in place.

A few miles later at the next rest stop, Cometa offered a caption. "A picture of exhaustion," she half-joked.

For the elementary schoolteacher from Radford, the Memorial Day weekend romp was the first long ride of the season. And what a way it was to kick off the summer: 465 people on bikes, tandems, in kiddie trailers or on Trail-A-Bikes, sharing their enthusiasm for riding two-wheeled ponies.

Under sunny skies, with light traffic and plenty of shorter or longer options, the 11th annual Wilderness Road Ride offered something for every cyclist.

Organization is the key

This mega-ride is sponsored annually by the New River Valley Bicycle Association. It's held each Memorial Day weekend Saturday as a warm-up to the grueling, 103-mile Mountains of Misery Century ride the following day.

Giant organized group rides like this one are very different from the more spur-of-the-moment, "Hey, let's go for a spin"-type bike excursions. To put it mildly, the Wilderness Road Ride is organized.

You sign a form, get a number, a starting time and printed directions. There are large yellow signs at each turn, so you can't get lost.

Every 10 miles or so there's a tent with food and drink and plenty of bicyclists of every age, race, size, ability and disposition. Meanwhile, ace bike mechanics prowl the route in cars, ready to fix roadside breakdowns in a flash. Very little is left to chance

As a change of pace, it was nice not to totally wing it. Nobody would run out of fluids or get stranded with a broken spoke, or worse, and have to hitch a ride.

Besides that, there is a special camaraderie in organized group riding that you don't on smaller or solo rides. I'm sure many of the riders feel like they've been sent to a special heaven full of bicyclists. The growing popularity of this event is a testament to that.

The Wilderness Road Ride began in 1991. In 1994 it was attracting 289 registered cyclists. In 1999, 350 riders from as far away at Colorado and New Hampshire showed up for the event.

The Wilderness Ride starts and ends at the Montgomery (County) Museum in Christiansburg, the county seat. For a long stretch the route follows the Wilderness Road, an old wagon path that led Scots-Irish settlers from Philadelphia through the Roanoke and New River valleys west toward present day Kentucky.

The route is a giant 75-mile loop that winds through the back roads of Montgomery and Pulaski counties. It heads south and west from Christiansburg, passing through the small villages of Riner, Snowville, Hiwassee and Allisonia. Then it hooks a right turn across the New River and grazes Pulaksi before heading through Radford back to Christiansburg.

The organizers have thoughtfully plotted shortcuts along the way so riders can match the length of the ride to their endurance. There are 20-, 35-, and 52-mile options. I chose the 52-mile option, and rode with my pals Ted Remandaban, Rob Kidder, Kipper and Mary Nottingham, and Jim Palmieri (he did the full 75).

Though there are no big climbs -- so typical of Western Virginia -- along the three shorter routes, the road is constantly rolling. The steepest section came right before we crossed the 42-mile mark, on Virginia 787 (Wintergreen Drive).

At around half a mile, this climb humbled more than a few riders -- they had to get off their bikes and walk. I had been cranking, but this one slowed me to a crawl. Palmieri reported the 75-mile option had a couple of longer climbs comparable to Roanoke's Mill Mountain.

We started at 8:30 a.m. and finished around 12:30 p.m., spending a total of about an hour at the four stops along the way. Ice cream awaited us at the end, and the organizers said afterward that we (all 465 of us) polished off 27 gallons of the stuff.

Notes

You've got to pay to participate in this ride. The 2002 fee was $20 and covered the map, the cue sheets, radio-dispatched mechanics and rest stops. They also give you a T-shirt and a water bottle -- not to mention the ice cream at the end. It's a heck of a deal.

Forget bringing food, or 100 ounces of water in a hydration pack (like I did!). At the 10-mile rest stops, there is more than you would ever want to eat. A couple of water bottles will do the trick. You'll have plenty of opportunity to refill them at the rest stops.

The bike club sponsors a pre-ride Friday night social with music, light snacks and soft drinks. On Saturday night, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce sponsors a giant pasta dinner.

If you feel up to it, you can ride the Mountains of Misery Century the next day (there's a separate fee). But be forewarned: I know some very experienced, very tough bicyclists who will never do this again.

Photo By Jim "Skydog" Palmieri

Dan Casey (from left) Ted Remandaban, Mary Nottingham, Rob Kidder and Kipper Nottingham ride on a small bridge across the Little River during the Wilderness Road Ride in Montgomery County May 25.

By the end of the punishing Mountains of Misery, participants have climbed more than 10,000 vertical feet over a 103-mile course, and it ends with a killer, 7-mile climb from U.S. 460 up to Mountain Lake in Giles County.

For more information on The Wilderness Road Ride or the Mountains of Misery Century, check wildernessroadride.com.

Directions to The Montgomery Museum

From I-81, take exit 114 towards Christiansburg. Turn right at the fourth stop light (S. Franklin Street), then left at the first stop light (1st Street). Go one block and turn right on Pepper Street. The museum is on the left on the hill.

From Blacksburg, take U.S. 460 east to Business 460 into Christiansburg. Proceed through downtown and cross Main Street. Turn left at the next light (1st Street). Go one block and turn right on Pepper Street. The museum is on the left on the hill.