Virginia Beach Recommendations

[dbb]

Going to VA Beach and got permission to bring the bikes.

We will be staying down in Sandbridge. I see there are some pretty extensive trails at False Cape State Park. Does anybody have other recommendations. I will have my fat tire Peugeot (the snow bike) and my 25 mm tire hybrid.

Thanks in advance.

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[acc]

Huh. I was searching for info about VA Beach myself.
Try this link.
http://www.tbarides.org/bike_tourists
I’m blowing through town this weekend. Will chat up a LBS and bring back information.
I lived down there and I can imagine good riding but fairly busy roads.

[Mikey]

My family and I camped out at first landing and biked the wooded trailes over to the VA beach strip last July. First landing is nice to bike through, packed dirt trails with plenty of shade which made the 95F heat some what bearable.

[baiskeli]

I grew up there, though I wasn’t much of a cyclist then.

It’s nice and flat there! The southern half, where Sandrbridge is, is rural. Great road riding opportunities. Up north is mostly suburban/urban, like here, only flatter. Did I mention the lack of hills?

False Cape would be a good place for both road and off-road cycling, with lots to see. You’ll be in what is basically the northernmost part of the Outer Banks. Much of it is completely inaccessible by car! Look for feral horses on the beach like they have at Chincoteague.

Found this useful site about a bike trip there: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=4132 Looks like they rode right on the beach sometimes, which would work on the wet-packed sand close to the water with a fat-tire.

[dbb]

Thanks to all for the advice. Was able to get miles for BikeArlington A team on the National Bike Challenge, see my niece get married and all in all, have a fine time.

Although I tried, the sand on the beach (even the damp firm sand), yielded to me and my fat tire bike, so it got little use. The rides south through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park were superb in the early morning. I had the roads and trails all to myself. The loose gravel on the trails slowed me down a bit but I was riding slowly to look at the scenery and animals anyway.

The road from Sandbridge to the wildlife refuge. It was new asphalt and quite nice.

My version of Dirt’s self portraits

Typical of the packed gravel trail in the wildlife refuge and state park

While the Sand Ridge trail in the state park goes all the way to North Carolina, I was only able to get about half way because the trail turned into soft sand. I gave up on a two state ride and instead rode/walked to the beach, which was all mine as far as you could see.

Again, thanks for the advice!

[acc]

Many thanks for the pictures and information about cycling in Virginia Beach. You provided great insight into the actual road conditions and reminded me of the fun of riding through new places and terrain. Glad you had a safe and successful trip.
Ann

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