https://video.floor9.com/about/instance/homehttps://video.floor9.com/videos/browse?scope=localhttps://video.floor9.com/w/gaDzRnYMxKy4xSt8vUxoQehttps://video.floor9.com/lazy-static/thumbnails/73d84585-f2a5-476f-b499-b4ebaaca42c5.jpgExploring West Virginia [Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail]The Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail stretches 11 miles between the small mountain towns of Thomas and Hendricks in eastern West Virginia. It's a rugged, scenic, shady climb that follows the path of the Blackwater River as it snakes through Blackwater Falls State Park. Most of the trail has a steady 3.5% grade, which can feel like a real grind going up (from Hendricks to Thomas). But I promise the views are well worth it, especially if you ride in the spring or fall. The nearby towns of Thomas and Davis are very friendly and packed with restaurants, coffee shops, outfitters, art galleries, and more. I've made a few trips back since taking this footage and the towns never disappoint. If you're bringing inexperienced riders or young children, I'd recommend riding one way from Thomas to Hendricks (downhill) and then shuttling the bikes back to the top. Also, you'll definitely want at least a gravel or hybrid bike for this ride. Some rail trails are pretty forgiving for skinny tires; this is not one of them. Finally, I recommend making a spring or fall ride. Once the leaves grow in, the trail effectively becomes a single track and much of the view will be obscured. Featured in this video: The Billy Motel: https://www.thebillymotel.com Blackwater Bikes: https://www.facebook.com/BlackwaterBikes Bloom: https://thosewhobloom.com/ Tip Top Coffee: https://www.facebook.com/TipTopThomas/ Milo's Cafe: brightmorninginn.com Trailhead Coffee Shop: https://www.facebook.com/Trailheadcoffeeshop Pearce Roswell / Just the Banjo / courtesy of epidemicsound.com https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/l015lkLpOT/ Northside / Blacklake Waters / courtesy of epidemicsound.com https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/FGFm86uWvQ/ Hunter Quinn / Fiddler's Barn / courtesy of epidemicsound.com https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Nq7VDi1T29/ Biddy Sullivan / Haystack / courtesy of epidemicsound.com https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/HSiITAxFhb/ https://video.floor9.com/static/streaming-playlists/hls/7ad1ef81-beb7-4e3e-ba5c-cd7092832c7d/a1f6fcd5-778b-44f3-957b-469bdb69c7f5-master.m3u8https://video.floor9.com/videos/embed/gaDzRnYMxKy4xSt8vUxoQe331082024-11-15T16:44:14.514Zrail trailruggedruralWVYESappalachian_rail_trailsNOhttps://video.floor9.com/w/tRL4wzEXHqMQgBNaQ3XHPthttps://video.floor9.com/lazy-static/thumbnails/a6194f97-c752-445d-b007-ca1e5a3e401e.jpgRoad Trip to Tucson: Riding The LoopI decided I needed a break from the cold, rainy Pennsylvania spring we were enduring. I had read lots of people talking about The Loop as a perfect cold-weather riding destination, so I decided to fly out and bike the trail for myself. It's a 130+ mile trail (including a 60+ mile loop around the city) that's almost entirely paved, almost entirely on dedicated paths, and easily accessible to all skill levels. With tons of hotels, restaurants, breweries, and plazas along the trail, it's really obvious that the community has embraced the trail. The entire city is very bike friendly but The Loop takes it to an entirely new level. It's almost like a low-speed pedestrian / cyclist beltway around the city. Even though it's not a rail trail and it's nowhere near Appalachia, I brought my camera along to record my adventure. Unfortunately I had to cut a massive amount of footage just to keep the length reasonable, but maybe I'll make a more detailed trip report with the leftover footage later. If you like this video, be sure to subscribe and share with friends! And feel free to leave a comment telling me what trail I should check out next! If you decide to check out the trail, you'll notice a LOT of bike rental companies. Many of them have similar names or even "official" sounding names. And often, you have to pick up your own bike from an unattended self-service locker. After reading Tripadvisor reviews about people receiving poorly maintained bikes and having no one to help, I decided to rent from a place that has an actual storefront or in-person delivery. That way, if something goes wrong, I've got someone right there to help. After all, the last thing you want is to be stranded in the desert with a broken bike! Here are some companies that I've either personally used or highly recommend: Ride Tucson - https://ridetucsonaz.com Roadrunner Bicycles - https://www.roadrunnerbicycles.com/rentals Pedego Tucson - https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/Tucson So...https://video.floor9.com/static/streaming-playlists/hls/e199578c-c197-4aad-94c5-b9490353187d/8380f67f-9606-454b-9132-014ac0e200a2-master.m3u8https://video.floor9.com/videos/embed/tRL4wzEXHqMQgBNaQ3XHPt4780252024-11-15T20:32:53.702Zpavedurbanbike trailAZYESappalachian_rail_trailsNOhttps://video.floor9.com/c/appalachian_rail_trails/videoshttps://video.floor9.com/a/dave/video-channels