Revisiting Carvins Cove
It has been a little over seven years since I last visited Carvins Cove. The last time was when I was working on my book Mountain Biking Virginia and my buddy Mark H. and I rode some of the tougher trails along this classic Blue Ridge destination. Back then, one of the Cove’s signature trails (Rock and Roll) was still under construction and yet to be unveiled, so we opted instead to ride some of the classic trails on the southeast side of Carvins Cove Road and crafted a pretty tough loop that climbed up Hi Dee Hoe before descending along the Gauntlet, back up The Trough and then down again along Brushy Mountain, Buck and Hotel.
This time around, it was a little easier…
Photos never do it justice, although this one comes pretty close. The stone work leading into and out of this feature is spectacular. Along the ride on Rock and Roll you’ll encounter several other stone features that will keep you in awe. The trail follows the contour superbly and is incredibly fun to ride.
Riding one of the signature rock features along Rock and Roll.
Ride Meta
Bike: Bubbles - Ibis Mojo
Trail System: Carvins Cove, lower trails (Songbird, Enchanted Forest, Little Bell, Rock and Roll, Lower Comet and School House)
Distance: 11.9 mi
Moving Time: 1:26
Elevation: 919 ft
Avg. Speed: 8.2 mi/h
Max Speed: 25.6 mi/h
Temperature: 46°
Favorite Segment: So hard to pick; Rock and Roll
My regular riding partners, Paul H. and Becky B. recently packed up and moved to Roanoke and I finally made the trip to visit them in Salem. Naturally, I brought Bubbles (my Ibis Mojo) along for the ride.
This last spring/summer was pretty rough for me. I had a bunch of health issues that kept me off the bike, so my fitness level hasn’t been all that great. With that in mind, Paul put together an “easier” loop along Carvins’ “lower” trails, one he knew I would enjoy.
We set out to do the ride on Saturday morning, but not too far into the singletrack we had a mechanical that forced us to cut the ride short. Paul’s tire suffered what appeared to be a sidewall tear. The mechanical did give us an opportunity to visit Just the Right Gear (we were going to anyway), a local Roanoke bike shop near The Cove, to pick up a new tire and get the bike ready for the next day. We lucked out and and connected with Kristine M., owner of the shop.
You’ll find several skinnies and other technical trail features (TTFs) to keep you interested. Quite honestly, there is no need for them. The trail is incredibly fun as it is. The TTFs, however, are super cool additions to play on along the way.
Last time I was in Roanoke Kristine helped me connect with several people to explore other destinations, including Dody Ridge + Spec Mine and the always brutal Dragon’s Back. She provided me with tons of valuable info on the area and treated me to a cold beer at Parkway Brewing Company. If you have the chance, go visit her shop next time you are in town…
With Paul’s bike (also an Ibis Mojo) back in business, we set out again to finish what we had started the day before. This time around Becky tagged along for the ride, you guessed it, on her Ibis Mojo.
We started the ride from the Bennet Springs parking area along Carvins Cove Road before climbing up Songbird, a mellow and gradual climb up to the Rattlin’ Run trail head. From there we continued down Songbird (super fun descent) to Enchanted Forest (flat goodness) and then up and down the rolling Rock and Roll.
Rock and Roll was incredibly fun. The trail follows the contour perfectly, and is chock-full of very cool rock features. We reached the current end of the trail, but were able to take a peek at what is coming soon. Eventually, trail builders hope to extend Rock and Roll all the way to the Boat Landing parking area along Reservoir Road. From there we descended along a super fun drop line before connecting with School House, double backing on Enchanted Forest and then finishing the ride along Lower Comet.
All in all, we rode a little under 12 miles. Most of them on super fun flowy singletrack with minimal climbing. Perfect for someone getting back in the groove, or for intermediate riders looking to get a taste for what Carvins has to offer.
I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Roanoke. My plan is to head out next year for at least a week or so, when there is more daylight, to explore more of the Cove with Paul and Becky, including some of the tougher trails along the mid and higher elevations of this Blue Ridge destination.
