How about trying other than Tenerife and Spain?
Every year, hundreds of Icelanders go to Tenerife and the East Coast of Spain on bicycle trips. Most often, it is either autumn, to start the training winter, or in the spring, to get proper exercise volume after the winter exercises and for the summer goals or competitions.
But how about looking at new paths? For those who want to shake things up and try something new, Virginia in the United States is a pretty interesting option that is worth looking at. Both the temperature is quite preferable for Icelandic cyclists in the spring and autumn and the abundance of fun cycling routes. Then both Icelandic airlines have direct flights to Washington DC
A year and a half ago, I was invited to go to the town of Harrisonburg in Virginia, where the Icelandic bicycle manufacturer Lauf premiered his new street bike, endurance, after establishing a distribution and combination center in town. To test the bike, we went to daytime areas around the areas around and I have to admit that it came as a great surprise to me how fun it was to ride around and also that driving traffic was mostly comfortable with cyclists.
The asphalt is in large sections simply heavenly for cycling. Sliding and cool.
Photo/Þráinn Kolbeinsson
Numerous outdoor areas
It undoubtedly helps that the environment of Harrisonburg are a popular outdoor area and numerous hiking around the hills and the mountains, but precisely these large hills and mountains that are in Virginia’s in the Virginia in the area make this area a placed place for street cyclists to get good slopes and climbing exercises.
Although I am small in the mountain biking, a short search of the web also reveals that there is a considerable amount of mountain bikers, but a number of mountain bikes or areas are in Virginia.
But keep us Harrisonburg and look at the possibilities that the area has to offer. The mountains around actually belong to what is called the Appalachian Mountain Park, which extends in the north from Newfoundland and through the East Coast kingdom and all the way south to Alabama.
Landscape like from any adventure. It is easy to find many long and inclined climbing in these areas.
Photo/Þráinn Kolbeinsson
Shenandoah and Massanutten
Within the Appalachians mountain range there are smaller mountain ranges and to the west of Harrisonburg is Shenandoah Mountain Park and the other side of it is West Virginia. Only a few miles are in the mountain range and you can choose a number of cycling routes up there, but some also lie down to West Virginia and you can choose from various types of circular routes. It is quite possible to recommend a look over there, although only to see the difference between these two states immediately.
Just east of Harrisonburg is such a small mountain range called Massanutten Mountain Park, where there are good asphalt roads and also gravel roads, as well as mountain biking areas.
It came as a surprise to me how considerate drivers were in these areas.
Photo/Þráinn Kolbeinsson
Blue Ridge Mountain Park
A little further is the Blue Ridge Mountain Park and again we have a mixture of paved roads and gravel roads with a significant climb. When it comes up, a paved road takes on the mountain range, cross and end, but the road is called Skyline Drive and there are countless views of view to enjoy this well -known landscape that the area offers.
Probably most people have seen photos or videos from Blue Ridge Mountain Park, or other areas near the Appalachian Mountain Park, without realizing it. The mountain range is ancient and therefore fairly well grounded and rounded, and therefore works rather like giant hills than traditional mountains in the same sense that Icelanders generally think of them.
Get the mountains exceptionally beautiful and fun color or tinge in the temperature and sometimes it seemed like you were in adventure when stopped and you could take the time to look over the mountain ranges as far as the eye is.
There is something so fascinating about this miserable blue that characterizes the mountains there.
Photo/Þráinn Kolbeinsson
Appalachian Trail right by
It is also worth mentioning that the well-known hiking trail, which lies about 3,500 kilometers along the Appalachian Mountain Park and bears its name, lies among other things after the Blue Ridge Mountain Garden and right by Skyline Drive and therefore it is easy for those interested to mix a bicycle and mountain hike.
It is not fun to rest after a good practice day you can look at the US office of Lauf and in their recent showroom. The company has settled in old headquarters and print shop for the town’s main magazine that had moved around.
I mentioned that temperatures in these areas would be preferable for bicycle trips in the spring and autumn, but according to the weather data, the best time should be in April and until May and then back in September and until October.
But what does this cost?
Of course, one thing that matters a lot when it comes to choosing a destination to go to and cycle is cost. Probably it will always be a little more expensive to fly west across the ocean and the trip is two hours longer than a trip to Alicante. However, prices are quite similar to what can be found in many parts of Spain, especially in food and accommodation, but alcohol is somewhat more expensive.
For great Zwift enthusiasts and women, it is worth pointing out that it is not very far from both Washington or Harrisonburg to Richmond, where precisely the World Cup in street cycling in 2015 and is a well -known route in the bicycle app
So it could be fun to get there on the way and try to ride the Worlds ring, although more traffic can be expected than when the competition took place.
