Returning as classic routes for the 2020 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, there are two ways to experience the renowned riding of the central Shenandoah Valley: The Valley View Challenge and Mt Solon Metric Century. These routes offer an experience for cyclists of varied abilities.
The Valley View Challenge is a 36-mile route that showcases the idyllic scenery and country roads that make Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia famed riding destinations. The route is paved with a few brief connectors on little dirt roads, over low-water bridges and up country lanes – and they make the experience one to remember! Don’t let the “Valley” fool you; this route offers a great challenge with over 2,600 feet of rolling climbs and a steep jaunt up the timed segment up Mole Hill.
The Mt Solon Metric Century offers 100 kilometers (62.4 miles) of Shenandoah Valley riding. The Mt Solon Metric Century overlaps the Valley View Challenge with the addition of what we commonly refer to as “the century loop” – a special 20-mile segment only ridden by Mt Solon Metric Century and Shenandoah Mountain Century participants featuring country lanes and nearly-secret riverside roads beyond Mt Solon and Stokesville, Virginia. This route rolls through 3,743 feet of climbing over its 100 kilometers and features the brief but brutal timed segment up Mole Hill.
The final miles of the Valley View Challenge and the Mt Solon Metric Century wind through the farming communities of Ottobine and Dayton, Virginia where horse-pulled carriages are frequent sights along the country lanes.
