Friday Morning Forest-Roads Ride

Our next ride will be on Friday, 5/9 when we will ride to Reddish Knob and then to Flagpole Knob. This will be two out-and-back segments from Briery Branch Gap: first to Reddish Knob on asphalt; then to Flagpole Knob on dirt/gravel. We will meet at the parking area at 9 AM (see the Google map below for driving directions) and start riding around 9:15 AM.
This is one of our easier Forest Road rides with 1,600 ft of climbing in 12 miles. E-bikes are welcome but non-E-bikes will set the overall pace. MTBs are always recommended. See the Ride with GPS map below for the riding route. We’ll take breaks, and plan to be back at the cars by 1. Since this is an out-and-back, you have the option to ride faster, or ride slower and ride less than the full route, as long as you manage your time to arrive back at the cars by the agreed upon time.
Weather looks like temps in the 60s and chance of rain. Bring lunch/snacks, rain gear, and water.
Ride route
drive to ride start

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The Forest-Roads Ride will be all over the Shenandoah Valley, typically within the GWNF.
We like to stay together as a group and we take plenty of breaks to refuel and socialize. But we might not wait for you if you fall too far behind, and we will keep the ride moving along to meet our goals. You should expect some climbing (we’re riding in the George Washington National Forest) on anything from smooth dirt forest roads to double track (think jeep roads). Each rider can and should gauge their ability and turn back early if needed to avoid being left too far behind. Note that there is often no cell service where we ride.
Regarding suitable types of bikes, the group rides a mix of mostly mountain and/or gravel bikes depending on the specific road conditions for that week, and many are e-bikes (with the overall pace set by the non-e-bikes).

• Time: Check the weekly ride details in the Meetup Group. Usually 9AM for the summer, and later in Fall, Winter and Spring.
• Location: Meet at the trailhead mentioned in the Meetup Group. We usually ride in the George Washington National Forest. *the trail location can range upwards to an hour-long drive from Harrisonburg.
• Pace: Less than 10mph
• Length: Typically 3-4 hours, 15-20 miles.
• Ride Surface: This is a forest service-mountain bike ride, so plan for dirt roads with varying degrees of rock and occasional gravel.
• Regroup Points During Ride? There are not clearly identified points but the ride will stop and regroup at points during the ride.