I know this isn't car-related, but I hope the powers that be will forgive me...

A friend and I rode the Virginia Creeper Trail (http://virginiacreepertrail.com/) last weekend, and it was a blast. So, we're planning on going back in a month or so. We're trying to get a big group together to do it.

A little lowdown on the trail: 34 miles of old railroad bed that has been smoothed and covered in gravel. There are also probably 20 or 30 railroad bridges you ride across. The first 17 miles are literally all downhill. Not white-knuckles balls-out downhill, just a gradual slope. We started at the top and pedaled for about 100 feet. We didn't pedal again until over 17 miles had passed. The second half of the trail flattens out and ends in a 7 mile slight uphill. Took us about 3.5 hours of riding time to complete the trail riding at an easy pace. If the people that want to come don't feel like riding the flat part, we can start at the halfway point in Damascus and only ride the downhill. We passed many families and children, so you know the trail wasn't too hard.

No technical skills are required. You don't even have to wear a helmet. There are several bike shops in the area that you can rent a bike at if you need to. They load you up in a van and take you to the top, and you ride back down. At the end of the downhill there is a nice restaurant in a little town. We ate there and it was great (and cheap).

So, we're going to try to do it again next month. Probably on a Saturday. We'll have to get down there before noon (it's about a 2 hour drive from Blacksburg). Cost was $10 for the van ride up, and I think it's about $30 to rent a bike for the day.

Let me know if you want to go. I guarantee you will enjoy it. Even those of you who don't ride and/or aren't in the best shape will be able to ride it no problem.