Maps & Cue Sheets

A list of mapped rides can be found in the Ride List below; links to the respectives maps and cue sheets for each of the scheduled rides can also be found on the Ride Schedule page. Maps and cue sheets for certain other rides can be found on Iván Henao's web site.

Paved Road Ride List

Gravel Road Ride List

Climb Data

Starting Points For Paved Road Rides

Starting Points For Gravel Road Rides

Paved Road Ride List:

* Approximate amount of climbing in feet per mile. See the notes on Climb Data

Back to Top

Gravel Road Rides List:

*MTN*: Indicates a "mountain bike" ride. These are actually rides on county gravel roads, not true off-road rides. A solid hybrid or a mountain bike (i.e., with or without suspension) is required. Expect to encounter some loose gravel, potentially on steep hills; you should have appropriate tires with good traction.

Back to Top

Climb Data:

On the Ride Schedule page, you will notice that each ride has an associated figure for the total ascent per mile (Climb). These figures are approximate and are provided primarily to allow comparison between different rides. They are derived by taking the best estimate (see below) of total ascent for the ride and dividing by the distance.

It turns out that total ascent is a difficult number to pin down very precisely. To make a long story short, there are three ways to obtain a value for total ascent, each with its own sources of error. One is to get a value from topographical map software, another is to measure total ascent with a barometric altimeter, and the third is to measure it with a GPS device.

Topographic software tends to overestimate total ascent because a roadbed is always smoother (with less up and down) than the actual terrain it traverses (think of bridge over a ravine). Barometric altimeters are only accurate to the extent that the local barometric pressure stays fairly constant over the duration of a ride, and the GPS system is simply not particularly accurate at measuring altitude. Some devices combine both the barometric and GPS approaches in a single device. In addition, all 3 methods involve some software approach to smoothing (interpolation) between the data points. Since there does not appear to be any gold standard, it is not entirely obvious how to pick the best figure for a given ride.

That being said, topographic data for total ascent seems to be the least accurate (and consistently on the high side). The advantages to this approach, however, are that this is the only way to get a figure without actually doing the ride and that most people don't have altimeters on their bicycles. Consequently, most of the figures you see elsewhere (e.g., total ascents for Mountain Mama and the Blue Ridge Extreme) are taken from topographic software (specifically from the DeLorme Topo USA software).

However, we now have total ascent data based on actual altimeter readings for most rides. The current Climb data therefore uses the best estimate of total ascent taking into account all available information, divided by the ride distance. For our area, climbs range from 50 feet per mile up to 120 feet per mile. By way of comparison, the Mountain Mama Century has about 105 feet per mile of climbing and the Blue Ridge Extreme Century has about 95 feet per mile.

Back to Top

Starting Points For Paved Road Rides (in alphabetical order):

Barboursville Firehouse:  Route 33, Barboursville. From Charlottesville, take Route 20 North to Barboursville. Turn left on Route 33. The firehouse parking lot is located on the right.  Note: the left-hand section of the parking lot as you face the front of the building, marked by yellow parking stripes, is reserved for firemen. Please use the right-hand side, furthest from the entrance to the lot.

Beech Grove:  Route 664, Beech Grove (below Wintergreen). From Charlottesville, take US 29 South approximately 22 miles. Turn right (North) on Route 6/6Y for approximately 6 miles. Turn left on Route 151 for approximately 3.5 miles. Turn right on Route 664 (at the Ski Barn). Park in the public lot on the left 1 mile from the Ski Barn.

Crossroads Store:  Route 29 & Route 692, North Garden. From Charlottesville, take US 29 South approximately 9 miles beyond I-64 to Route 692 (Plank Road). Turn left on Route 692, then immediately left into the Crossroads Store parking lot. Park on the back (East) side of the complex.

Earlysville Post Office :  Routes 743 and 660, Earlysville. From Charlottesville, take Hydraulic Road West (which then curves Northeast). Turn right on Route 743 (Earlysville Road) and continue Northeast for approximately 7 miles to the intersection with Route 660 (Reas Ford Road/Earlysville Forest Drive). Turn right onto Earlysville Forest Drive, then immediately right on Bent Oaks Drive and immediately right again into the post office parking lot.

Esmont Post Office:  From Charlottesville, take Route 20 South approximately 17 miles. Turn right on Route 712 at Keene. Route 712 immediately becomes Route 715; continue on Route 715 approximately 6 miles into Esmont. Note: On Saturdays the post office is open until 11 AM; please do not block the area directly in front. You can park in the small Episcopal church parking lot 50 yards north of the post office.

Fontaine Research Park:  Fontaine Avenue, Charlottesville. Take US 29 South to the eastbound Fontaine Avenue exit, heading into town toward campus. Immediately after exiting, turn right into the Fontaine Research Park on Ray C. Hunt Drive. Turn right at the top of the entrance road and park at the back of the large parking lot on the right, near the woods.

Free Union School:  Route 601, Free Union. From Charlottesville, take Barracks Road/Garth Road (Route 654) West. This becomes Route 601. Follow Route 601 as it turns right at the Hunt Country Store. Continue approximately 5 miles into Free Union. The Free Union Country School is on the left as you near the Route 665 intersection.

Gordonsville:  Traffic circle at junction of Routes 15, 33 and 231, Gordonsville. From Charlottesville, take US 250 East approximately 2 miles to Route 22. Turn left (Northeast) on Route 22 (going straight when it runs into Route 231) and continue 15 miles to Gordonsville. From Ruckersville, take US 33 East to Gordonsville. Park in the parking area on the east side of the traffic circle between US 15 East and US 33 East.

Greenwood Community Center:  Route 691, Greenwood. From Charlottesville, take Route 250 West for approximately 15 miles. Approximately 2 miles after Route 250 crosses under I-64, turn right on Route 690. At the next intersection, turn right on Route 691. The community center is on the right.

Louisa Courthouse:  From Charlottesville, take I-64 East for approximately 20 miles. Exit I-64 on Route 208 and go North for approximately 8 miles into downtown Louisa. Approximately 1/2 mile before reaching downtown, Courthouse Road bears left while Route 208 bears right. If you take Courthouse Road, turn right 1 block before E. Main Street (just behind the courthouse) onto Courthouse Square, then turn right into the old firehouse parking lot. If you take 208, turn left on E. Main Street (Route 22/33), then left on Courthouse Square (just before the courthouse) and continue straight into the old firehouse parking lot.

Madison Social Services:  101 S. Main Street, Madison. From Charlottesville, take Route 29 North for approximately 28 miles. Turn left on Route 231 (Business Route 29). The Social Services building is on the right in downtown Madison, next to the courthouse.

Murray Elementary School:  Morgantown Road (Route 738) near Ivy. From Charlottesville, take Route 250 West approximately 6 miles to the Ivy Depot area. Turn left on Route 738 after passing under the railroad bridge. The school is on the left, around a mile from Route 250.

Palmyra:  Bank parking lot, Palmyra. From Charlottesville, take Route 53 East to Route 15 (18 miles past Monticello). Turn left and continue across the Rivanna River. The bank parking lot is on the right as you enter downtown Palmyra at the intersection of Route 601.

Rockfish Gap Outfitters:  1461 E. Main Street (Route 250), Waynesboro. From Charlottesville, take either Route 250 or I-64 to the top of Afton Mountain. At the crossing of the Blue Ridge Parkway take Route 250 West down the hill and into Waynesboro. Rockfish Gap Outfitters is on the right as you enter the outskirts of the city.

Scottsville:  James River Bridge, Route 20, Scottsville. From Charlottesville, take Route 20 South into downtown Scottsville. Turn right on W. Main Street as Route 6 goes left. Take the first or second left and park behind the tennis courts. Alternatively, turn right off Route 20 just after Route 6 goes left and just before you reach the James River bridge, drive through 2 small parking lots, and park behind the tennis courts.

Stanardsville Dairy Queen:  Main Street (Business 33), Stanardsville. From Charlottesville, take US 29 North to US 33 and turn left (East). Bear right on Business 33 into Stanardsville. The Dairy Queen is on the right (North) side of Main Street.

Stone Robinson School:  Route 729, Shadwell. From Charlottesville, take US 250 East. Just past the Route 22 intersection, turn right onto Route 729. The school parking lot is immediately on the right.

Stony Point School:  Route 20, Stony Point. From Charlottesville, take Route 20 North for approximately 7 miles. The school parking lot is located on the right.

Walton Middle School:  Route 708 near Route 20. From Charlottesville, go south on Route 20. Approximately 7 miles after crossing under I-64, watch for Route 708 on the right. Turn right on Route 708. The school parking lot is immediately on your right.

Back to Top

Starting Points For Gravel Road Rides (in alphabetical order):

Meriwether Lewis School:  Route 676, 2 miles North of Ivy. From Charlottesville, take Route 250 West approximately 6 miles to the Ivy Depot area. Turn right on Route 678 and continue approximately 2 miles, bearing right on Route 676 as Route 678 goes left and becomes a gravel road. The school is just beyond this point.

Mission Home (Flat Top Mountain):  Route 601 and Route 628, Greene County, 1 mile North of Faith Mission Home. From Free Union, take Route 601 North approximately 6.5 miles to Boonesville. Turn left on Route 810 and then right on 601. Park at the intersection of Route 601 and Route 628. Parking is limited.

Rockfish River (Helm Mountain):  Route 617 and Route 623, Nelson County. From Charlottesville (I-64) take 29 South approximately 20 miles. Turn left on Route 617 for 1 mile to Route 623.

Schuyler (Beaver - Buffalo - Swan Creek):  Route 693 and Route 722, Nelson County. From Charlottesville (I-64), take 29 South approximately 18 miles. Turn left on Route 6 for 5 miles, then right on Route 800 for 1 mile, then left on Route 602 for 2 miles, then right on Route 722. Continue 2 miles to the intersection with Route 693.

South Garden (Heards Mountain):  Route 712 and Route 633, South Garden. From Charlottesville take 29 South to the Crossroads Store. Turn left on Route 692 (which shortly becomes Route 712) approximately 4 miles to Route 633. Parking is limited.

Swift Run:  Route 634 and Route 635, Greene County 3.5 miles West of Stanardsville. From Stanardsville, take US 33 West. Turn left on Route 810 for approximately 1 mile, then right on Route 634 for approximately 1.5 miles to Route 635. Park at the intersection of Route 634 and Route 635. Parking is limited.

Victory Hill Church:  Route 250 and Route 824, near Yancey Mills. From Charlottesville, take 250 West. Just past the I-64 interchange, turn left on Route 824. The church is immediately to the right. Park on roadside if church lot is in use.

Back to Top

Home | Ride Schedule | Maps/Cue Sheets | Photo Gallery
Cycling Articles | New Rider Info | Local Group Info | Contact Us | Web Site Links

Copyright © 2007 Charlottesville Bicycle Club