Think you have the legs to keep up with Jeremiah Bishop as he competes for one of the few spots on the Olympic Mountain Bike Team? Try pedaling his favorite training ride, a beastly road route that leaves from Harrisonburg, Va. crosses the steep mountains into West Virginia, then doubles back. You’ll pedal 85 miles of dirt and paved roads and climb 10,000 feet on this route that Bishop calls “a beast.”
“If you can ride this on a road bike without walking, you’re a hoss,” Bishop says. “Do not try this ride without some gear.”
The climbs are long and steep, particularly Fultz Gap into West Virginia, but the high elevation meadows are breathtaking, as are the downhills. Watch out for the drop into Franklin, which reaches 25% grades in spots.
